Simon is a City-trained in-house lawyer who has extensive experience in corporate and commercial matters across many sectors including technology led businesses in defence, telecoms and engineering. He has strong commercial and procurement contracts experience, in addition to dealing with outsourcing and licencing in UK and Europe, and transactional experience in M&A, leasing and asset finance. Here, he shares his insights on recent experiences as an Obelisk consultant.
Can you describe your work experiences through Obelisk?
They have been very variable ranging from small to large businesses and engineering to telecoms. However, the constant is dealing with technologies of many kinds in a commercial environment.
What makes your expertise unique?
I can pick up a new business very rapidly and so become effective quickly.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of flexible working as a lawyer?
The people! The industries! The cultures!
Most challenging?
Convincing people that I can do their work. I am losing count of the times that I am asked “What contracts do you do?” for a general commercial in-house role.
What are your proudest professional and personal achievements so far?
Professional: Helping BT procure £2 billion technology supply for broadband.
Personal: Making and delivering a set of silver gilt candle sticks and flower holders to my godson as a wedding gift from his father.
How do you find the right work/life balance?
When working from home: shut work down and move onto my studio where I have silverwork to do. If not working from home, then it’s the commute home.
What are your words of advice to other legal consultants?
While I have become very widely experienced across many business sectors, it has shown me that contracts seldom differ. There may be sector or technology led issues, but the fundamentals never change. If you start from that position, all but the most regulated sectors where specific statutory issues rule are available to you.
How do you start and end your day?
If I am working from home (and I have been since 2017) I just get stuck in when the business gets going. That can be 08:00 for European based businesses. At the end of the day, I shut work down and head to my studio.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
The one that keeps new assignments promptly following on from the last.
