With a career spanning more than 20 years as an in-house lawyer and senior manager, Clare has extensive knowledge and understanding of international legal and business scenarios in various industries and sectors. She specialises in corporate and commercial legal services, including company secretarial support, corporate governance, and acting as general counsel.
Most recently, Clare served as Chief Lawyer for a multinational, leading global organisation in the aerospace, defence, and security industry. In this role, she managed a broad company commercial and procurement caseload, offering negotiation and business expertise for customer and supply chain discussions in both public and private enterprises. Clare acted as the legal lead on high-value, complex projects, including several international energy sector initiatives.
Prior to that role, Clare gained substantial experience as a company secretary and trusted legal advisor to a board of directors and the commercial and operational teams.
Clare is excellent at seeing the black and white of contractual and legal issues, but her experience as head of a commercial department positions her to also see the grey in between. She is equipped to give commercially pragmatic guidance and advice, employing a flexible attitude while managing and advising on risk profiles and strategic relationships. This dual perspective makes Clare a skilled, patient, and equitable negotiator in the commercial and legal arena.
Clare’s comprehensive company secretarial services and corporate governance support are tailored to enhance the integrity, compliance, and efficiency of organisations. These services include meticulous oversight of statutory compliance, the management of board documentation, and seamless completion of all regulatory filings, enabling businesses to focus on strategic growth. Her governance expertise fosters transparency and accountability across organisations, equipping boards and executive teams with best practices that align business strategies with stakeholder expectations, while mitigating risks. By strengthening corporate reputation and supporting long-term stability, Clare ensures businesses are well-positioned for success.
In addition to her legal expertise, Clare is accredited as a mediator and skilled in conflict resolution techniques. She uses the Dialogue Road Map methodology to facilitate constructive conversations between individuals or groups facing conflict, whether among colleagues, family members or business partners. Through a supported and collaborative process, she helps parties find their own pragmatic and well-reasoned solutions, resolving communication breakdowns in a non-confrontational manner.
Clare is now a core member of the Outsourced General Counsel team at Spencer West, where she extends her expertise to a wider range of clients, particularly SMEs. With extensive experience in law and business, Clare brings commercial pragmatism and strategic guidance on more than just the law, making her a valuable addition to a company’s management team. Her deep understanding of company financials, cashflow management, corporate governance, risk profiles, strategic relationships and business pressures and requirements ensures that her clients receive realistic, actionable, and well-rounded advice tailored to their needs.
Clare has worked with diverse businesses in many industries and sectors including technology, cyber, aerospace, and defence. She has helped them to construct agreements including IP transfers, SaaS agreements, manufacturing and service contracts, distribution agreements, international trading terms (for both sales and procurement), systems integration, consultancy, and outsourcing agreements. Her experience spans both the private and public sectors, as well as collaborations with government agencies in the UK and internationally.
