Workgroup Legal Spring 2023 Recap
Here’s one for you: What do you call 60 GCs in the same room?
Why, Workgroup Legal, of course! Were you thinking that was going in a different direction?...
We brought the party to Wallacespace in Spitalfields, London this April to host over 60 General Counsel and Heads of Legal at the latest Workgroup Legal event.
Workgroup Legal 2023 Spring marked the return of our much loved informal event for General Counsel and Heads of Legal. Complete with the signature “workgroup” format that continues to win over GCs and shake up C-suite events.
“Super impressed. The venue, content and especially the delegates - very high quality! Keeping it fresh with great topics and lots of voices.”
Fergus Speight EVP & General Counsel ZILO
Workgroup cuts out the superfluous - no heavy-handed powerpoint presentations or vendor monologues. The star of this show is the workgroup format - informal discussion groups of 8 GCs - with real and relevant conversations taking centre-stage. Each workgroup is ideated and hosted by an attending GC. No sales reps, no recruiters.
A whole new raft of GCs joined us this time around - From industry-leading global businesses, to exciting challenger brands, in every sector - to facilitate a GC workgroup. From Geoffrey Timms (Group GC, Legal & General) and Lara Oyesanya (Group GC, Zepz) to Claire Sanders (GC, Huel) and Russell Johnstone (GC, BT Consumer), as well as returning workgroupers including Jan Lasik (GC, National Trust), Harpreet Sagoo (parcelLab) and Veronica Shackleton (GC, Mamas & Papas).
No other event I have been to caters so well for GCs. Whether a sole GC or lead of a large in-house team you will definitely find this to be a really useful and rewarding day.
James McCulloch Director of Legal Operations Flagship Group
Each of these big-name GCs ran a workgroup, with attendees spoilt for choice with topics on everything from 'What place does vulnerability have in a GC's toolbox?' and 'How to prioritise relentlessly" or even "Are we bored with D&I now?" to debating the narrowness of the GC job title, getting lawyers to slow down and enjoy the ride, and how to ringfence the Legal budget in a downturn.
“It was a perfect day for me to spend quality time with my peers. A genuine, no sales and no rushed event which made it very engaging.”
Asli Yildiz VP, Global Privacy S4 Capital
Sandwiching each round of workgroups, there were 3 full-audience panel discussions.
The first debated whether constant crisis was taking a toll on both GCs and their team's operating models (Lara Oyesanya, Kate Tyers, Geoffrey Timms and Will Samengo-Turner).
In the second panel, two managing directors, alongside their chief counsel (Vontier, parcelLab and hosted by Gerry Silver, Sullivan & Worcester), fielded questions on what they think of the GC's commercial input.
Finally, we ended on GC ethics, asking "Where is my red line? Should ethics ever take a back seat?" with Claire Sanders (Huel), Caroline Kenny (Meta), Russell Johnstone (BT) and Will Samengo-Turner (Allen & Overy).
Workgroup is heading north next, where we’ll be welcoming over 50 GCs and Heads of Legal to the Hyatt Regency in Manchester on June 22. Attendees will be able to choose between 8 GC-led workgroups hosted by the likes of Dominic Kendal-Ward (Group General Counsel, Co-op), Lucie Grant (VP General Counsel, Dura-Line), David Morgan (General Counsel, Warburtons), and a dozen more!
Get your ticket today to join 50+ GCs at Workgroup Legal 2023 North.
