About

Team size: 75
Major law firms used: Eversheds Sutherland, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells, Whitecap Legal

A few years ago, Sarah Nelson Smith was dealing with documentaries about chickens. Now she is the Europe, Israel and Australia GC of fast-paced real estate disruptor WeWork.

She is newly installed at WeWork, joining in November 2018 from fast-food chain KFC (and parent Yum! Brands), where she was the European legal chief. Among her most interesting work at KFC was an internal debate as to whether to green-light The Billion Dollar Chicken Shop, a 2015 behind-the-scenes documentary on the chain’s practices. The drastic switch in legal work is testament to Nelson Smith’s adaptability as a GC. ‘I loved my time at KFC. The big pull factor to WeWork was the ability to be part of something that was so truly disruptive, and where I felt fully aligned with the company’s ethos and mission,’ Nelson Smith comments.

Founded in 2010, WeWork has found success using a simple model: it rents real estate from a landlord and then leases it on. It also has a heavy focus on providing modern and comfortable office environments. It hit the UK market in 2014 and continues to grow rapidly. ‘When I signed the contract in November, we had 11 lawyers. Now we have 17.’

With such fast growth comes high pressure, but as to be expected from WeWork, working at the company has its perks. She says: ‘It is high pressure, but it is also so positive and collaborative. My kids have been here to visit the office and didn’t want to leave, possibly because they wanted to play with some of the dogs who come to the office each day. One of the company mottos is “make a life, not just a living”.’

While it is early days in her new role, Nelson Smith is already making plans for the future. She admits the in-house legal function could benefit from an increased use of technology and argues it will provide long-term sustainability. ‘With a company growing this fast, you can’t expect to meet the demand placed on the legal team simply by continually hiring more people. That’s where strategic use of AI and alternative solutions become key.’

Ian Gray, executive partner of Eversheds Sutherland, says: ‘She came into Yum! Brands and completely changed the legal function there. She handled the chicken crisis with confidence and competency, and has come into WeWork and continues to innovate. She is the next generation of GC.’