Team size: 4

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

I have been involved in all legal aspects in connection with numerous new or planned restaurant openings for the group, in particular Zuma St Tropez, Zuma Vail, Zuma Milan and Zuma Dubai Beach House.

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

In my view being an effective modern in-house legal counsel is not about being a legal expert: it is more about being a commercially minded and critical thinking advisor. Understanding the broader business goals and the wider context of the particular question being asked is key to ensuring that the advice given is appropriate to the specific situation. In my experience in-house counsel, particularly in a small team, have an extremely broad and diverse workload and are often required to act as general advisors across areas that would be seen as “specialist” by those in private practice. It is a valuable skill to know when to seek expert advice, when to prioritise certain matters over others, and when to allow projects to proceed with less legal input than others. It is also crucial to ask the right questions to uncover the real issues or risks, which are not always evident from the outset. I believe it is essential that the legal team have a good understanding of the wider business plans and market developments so that they can more effectively anticipate risks, spot opportunities, and provide proactive, forward-thinking advice rather than dealing with each issue in isolation and/or being only reactive.

It is also extremely important to be organised – in-house lawyers must be able to juggle multiple projects, issues and people efficiently and effectively and every day is different!

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am passionate about social mobility and working towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the legal profession and the corporate world more widely. I believe that merit, talent, drive, and potential should be the key determinants of success, not where someone went to school or who they know. I think it is important to identify and remove systematic barriers that can prevent potential candidates from accessing opportunities and I believe that having a variety of perspectives leads to better decisions and outcomes. Over my years in practice, I have actively sought out opportunities to get involved in recruitment, and I support “aim high” initiatives as an independent governor of an East London sixth form college.