Navigating Legal Careers with Flexibility and Global Insights: Featuring Leslie O'Callaghan

This week on Lessons I Learned in Law, Scott Brown sat down with Sandrine Auffret, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Counsel, and Company Secretary at ASML. Sandrine invited Scott to ASML’s podcast studio on their impressive Eindhoven campus—a city with a rich legacy in tech and innovation.Sandrine’s journey from healthcare law to tech is packed with insights. She’s been leading ASML’s legal team as it grew from 37 to over 100, all while adapting to one of the most rapidly evolving industries in the world. They dive into what it takes to lead legal in such a high-stakes environment, her approach to balancing growth and well-being, and why staying curious has been her superpower.Key Takeaways:Adapting to New Challenges: Sandrine moved from healthcare to high-tech and learned the value of adapting and growing with each role.Building a Strong, Strategic Legal Team: From 37 to 100+—Sandrine shares what it took to transform ASML’s legal function into a proactive partner in the business.Authenticity in Leadership: Leading with integrity is non-negotiable for Sandrine, and she talks about the importance of keeping her team motivated and supported.Navigating Cultural Shifts: Moving to a new country and industry brought challenges, but it’s shaped her unique approach to leadership.Preparation and Resilience: Sandrine is big on preparation and resilience, encouraging her team to think ahead and tackle challenges together.

In this episode of 'Lessons I Learned in Law', Scott Brown interviews Kelly Young, General Counsel and Executive Director at Marie Curie, one of the UK's biggest charities. Kelly shares her journey from private practice to in-house counsel, emphasising the importance of authenticity, curiosity, and understanding risk and governance in the legal profession. She discusses her role in building teams and navigating challenges in getting to that position, while also providing practical advice on personal development and setting oneself up for success in a demanding career.If you're considering a transition from private practice to in-house, you won't want to miss this episode!

On this week’s show, Scott Brown is joined by David Lancelot, Chief Legal Officer and EVP for Advocacy at LawVu. With over 20 years of experience building and optimising international in-house legal teams, David is a real leader in legal innovation. In this episode, they explore his career journey—from traditional legal roles to his work at LawVu, a company transforming legal operations through technology.David shares insights on the evolving landscape of in-house legal functions, highlighting the need for modernisation and a shift in mindset. They discuss how legal teams are moving from risk management to becoming key business partners, and the importance of aligning your career with what really motivates you.They also cover leadership, managing teams, and how legal operations can help scale efficiency. David’s advice on networking, self-reflection, and embracing non-traditional career paths—such as privacy or legal operations—are just some of the key takeaways from this engaging conversation.If you’re interested in the future of in-house law and want to hear from someone shaping the industry, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

On this week's show, I am joined by Chantelle Zemba, Group General Counsel at Deliveroo.Chantelle falls into the category of someone who was a relectant in-house lawyer. She was seconded to Deliveroo to help out with some fundraising and corporate matters whilst she worked at Norton Rose Fulbright. At that time she was a self confessed deal junkie Corporate Lawyer!She joined them full time in the Corporate team shortly after and admits she has never looked back...nor had the time to do so!! The amount she has covered in her 10 years working with and advising Deliveroo is quite incredible.In our conversation, Chantelle talks about leading Deliveroo’s legal team through its $2 billion IPO, and what she’s learned along the way. Her three key lessons?Be the person who gets things done—being action-oriented will always get you noticed.Simplify complexity—make sure you can communicate effectively; if you can explain it simply, people will listen.Step into others’ shoes—understanding different perspectives is critical for effective negotiation and leadership.Chantelle also reflects on the challenges of moving from private practice to in-house, the value of mentorship, and what it takes to thrive in the ever-changing world of tech.If you’re interested in leadership, creativity in law, and making things happen, don’t miss this episode! 

In this episode, Scott interviews Kate Southwell, the General Counsel for Corporate and Commercial at Anglo American PLC. Kate relocated to the UK for this huge role with Anglo after 12 years in Switzerland. She shares how she intentionally pursued an international and non-linear career path and we explore some of the benefits of diverse experiences in the legal profession.As covered in the press, Anglo was subject to an unsolicited takeover bid by a competitor, BHP, in 2024. It was great to speak about this and hear about the role legal plays in such an event - some intense legal, regulatory, and strategic efforts involved!Advice - keep calm and organised during crises and the value of a supportive, experienced team.Kate also touches on the critical role of networking in career development, noting how it serves as a vital tool for personal and professional growth. Enjoy!

