Paul Stebbings is Vice President & General Counsel – Europe and Company Secretary at Tate & Lyle Sugars, where he leads the European legal function and advises senior leadership on a broad range of commercial, regulatory, governance, compliance, litigation and strategic matters. Recognised for combining strong legal judgement with commercial pragmatism, he has built a reputation as a trusted business partner who helps organisations navigate complex legal challenges while supporting growth, innovation and long-term value creation.

Having developed his career across both private practice and in-house legal roles, Paul brings extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, competition law, corporate governance, regulatory affairs, risk management and dispute resolution. He currently leads a multidisciplinary legal team supporting operations across Europe, with particular responsibility for the United Kingdom and Portugal. His role extends well beyond traditional legal support, encompassing board advisory responsibilities, ESG initiatives, strategic projects and business transformation programmes.

One of Paul’s most significant recent achievements was leading the legal strategy for Tate & Lyle Sugars’ acquisition of a retail packing business from Tereos UK. The transaction involved a lengthy and highly complex Competition and Markets Authority review, including a rare Phase 2 investigation. Paul directed the company’s legal response throughout the process, managing extensive document disclosure exercises, regulatory engagement and legal submissions. The transaction ultimately secured unconditional CMA clearance and safeguarded more than 50 jobs, representing a landmark success for the business and a notable achievement in UK competition law.

Beyond transactional work, Paul has played a central role in strengthening governance and compliance frameworks across the organisation. He regularly advises boards and senior executives on evolving legal and regulatory requirements, supports major commercial negotiations and oversees significant litigation and dispute management. His approach is firmly anchored in enabling business objectives while ensuring legal and ethical standards are maintained.

A strong advocate of innovation, Paul has championed the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence within the legal function. He has supported the implementation of AI-enabled solutions to enhance legal research, knowledge management, contract review and operational efficiency. He has also developed practical AI tools to assist with the selection and management of external legal advisers, reflecting his commitment to modernising legal service delivery while maintaining appropriate governance and professional oversight.

Paul is equally passionate about developing talent and building high-performing teams. He has invested significantly in mentoring junior lawyers, supporting professional qualifications, arranging secondments and creating structured development programmes. Under his leadership, the Tate & Lyle Sugars legal team has become a highly respected strategic partner to the business and was recognised as a finalist for The Lawyer 2025 In-House Legal Team of the Year. Through his combination of legal expertise, commercial insight and people-focused leadership, Paul continues to demonstrate the qualities that distinguish leading in-house counsel in today’s increasingly complex business environment.

Team size: 6

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

The past twelve months have been exceptionally busy and rewarding. My role sits at the intersection of law, strategy, governance and business transformation, and I have been involved in a number of projects that have had a significant impact on Tate & Lyle Sugars.

The most significant project was the successful integration of Tate & Lyle Sugars’ acquisition of a retail packing business from Tereos UK. The transaction spanned almost two years and became one of the most heavily scrutinised mergers considered by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Following an intensive Phase 1 review and subsequent successful referral to a Phase 2 investigation. Beyond the legal challenge, the transaction protected jobs and secured additional manufacturing capability for the business. Over the last twelve months, I have worked to ensure the successful implementation of this new business into our group. This has included creating increased production capacity and more jobs.

Alongside this transaction, I have supported strategic brand and intellectual property initiatives involving some of our most valuable assets, including the Tate & Lyle and Lyle’s Golden Syrup brands. This included advising on brand protection, licensing arrangements and opportunities arising from changing market conditions.

I have also led legal support for a range of major commercial and operational projects, including large-scale logistics arrangements, supply chain resilience initiatives, energy projects at our historic Silvertown refinery, and significant capital investment programmes.

Another major theme has been governance and regulatory compliance. During the year, I have liaised with regulators and agencies like the Environmental Agency, overseen implementation of new Companies House identity verification requirements, advised boards and directors in multiple jurisdictions on evolving governance obligations, and helped navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Litigation and dispute resolution have also formed an important part of my practice. I have managed a variety of commercial, regulatory and contractual disputes, always seeking commercially practical solutions while protecting the company’s long-term interests.

Across all of these projects, my objective has been to ensure that legal is viewed not as a gatekeeper but as an enabler of responsible growth. I am proud that our legal function is regarded internally as a highly trusted business partner that contributes directly to strategic decision-making.

Please provide a brief description of any internal transformation or development projects within your legal team over the last twelve months.

One of my priorities has been continuing to develop a modern, efficient and fun legal team.

