In this series, we shine a spotlight on a number of experienced General Counsel and answer your burning questions to help you on your journey in-house.
Our General Counsel from around the world are in the spotlight as they share their career tips, challenges and milestones on topics from diversity and inclusion to the move from private practice to in-house.
Submit your question for future General Counsel here.
Episode 1 - Diversity & Inclusion for in-house lawyers
Matt Lepore, Group General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at BASF, answers questions on Diversity & Inclusion including who should be championing change, the many benefits of diverse teams and how crafting an inclusive environment is more important than numbers.
Matt Lepore was Corporate Secretary & Chief Governance Counsel for Pfizer Inc., New York. Before Pfizer, Matt was a partner at DLA Piper, and prior to that he was a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice. Matt received his J.D. from Mercer University, Macon, Georgia; and his B.S. from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Click here to watch the full video
Episode 2 - Moving from private practice to in-house with Robyn Sandilands
In this episode Robyn Sandilands, Head of Legal at Pets at Home Plc, answers questions on changing your career from private practice to in-house. Robyn shares her experiences and the challenges she faced, providing insight and advice on how to manage your career at different stages of life. She advises on the importance of shaping your why when making big career decisions; plus how learning to ‘be comfortable with being uncomfortable’ is a key skill for in-house counsel.
Robyn is Head of Legal for Pets at Home Plc and heads up the veterinary side of the Group which comprises 440 Joint and Group Venture Veterinary Practices. Previously Robyn worked in-house as a litigator for Vodafone and spent a decade in private practice at Bevan Brittan LLP working as a litigator on commercial disputes and contentious regulatory matters. Before training to be a lawyer Robyn worked in Central Government and television.