Team size: 43

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

The Zurich UK and Ireland legal teams are focused on enabling us to distribute and sell our products and to manage risk. Key projects in the last twelve months have included Consumer Duty, managing high-profile litigation such as Greensill, enabling us to grow our European business after Brexit, and launching new products across our business.  

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

The key thing for me is to take a role that goes beyond a narrow legal role. I work through what our key issues and risks are and focus on making sure we have the right people and are able to make fast decisions.  

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Leading our response to litigation over Covid business interruption and Zurich’s defence of the Financial Conduct Authority’s litigation against insurers. We won on almost every issue and managed the reputational risk to our business. 

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Presence, leadership and a willingness to take responsibility.  

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

They need to get the governance right to ensure the right people are looking at the right issues. Their role then is to ensure that we can make informed decisions about how we manage transition while understanding both our own responsibilities and the risks involved. They also have a role in getting our message out to the wider world because a lot depends on partnering with customers and people outside the organisation.