John Burchill is a senior commercial lawyer with extensive legal experience gained working for major UK and US companies as an employed in-house lawyer both in the UK and in Europe. He qualified as a Barrister in 1986 and after a short period of practice at the Bar became an in-house lawyer. He worked for more than 15 years in this role for a number of leading businesses including

Lloyds TSB, GE Capital, Eaton Corporation, The Body Shop International and Domino's Pizza group.

Strong on strategy and a relationship builder, he has advised businesses across a number of industry sectors including financial services, fmcg, insurance, manufacturing, engineering, retail, franchising and health. He advises on general commercial contracts, joint ventures and acquisitions, employment law, management of disputes and litigation, franchising and a range of other legal matters.

Increasingly John spends much of his time co-ordinating and providing strategic legal direction to businesses. He usually operates at Board level working with Chief Executives, Finance Directors and other directors and senior managers. He also has extensive experience of working with leading UK law firms and uses this experience and his contacts within the legal industry to recommend the best specialist solicitors for his clients when the need arises.

John is based in London and works with clients in the south east and in other parts of the UK. He can be contacted on john.burchill@thelegaldirector.co.uk

Edward Simpson is an experienced corporate/commercial lawyer who combines wide-ranging technical legal expertise with hands-on business experience to provide pragmatic solution-driven advice to businesses.

Edward qualified as a Solicitor in 1991 and after 5 years at City firm Ashurst became an in-house lawyer. He worked for more than 10 years in this role for a number of leading companies including Telewest, Dragon Oil, Angel Trains and latterly BTG where he led the legal team.

Realising that in-house lawyers are extremely proficient at applying their legal expertise practically in the realities of the commercial world and can play a valuable role in any organisation, he set up his own business in 2007 with a view to making senior and experienced in-house lawyers available to all businesses. He joined forces with John Burchill in early 2008 with a view to developing The Legal Director into a recognised legal services provider to businesses.

He has particular experience in complex commercial contract work involving software and intellectual property rights, corporate issues faced by SMEs, litigation management, and employment law. Edward also has extensive experience of helping clients contracting in the USA and continental Europe.

Edward is based in London and works with clients in the south east and in other parts of the UK. He can be contacted at ed.simpson@thelegaldirector.co.uk