The legal ecosystem is in a state of chaos for many lawyers who find it difficult to grapple with the spate of technological change which has enveloped them. But Richard Given, current head of legal at banking technology company 10x, is one general counsel who has always had an eye for a different approach. The disruptive general counsel, who will share his insights at the GC Futures Summit on 26 September, has joined forces with Barclays former CEO Antony Jenkins to provide legal support as general counsel and company secretary to a banking platform which could revolutionise banking globally. He feels very much part of the start-up culture whilst building a team and hiring external law firms. In his new role, he is still surprised by how law firms fail at basic tasks such as getting his business. 

A world apart

His role as head of legal at a fintech startup may seem a world apart from his tenure at HSBC where he oversaw a team of 100. But the two share many similarities, he says. He points out that his role at HSBC saw him build a function from scratch to around 100 and that at 10x, he is also seeking to build up a team to deliver world class legal services. Far from fearing technological advances, he has always had an interest in technology since studying science at Cambridge University and he concedes he has never been a traditional lawyer, having become one by accident when he was offered a summer job at Freshfields. After six years as an associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, he moved in-house in 2000 to media company Aegis Group as legal counsel, subsequently joining IT company Cisco Systems, where he was director of legal for emerging markets. He made the move to HSBC.  Mr Given will discuss his views on disruption and the legal ecosystem at the GC Futures Summit in a fireside chat on 26 September, London. A limited number of free places are available for general counsel. For further information, please contact benmartin@globalcitymedia.com