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Aspire is back! Although this time, not quite the same setting.

We are still committed to providing you with support and a space to connect with like-minded peers. As such, we are excited to announce our summer series of virtual events.

Across 4 sessions spread over 4 weeks, senior counsel will offer career advice, insights and guidance. Each session will be bite-sized, as we realise a lot of legal departments are busier than normal.

Tell me more! A snapshot of the series

The first event in our series is in partnership with and will be:

Soft Skills session: Tuesday 17 June, 12:30pm – 13:15pm

How to innovate in legal? Amy McConnell, Head of Legal Operations, Vodafone

Followed by 3 evening sessions on a Thursday from 5:30pm – 6:15pm

Legal Skills session – 25 June: Risk management: 5 key priorities for organisations during the coronavirus pandemic

Professional Development session – 2 July: Supporting you to succeed – how to advance your career in these uncertain times

Networking and social session – 9 July

In a bit more depth…

Across our 4 bite-size sessions you will benefit from:

• Learning practical tips on how to produce the best ideas, approach experimentation and how to adopt an agile approach when building and delivering innovation projects.
• Understanding the key priorities for legal departments in light of COVID-19 and some practical steps to safeguard your organisation.
• Gaining invaluable career development insights from our general counsel and in-house lawyers as they share their advice in a series of TED-style presentations.
• Meeting, connecting and building relationships with other in-house lawyers at the start of their career.

There will also be the opportunity to join interactive Q&A sessions and understand how other legal departments are approaching the coronavirus pandemic.  Join interactive breakout sessions facilitated by the Aspire Advisory Board to discuss your experiences, share learnings and top tips as well as enjoying our interactive quizzes.

Speakers and Facilitators

Amy McConnell - Head of Legal Operations, Vodafone Business

Amy manages a multi-disciplinary team of 30 (lawyers, transformation and knowledge specialists, data analysts and IT professionals).  Amy’s role is to shape the legal team of the future and optimise the delivery of legal services across Vodafone Business.

Amy has worked in Vodafone for 14 years in a variety of different positions, including a secondment as Chief of Staff for Vodafone Business’s CEO.  Amy was selected as one top Timewise 50 Power Part Timers in 2015. 

Emma Dickin - In-house, Risk & Compliance Specialist, ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ

Emma joined the LexisPSL In-house, Risk & Compliance team in 2012. Emma is a qualified lawyer and an expert in legal training.

Prior to her career at ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ, Emma worked as a legal assistant for British American Tobacco and as a fee earner in a specialist property law firm.

Sophie Gould - In-house Network Relationship Manager, ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ

Sophie trained as a lawyer in the City and worked as an in-house lawyer for 10 years, including as Head of Legal for Virgin Radio and Ginger Media Group.

Louisa van Eeden-Smit - Head of Marketing, In-house Legal, ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ

Louisa leads marketing for the in-house legal community at ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ. She joined the dedicated in-house team at ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ five years ago and has a passion for driving and facilitating initiatives which are customer-focused at their heart