Carolyn is a general commercial lawyer with extensive experience in advising retail/FMCG information technology and vertical farming businesses. She previously worked in-house at Cadbury Schweppes and at Ocado as Head of Commercial Law. Outside of Keystone, Carolyn acts as General Counsel to a vertical farming business, Carolyn can handle a wide range of commercial issues and commercial contracts and has acquired a broad range of skills and a deep understanding of these sectors, the challenges which can arise and how to quickly overcome them.
Expertise
Commercial/Technology/IP
- Procurement and supply agreements
- Manufacturing and supply agreements
- Goods and services agreements
- Consultancy agreements
- Outsourcing agreements
- Design appointment agreements
- Heads of terms, letters of intent (LOIs), memoranda of understanding (MOUs)
- University research and development agreements
- Non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements
- Advertising/marketing agreements
- Customer-facing website terms
- Limitations and exclusions of liability
- IP assignment and licensing
- IP escrow agreements
- Software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements
- Software development and licensing
Data Protection
- Data processing agreements/clauses
- Data protection/GDPR advice
- Electronic marketing advice
In-House Legal Support
- Acting as in-house counsel to companies that are not yet ready to make an internal legal appointment or require additional legal support
Legal Operations
- Automation of the legal contracting process
- Implementation of legal software to produce better and more cost-effective legal support
Experience
Agriculture
- Created template NDAs for a vertical farming company.
- Created template terms and conditions for the supply of goods and services for a vertical farming company.
- Created template MoUs for a vertical farming company.
- Created template design appointment agreements for a vertical farming company.
- Created a template contract for the design, manufacture, supply, commission and installation of products/equipment for a vertical farming company.
- Reviewed, amended and negotiated various agreements including for the provision of IT consultancy services and collaboration agreements for a vertical farming company.
- Reviewed a power purchase agreement for a vertical farming company.
- Reviewed, amended and negotiated various MoUs and corporate NDAs for a vertical farming company.
- Reviewed, amended and negotiated corporate engagement letters for a vertical farming company.
Retail
- Advised on the commercial contractual terms of the strategic operating agreement for Morrisons’ expansion into online retail.
- Project lead in the implementation and set-up of Ocado Retail Legal Team as a standalone legal department from Ocado Group plc, following the sale of 50% of the Ocado UK retail business to Marks & Spencer Group.
- Managed and negotiated key procurement contracts for an online retail partnership between Ocado and Coles, in Australia.
- Project lead for Ocado GDPR compliance programme/implementation including design and delivery of GDPR training packages, data privacy policies and reviewing privacy management technology platforms.
- Advised and assisted Ocado Group plc in its GSCOP compliance work and “Designated Retailer” status under the Groceries (Supply Chain Practices) Market Investigation Order.
- Drafted and negotiated numerous automated bagging machine contracts with an Austrian company for use within the Ocado business.
- Advised and negotiated an enterprise management Cloud agreement hosting various applications for Ocado Group.
- Advised and negotiated a Cloud-based instant messaging master subscription agreement for worldwide use across Ocado Group.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
The Lawyer Awards 2020: Ocado Group plc “In-house commerce & industry team of the year” – Highly Commended award
Career
Carolyn qualified as a solicitor in 1998. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2021, she worked at the following firms:
- Ocado Group Plc, London
- Cadbury Schweppes, Melbourne, Australia
- Bird & Bird, London
- Andersen Legal, London
- Allens Linklaters, Melbourne, Australia