Jennifer Guilfoyle received the General Counsel of the Year award at the Luxury Law Awards, part of Luxury Law Summit London, which took place on 9 June. She is the chief legal officer and company secretary at Maybourne Hotel Group in London, responsible for areas including legal, intellectual property, ESG, data protection and compliance enterprise risk.
After beginning her legal career at Thomas Eggar, Jennifer moved in-house with Virgin Atlantic before joining Maybourne in 2022.
She spoke with the Global Legal Post about her career, expansion at Maybourne, choosing the right organisation and fond memories at Claridge’s.
After a few years as a trainee, you moved to an in-house role at Virgin Atlantic and then to your current role at Maybourne. What drew you to roles as an in-house counsel? Did you always want to be a lawyer?
I didn’t necessarily set out to become a lawyer. I read law as a ‘good degree to have’ and temped as a paralegal in the holidays while studying. Working with a lovely group of people at a law firm convinced me to do further qualifications.
I was two years PQE when I moved to Virgin Atlantic. I knew that I wanted to work for one client and work towards a common business goal. I found another lovely bunch of people to work with and for a business I was passionate about, with an ethos that resonated throughout. It took me a long time to find another company I was equally passionate about, with equally lovely people and which is on a super exciting growth trajectory. I was happy to find that at Maybourne.
What are some of the most pressing legal issues on your desk these days?
We are in expansion mode so I am getting numerous international projects for new hotels and branded residences coming through. We have to be super selective of the partners we work with and the locations we accept in order to maintain the brand. ESG is also high on my agenda, making sure we are doing business the right way for our environment, colleagues, guests and communities we live in. And, along with most other organisations, I suspect, the governance surrounding AI adoption is also a pressing issue for our business.
What is a trend in the hospitality industry that has surprised you?
Not a trend but moving into the hospitality industry, I have been surprised how small it is and how many people know each other from all over the world. They say in life we are seven degrees of separation from everyone in the world. I reckon that is halved in the hospitality industry!
You were awarded the General Counsel of the Year award. Why is this important to you?
It was a huge honour to be awarded the General Counsel of the Year award, especially amongst such a prestigious peer group. The judges’ comments were very humbling. Numerous general counsels would be worthy of the title but it is wonderful to be considered among them by such a well-respected organisation as the Luxury Law Summit.
What advice would you give to a younger lawyer who wants to become an in-house counsel?
Not all in-house counsel roles are equal. Just like law firms, you need to pick your industry and company carefully. If you choose an industry that you are passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work.
What is your favourite hotel in the Maybourne portfolio and why?
That is like asking a parent, which is your favourite child? They are all super special and unique in their own way. I have a special place in my heart for Claridge’s, where my parents took me for lunch for my 21st birthday. It is one of my fondest memories of my late father, drinking gin and tonics and surmising that the sommelier had the best job in the world, getting to taste all of the wines he opened before pouring them.
And the cheese trolley! I had the most delicious cheese that day and years later, before I worked for Maybourne, I wanted it for my cheese tower at my wedding. I phoned Claridge’s and described the cheese. They were able to tell me the correct name and I was able to source it for my wedding cheese tower. Memories like that last a lifetime.
Luxury Law Summit New York, which is hosted by The Global Legal Post, takes place at The Metropolitan Club on 10 November. Click here to read the programme and here to book a delegate place. For sponsorship enquiries, email [email protected].
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