On this week's show our host, Scott Brown, was delighted to welcome Mary Pothos, one of the leading voices in the Privacy space. Mary has held Chief Privacy Officer roles in some of the largest tech companies. Mary shares her career trajectory, starting from her days in-house in the financial services sector at Visa, and they discuss how she accidently pivoted into privacy!The Privacy Legal landscape has shifted significantly over the last two decades, so they dive into some of these changes and consider what the next 10 years might look like, as well as how top companies are currently navigating the risk.Mary walks us through her 3 lessons—the 'three Cs': Calmness, Curiosity, and Courage. If you like understanding what it's like working in a fast paced constantly changing legal landscape, don't miss this one!

In this episode of Lessons I Learned in Law Scott invited Volker Weishar, the EMEA General Counsel for Sonos. They explore Volker's remarkable journey from studying economics and law in Germany, experiencing a brief stint in journalism, to his pivotal role at Sonos over the past 11 years. Volker shares three critical lessons he's learned throughout his career: the importance of a broad understanding of the business, the necessity of close collaboration within the legal function, and the value of staying curious and engaged beyond the traditional scope of legal work. They also discuss the challenges and strategies for leading a lean legal team in a dynamic industry, the benefits of being integrated into company leadership, and the significance of communication skills.Volker offers advice for aspiring lawyers, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and understanding modern business metrics and operations. This episode is a rich resource for in-house legal professionals aiming to navigate and succeed in their careers.

We return for another episode of Lessons I Learned in Law this week when Scott is joined by Leslie O'Callaghan, the Global Head of Legal at Adyen. Adyen was founded in Amsterdam in 2006 by a group of payments entrepreneurs. With Adyen they built a modern solution to displace the patchwork legacy systems that merchants were being forced to use through larger institutions!Adyen is without a doubt one of the most exciting Fintechs on the planet and one of the top international successes from the Netherlands in the last decade. Leslie recently relocated to Amsterdam from New York with Adyen to take on a Global Head of Legal role in their Headquarters. She joined Adyen in San Francisco in 2019 and has risen through the team to her current role. It's interesting to hear about how her background in a large Institutional Bank at Wells Fargo has translated to the fast-paced world of tech. The discussion delves into Leslie’s extensive career journey, highlighting her transition from a large banking institution to a leading fintech company, Adyen. Leslie shared her experiences navigating international moves from San Francisco to Amsterdam and working in different legal environments. Key lessons discussed include the importance of having flexible goals, the value of delivering 'done' work over perfect work and recognizing shared experiences across different professions. Leslie also provided practical advice for future-proofing one's legal career and emphasized the significance of work-life balance. This episode offers valuable insights and advice for in-house lawyers and legal professionals aiming for success in their careers.Not one to be missed!!

In this episode of 'Lessons I Learned in Law,' host Scott Brown talks with James Stebbing, who has held one of the coolest roles I can think of in law: General Counsel of Six Nations Rugby and the British and Irish Lions!   They discuss James' career journey and how he made plans to land his dream role in Sports Law.  They also discuss his early career shift from potential military service to law, which was spurred by personal circumstances.  His career journey includes roles at prestigious firms and corporations like Harbottle & Lewis, Vodafone, Barclays, and eventually dream roles with the RFU and Six Nations Rugby. There are some fantastic learnings on transitioning between different sectors, such as financial services to sports, and the importance of leveraging your background and enthusiasm in making such moves. James shares some fantastic lessons on importance of setting goals, continuously developing new skills and practically.... maintaining accurate records as a Lawyer!! Not one to be missed!!

On the show this week, Scott Brown is joined by Lucie Grant, Vice President and Global General Counsel at Dura-Line which is part of the Orbia Group. The story of Lucie is incredibly inspiring: from an intellectual property litigator to pivotal roles within giants like Thermo Fisher Scientific and BAE Systems.As Dura-Line's first female VP and General Counsel, Lucie  significantly contributed to the diversification of the company, having increased the number of women in the organisation from 13% to an impressive 30%.Lucie talks about the challenges and opportunities associated with remote working, especially in a global organisation like Dura-Line. We cover the importance of mentoring and taking advice from all spheres in a business to diversify your experience. Lucie is also a believer in putting family first and taking care of yourself before any professional commitment. Whether you're an in-house counsel now or a law student headed that way, Lucie's stories and advice may prove invaluable. Listen now and realign your view on legal leadership and career development.Follow Heriot Brown:Twitter | LinkedIn |  Facebook | Instagram