A particular area of focus has been the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence. We have embraced Microsoft Copilot to assist with contract review, legal research, first-draft document preparation, due diligence and knowledge management. We have developed clear governance principles to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) outputs are verified by lawyers and used to augment, rather than replace, legal judgement.

We have also continued to strengthen our external legal panel arrangements by introducing more systematic performance evaluation processes. Firms are assessed against objective criteria including quality, responsiveness, commerciality and value for money. This has helped improve consistency and ensure efficient use of legal spend. I have also designed an AI agent, to support the legal team in selection of these lawyers and firms.

Talent development remains central to our strategy. We have continued investing in junior lawyer development through structured training programmes, external secondments and SQE support. We also operate regular internal legal education sessions covering both legal and commercial topics.

As a team, we have embraced flexible working while maintaining a strong culture. We have team members operating across different locations and working arrangements, demonstrating that high-performing legal teams can remain collaborative, connected and effective in a hybrid environment.

The role of the GC has evolved significantly into that of a strategic business partner. How do you balance commercial objectives with legal risk?

My in-house team understands that saying “no” is rarely the most helpful answer. Our role is to help the business achieve its objectives in a way that is legally compliant, ethically responsible and commercially sustainable.

I am keen that members of the legal team, visit our refineries and plants and fully understand the processes.

Balancing risk and opportunity starts with understanding the underlying business objective. Once that objective is clear, legal risk can be evaluated in context and managed proportionately. Not every risk should be eliminated; many simply need to be understood, mitigated and appropriately owned.

I believe credibility is earned by understanding the commercial realities facing the business and by being available. By being involved early in decision-making and maintaining strong relationships with senior leadership, legal can shape solutions rather than react to problems.

Ultimately, my aim is to provide practical, business-focused advice that allows informed decisions to be made whilst protecting the organisation’s reputation, assets and long-term objectives.

What are the most important attributes of the modern GC and what advice would you give to those aspiring to be an in-house lawyer?

Today’s general counsel needs to be much more than a technical lawyer. Commercial awareness, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, flexibility and communication skills are now just as important as legal expertise.

Modern GCs are expected to influence decisions at board level, lead teams, manage risk, oversee governance and contribute to organisational strategy. They must be trusted advisers capable of translating complex legal issues into clear business advice.

For aspiring in-house lawyers, my advice is to spend as much time understanding the business as you do understanding the law. Learn how value is created, how operational decisions are made and what challenges your internal clients face. Build strong relationships, know your stakeholders, stay curious and be willing to embrace new technologies and new ways of working.

Most importantly, remember that successful in-house lawyers are problem-solvers. The goal is not simply to identify legal risks but to help the business navigate them successfully.

How do you use AI within your legal team to improve efficiency while maintaining quality, governance and integrity? How do you think AI will impact in-house legal functions more widely?

AI is already transforming how legal teams operate. Within my team, AI helps accelerate research, summarise large volumes of information, identify issues in contracts, prepare first drafts of documents and improve knowledge sharing.

However, we apply a clear principle: AI can assist legal judgement but cannot replace it. Every output must be reviewed by an appropriately qualified lawyer, and we maintain strict controls around confidentiality, data security and governance.

The greatest benefit is freeing lawyers from repetitive administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic advice, negotiation and relationship management.

With other members of the leadership team and legal team, I have successfully completed a three-month AI Literacy course at Turing College, to enable me to more easily understand AI and how to effectively use it in our business.

Looking ahead, I believe AI will fundamentally reshape in-house legal functions. Routine legal work will become increasingly automated, while demand for strategic judgement, leadership and business partnering will increase. The most successful legal teams will be those that combine technological capability with strong legal and ethical oversight.

Have you had any particularly unique or defining experiences during your legal career? What has been your biggest career challenge or highlight?

My biggest career challenge was obtaining a training contract after completing a commission in the Royal Navy. It involved sending 165 applications to different law firms. It certainly taught me that determination and tenacity are key core skills.

A particular highlight was leading the legal aspects of the CMA review of the Tereos transaction. The process was challenging, intensive and highly scrutinised, requiring persistence, resilience and close collaboration across multiple functions. Securing unconditional clearance following a Phase 2 investigation remains one of the proudest achievements of my career.

Equally rewarding has been building and mentoring legal teams. Watching junior colleagues develop into successful lawyers and trusted advisers gives me enormous satisfaction. Leadership is ultimately about helping others succeed, and some of my proudest moments have come from seeing team members grow in confidence, capability and responsibility.

Looking back, the common thread running through my career has been the opportunity to help businesses navigate complexity while building strong teams and trusted relationships. That remains the most rewarding aspect of being an in-house lawyer.