National Grid's Mahy takes top spot at high-profile body for bluechip chiefs

National Grid legal chief Helen Mahy has been named as the new chair of the General Counsel 100 (GC100), the high-profile representative body set up for corporate counsel at the UK's top companies.

The appointment of Mahy coincides with a decision to expand the membership of the bluechip group to include company secretaries, reflecting the dual role that many general counsel currently hold.

Mahy told Legal Week that the move had been welcomed by the GC100′s executive committee after months canvassing opinion from the group's members.

She said: "We were aware that there were some company secretaries out there who were not general counsel.

"But there are lots of big-hitters whose expertise would be valued who are not currently members. If we have the joined forces of company secretaries and general counsel singing together, it will enhance the group."

Mahy predicts that the group will continue to focus on issues which surround the upcoming Companies Bill and says company secretaries and general counsel have the potential to share knowledge. She replaces outgoing chair, Barclays general counsel Mark Harding, who will continue on the GC100′s executive committee.

Although around half the members of the 74-strong body hold dual roles as company secretaries and general counsel, professionals who function solely as company secretaries have – up until now – been excluded from the group.

The group was formed in March 2005 as a platform for the heads of law at FTSE 100 companies.
Last year the body campaigned for amendments to the Companies Bill, which will usher in sweeping reform of governance and reporting requirements for UK companies. The group also lobbied the Financial Services Authority over the implementation of new listings rules.

General counsel and company secretary of Emap, Nick Folland, said: "Opening up membership to company secretaries is a great initiative. These are the people who deal with the practical application of the law and how it is applied in the boardroom – a place which not all legal directors have access to. This means the group can speak on behalf of the FTSE 100 with a united voice."

Mahy is not the only member of the group to step into a new role. Other changes have seen group legal director at insurance company Prudential, Peter Maynard, take on Mahy's role of vice-chair, alongside Reuters general counsel Rosemary Martin.

Rupert Bondy, general counsel and senior vice president at GlaxoSmith-Kline, and Christopher Roberts, general counsel and senior vice president of cleaning product manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, have also been appointed to the executive committee.