| Diageo
Diageo
| Diageo Ireland
| Diageo
Can you briefly explain how the legal team is structured, highlighting key individuals and their role within the department? Aside from general counsel Central America and the Caribbean Zamira Zapata...
Led by New York-based general counsel Timothy Chow, Diageo’s Latin America and Caribbean legal team is a brand protection powerhouse. Given the huge range of products Diageo produces, with a...
| Diageo
In the last year, Diageo’s Mexico legal team has consulted on the US$400m acquisition of Tequila Don Julio as part of the firm’s larger investment plans in the country. The...
| Diageo
British-headquartered multinational beverages company Diageo owns some of the most famous alcoholic brands in the world. Heading the legal team of Diageo’s Mexican subsidiary is Zamira Zapata who, within five...
| Diageo Colombia
One of the premier alcoholic distillers in the world, and until April 2017 the largest alcoholic beverage company globally by market capitalisation, UK-headquartered Diageo boasts an enviable range of brands....
| Diageo
Diageo produces some of the world’s most iconic drink brands and Africa makes up 12% of the multinational’s net global sales, a sizeable proportion which its legal team in the...
With some of the world’s best known brands in its portfolio including Guinness, Smirnoff and Ciroc, global alcoholic drinks producer Diageo has a worldwide presence including notable operations in Central...
| Diageo Colombia
Diageo is the number one premier alcoholic distiller in the world boasting an enviable range of brands with more than 180 different products. The company’s operation in Colombia is one...
| Diageo
Diageo’s ownership of major Irish brands Guinness and Baileys Irish Cream means it occupies a special place in the Irish business landscape. Indeed, regional counsel, Richard Kindred mentions that perhaps...
Guinness in Cameroon has a history dating back to the 19th century, when European traders first brought stout to the African continent. The traditional Irish alcoholic beverage has since become...
The in-house legal team at drinks multinational Diageo has a sprawling global mandate: the company’s 140 lawyers cover the 180 countries it does business in, all from 40 countries where it has lawyers based. Add to that a team that has become smaller over the years in a drive for efficiency, and a busy acquisition trail, and its little wonder the in-house team draws praise from its peers, with one GC noting: ‘Diageo has continued to do a fantastic job in working out how that team operates and making sure they are doing interesting things.’ Diageo GC Siobhan Moriarty puts the team’s strength down to its close alignment with the business and strategic agenda, ‘providing creative and pragmatic support through high-level legal risk management and execution’. There have been marquee transactions, too, such as the billion-dollar acquisition of the Casamigos tequila brand in 2017, made famous by celebrity founder George Clooney. There were also some legacy issues around its 2013/14 £1.8bn investment in listed Indian company United Spirits, resulting in a lawsuit against that company’s founder. A legal team of about 30 is currently in India. Moriarty notes: ‘That’s been a very interesting and sometimes challenging journey.’ The Indian subsidiary’s GC, Mamta Sundara, draws praise for the progress she has made during this time. Another to gain a mention is North America GC Tara Hunt, who heads the legal team for the business unit which is responsible for 35% of the company’s £12bn-plus net sales. Pinsent Masons partner Craig Connal QC says Diageo’s team is marked out by its ‘ability to cope across a rapidly changing legal and practical environment, covering a bewildering range of issues’. He adds: ‘It’s not an organisation you see falling on its nose every ten minutes; you’ve got to have some good lawyers in the background.’ He cites Randall Ingber, GC for global functions, litigation and Africa, as being particularly strong. Moriarty says the role of her department has changed from focusing on technical legal skills to developing leaders who can support the business. There is also a balance to be found between assessing risk and carrying on with business, working out where there is zero risk and what to do when issues present as more of a grey area. ‘Our aim is to blend worldclass legal risk management with brilliant in-market execution. Being great business partners is the biggest growth areas for lawyers; it’s good to be able to spot the issues, but you’ve also got to bring viable solutions as well.’
Legal and corporate security director – South, West and Central Africa
Diageo
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