I completed my degree and LPC before working in disputes as a paralegal, first at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert (now Clyde & Co), then Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright). I supported complex, high-profile matters. I had planned to follow the traditional training contract path, but it didn’t excite me.
In 2009, I was contacted about an in-house paralegal role in the corporate legal anti-piracy team at Disney. As a paralegal, there was no need to be an IP law expert. The skills and attributes required were curiosity and appetite to learn, relationship- building and versatility. Crucially, the role involved working within the business rather than advising from the outside. I left the interview excited and luckily got the job, shaping the rest of my career.
Disney was my first exposure to in-house. It involved day-to-day IP enforcement for EMEA. I could be reviewing copyright claims, then inspecting suspected giant counterfeit toys. It wasn’t always pure legal work, but I loved learning the business from the inside out, working with highly experienced legal and non-legal colleagues across the company.
Disney supported me to qualify in-house. We agreed I would take the New York bar exam and then cross-qualify back into the UK. This was unconventional but allowed me to work at Disney while qualifying. I was admitted as a New York attorney in 2012 and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales the following year.
In 2013, I became sole legal counsel at data marketing and analytics company more2. The role evolved beyond legal. I was appointed chief of staff, joining the senior leadership team, contributing to company strategy, cross-departmental projects and the G&A [general and administrative] function. I still felt drawn to legal and wanted to spend more time using and developing my legal skills.
'I wanted to support someone through their qualification journey. Having had fantastic champions who supported me in my career, I want to do the same'
I then spent four years in self-employed practice, providing legal support to businesses in multiple industries. Each role meant stepping into a new business, learning and contributing quickly, and building strong relationships.
One client, Opus 2, was growing quickly and fascinated me. Seeing its growth journey and ambitions first-hand made joining as the full-time general counsel a natural progression.
Career milestones have included qualifying, getting my first practising solicitor role, running and growing my fractional practice, and then securing my first GC role. A later highlight has been Opus 2’s product developments, especially AI, which made me consider AI in my own work. The technology is moving fast, as are customer expectations and regulatory scrutiny. It’s been hugely rewarding to be a part of the company’s journey. Exciting plans are ahead.
Opus 2’s clients are global law firms, world-leading arbitration institutions, and barristers’ chambers. As GC and a member of the executive team, I lead a lean legal team across the UK, US, Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE. I’m in a unique position, not only supporting the company’s legal requirements but shaping how legal technology is designed and used. My work spans the whole business, from customer contracts and partnership agreements to compliance, data privacy, IP and everything in between.
I’ve always focused on working smarter, improving processes and implementing technology that adds value. AI is now embedded in our day-to-day work. Looking back at earlier roles, having AI would have changed everything, both in litigation and in-house. The capacity it creates speeds up work but also supports strategic thinking and team development.
Taking a non-traditional route to qualification motivates me to open doors for others. Legal qualification is difficult. Not everyone can graduate into a training contract, with many needing to prove themselves as paralegals first. I wanted to support someone through their qualification journey. We have hired a paralegal who is starting their SQE this year. Having had fantastic champions who supported me in my career, I want to do the same.
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