FRANCESCA LEE

• Significant board and committee experience on a pro bono basis
• Currently with Oxfordshire Youth as a Board Trustee, a charity promoting the welfare of young people in the Oxfordshire area
• Previously, Chair for Refugee Rights Europe Limited, a charity founded in 2016 to provide a voice for refugees in the “Calais Jungle”, Greece and Italy and guided its early-stage strategy within a complex ecosystem of UK and EU laws, grants and funding organisations for an advocacy charity
• Former member of Air Users Council, a consumer council, advocating for the protection of air passenger's rights, influencing changes in compensation tariffs from airlines and seeking more sustainable air travel.

A €62Bn global company operating retail centres and mixed-use developments. Served as Senior Legal Counsel managing daily commercial operations, corporate restructurings, governance and legal compliance. Member of Better Places 2030 Committee for URW and legal adviser to the CSR team on social values, Chair of the Modern Slavery Working Group leading on the delivery of a compliance programme and member of Stronger Together UK steering group, a not-for-profit, impact driven organisation that provides sector specific training and resources to eliminate modern slavery that worked collaboratively on anti-modern slavery projects such as independent audits, risks assessment supplier frameworks and procedures.

• Provided legal advice to help navigate complex contractual negotiations for brand partnerships team with a renowned “Buy Now Pay Later” provider leading to a trusted strategic relationship that has delivered over £5M to the business and significant marketing and advertising partnership for the partner
• Devised individualised contracts and legal documentation to fulfil bespoke client requirements for use in the outsourcing of facilities management, events and marketing, HR and IT.
• Launched official legal action to progress IP infringement cases to protect the "Westfield" name and mark. Engaged external IP specialists to protect new trade marks including “Coppermaker Square” and “W-Park”.
• Harnessed evidence from diverse sources to build robust client defences against telecoms operators under the Electronic Communications Code 2017.
• Moderated legal negotiations between clients and major suppliers and customers including an e-commerce platform developer resulting in a key strategic partnership that automated its media space availability and delivered 30% more media bookings for the business.
• Supervised junior law professionals in establishing client caseloads for Events & Marketing, IT, commercial partnerships, HR and procurement.
• Monitored legal changes and developments for sound client advice by conducting horizon-scanning on frameworks, guidance and relevant legislation that impacts URW's construction and retail asset management operations.
• Negotiated client settlements to limit costly court proceedings in legal disputes.
• Strategised arguments to successfully present client positions in negotiating strategic IT contracts that led to the successful installation of SMART parking system at the retail centres that delivered better customer experience and increased car park bookings by 20%.
• Identified training needs and opportunities to provide training on legal and compliance risks and processes to the wider business.
• Drafted monthly and quarterly compliance reports to inform upper management of modern slavery compliance by procurement.
• Recommended measures to increase compliance to official legislation for modern slavery and ESG.
• Met stringent deadlines with precise prioritisation and strong knowledge of compliance requirements for statutory disclosures for annual audited accounts in respect of s.172 statements, SECR, ESOS and modern slavery statements.

A FTSE 50 FMCG company manufacturing and selling healthcare and hygiene/home products.

• Devised individualised contracts and legal documentation to fulfil bespoke client requirements for its supply chain separation across 63 countries resulting in the creation of two new operation hubs 350 new supply agreements and tax savings for each business and successful implementation of the business strategy and led on the corporate restructuring to separate its 2 businesses in Thailand, Philippines, Portugal, Spain and France delivering the successful implementation of its business operations strategy within 18 months
• Supervised junior law professionals in establishing client caseloads.

A £52Bn defined benefit pension scheme with over 300K members

• Led on the complex changes needed to transfer the pension administration from an external provider to in-house. Negotiated, drafted and reviewed IT contracts within agreed risk appetite, resulting in 60 new business critical IT suppliers costing between £100,000 to £700,000 per year delivering a successful in-house administration platform for its 300,000 members on 1 May 2018
• Developed and managed the GDPR policy guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), leading to the delivery of its compliance programme approved by the Board of Trustees ahead of regulatory deadline.

A £62Bn defined benefits pension scheme for university employees

• Ensured USS' investment activity by its Private Markets Group and Alternative Investments Group of values between £300M and £1Bn reflected agreed risk appetite.
• Reviewed legal due diligence reports, recommending appropriate mitigation steps such as W & I insurance to avoid joint uncapped liability for its proposed acquisition of £1Bn of offshore wind assets from The Green Investment Bank (state-owned).
• Strengthened legal risk management strategies through setting up a legal risks checklist and matrix to achieve a strong risk policy.
• Interpreted laws, rulings and regulations for assessing risks associated with the housing benefit caps and use of registered providers for the lease structure leading to the creation of a unique and unusual asset class: the first specialised supported housing for the young and vulnerable people co-investment fund (95%) up to a value of £200M
• Cultivated robust working relationships with key stakeholders, external counsel and consultants.
• Negotiated, drafted and reviewed the outsourcing contract of its £100M book of renewable loans to Capita within agreed risk appetite, resulting in the appointment of the asset manager on a long-term basis delivering an efficient and effective loan servicing to its customers

EARLY CAREER

• Developed a legal career in UK and Asia-Pacific, training initially in Pump Court Tax Chambers and qualifying both in England & Wales as a barrister and Singapore as an Advocate & Solicitor. Trained at top Singapore litigation firm, Shook Lin & Bok and practised in Corporate Finance and Banking at top corporate firm, Allen & Gledhill. Requalified as a solicitor in the UK in 2010. A first in-house move into GE Inc and GE Capital provided advice on legal strategy for inward investment into Asia-Pacific countries for various GE industrial businesses. A career change from legal to business development with GE Capital Commercial Real Estate Financial Services followed and led on the strategic business plans for Asia-Pacific with successful opening of Australian CREFS office. Following starting a family, returned to legal career on a part-time basis with Shell (HK) Limited for its downstream businesses in HK/China. Returning to the UK after a career break, founded Cresco Legal, a boutique corporate law firm with revenue c £250K p.a advising start-ups and SMEs.