Legal Geek is interviewing some of the awesome speakers we have lined-up for our events, including Legal Geek Conference London and Legal Geek North America.
Helen Lowe is Head of Operations in the General Counsel’s Office at easyJet. She was previously Head of Operations for Legal & Secretariat at Co-op but isn’t a lawyer by trade, she spent nearly ten years at KPMG before moving over to the dark side.
How would you describe your job to a five-year-old?
I help lawyers make things work better than they did before, and fix things that don’t work. I show companies how lawyers help them solve problems and why they play a really important role.
What is the biggest challenge the legal sector faces in general?
Shifting to become more client focussed. Getting it right requires a real revolution in the way law firms think – it’s not just about extracting value from clients, but about delivering value and growing relationships. There’s a real demand for the profession to reflect on what it does, and more importantly, how it does it.
What is your favourite thing about London?
As someone from the provinces, I love the bustle, the museums, the shopping. I love the architecture – the blend of old and new, and finding pockets of green space just a few yards away from busy streets.
What’s your one piece of advice for someone starting out in legal operations?
Be curious – legal ops have the space to think differently, and to hunt out solutions to problems. Build relationships, as those relationships will help you deliver the answers. Have confidence in your value, and the value that the role brings – you can make a real difference.
What personal technology could you not do without on a daily basis?
My iPhone – I’d be totally lost without it, both literally and figuratively. From Google maps to Instagram, I just don’t know how I’d manage without it! I think I’d also really struggle without Netflix – I find it hard to watch programmes with adverts in now (or wait a week for the next episode!).
Complete this sentence, legal tech is…
only part of the story – choosing the right tech can unlock value for both firms and in-house teams in a way that little else can, but it is most effective when the people and processes are aligned to it.
Helen will be speaking at the Legal Geek Conference in London on 14th and 15th October 2020. Tickets are available online here.
