Case study: Smart legal services for Ascential

• British business-to-business media business
• 39 offices worldwide
• Qualified lawyers
• Corporate M&A
• Full-time, on site, ad hoc remote

With a track record of growth through acquisitions this company had a significant pipeline of M&A work. Not wanting to bring someone else into the team on a permanent basis, Obelisk was approached for extra help. The work she had in mind included setting up data rooms, producing and reviewing associated documentation and general transaction management across a number of deals. Obelisk Support initially placed a consultant with the team for three months, working onsite and full-time.

 Managing the peaks of this workflow, they looked to increase their capacity when needed. With a lean legal team, each member of which has specialist skills linked to their particular role and the area of the business they work with, finding extra cover internally wasn’t feasible. Equally, there wasn’t enough work to justify a new team member or full-time onsite consultant.

With an agreed number of hours each month, to be deployed as and when required, Ascential were able to secure the services of their preferred Obelisk consultant, Sobia. Working largely on a remote basis, Sobia developed a strong knowledge of the business and was able to support transactions. She could also cover off occasional pieces of overflow commercial work.

The remote legal services model is a win for Obelisk consultants too. “Working with Ascential has been brilliant”, says Sobia, “I have a really varied workload, so I’m developing my skills, and at the same time I can flex my hours around my other commitments. It’s incredibly satisfying to work on projects that are so important to Ascential’s strategy.”