Edward Smith, Telefonica UK

Edward Smith is the general counsel of Telefonica UK, having spent more than 18 years in various roles at the company.

He is responsible for legal, regulatory, business assurance and compliance for the mobile network operator O2, which has 32 million connections in the UK and provides the network infrastructure for mobile virtual network operators such as giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Lyca Mobile and Tesco Mobile.

Telefonica UK has 6,700 employees and 450 retail stores, and sponsors England Rugby, The O2 and many O2 Academy music venues across the UK.

Here, Smith talks to Legal Week about his highlights in the job, favoured law firms, advice to young lawyers starting out, and his take on the value of quality over a good price.

Why did you become a lawyer?

A bloke in a pub (he was a history undergraduate and so was I) explained to me it was possible to qualify as a solicitor, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

What's your proudest professional moment?

I was part of a small team that did O2's exclusive iPhone deal with Apple in 2007.

What's the worst thing that's happened to you while in the job?

I once, inadvertently but repeatedly, slammed a colleague's head in a taxi door.  I was tired as I had been up for 72 hours completing an M&A deal in 1999.

What the most common mistake that external counsel make when dealing with you?

Not understanding that they are in competition with other firms and our in-house team. They need to be better, cheaper, or both.

In your experience, how much difference is there in quality between different law firms?

There are huge gulfs in quality between firms, and also within firms. Once we find a good gang of lawyers, we are pretty loyal customers.

Which are your favoured law firms?

The firms we have used the most in the past two years are DWF, Herbert Smith Freehills, Simmons & Simmons, Mischon de Reya and Shoosmiths.

How does working in-house compare with private practice?

In-house lawyers should be solving problems and exploiting opportunities as equal partners with colleagues from elsewhere in their organisations, and they should do this as efficiently as possible.  

In private practice, lawyers should aspire to do the same, but they are not equal partners and they have to sell hours to pay their bills, so doing things efficiently sometimes creates a dilemma.

Would you rather: pay less and get adequate advice or pay more and get excellent advice?

It's my job to procure the best advice possible, and to pay as little for it as possible; in that order.

What advice would you give to young lawyers starting out?

Learn how to keep a to-do list better than anyone else you meet.

What are the best and worst things about your job?

The GC role at Telefonica UK (which operates the O2 and giffgaff mobile brands) is a board-level role, and as such I don't operate as a lawyer in the way I used to. The best thing about my job is the level of real influence and responsibility I have and the opportunity this gives me to talk to people on a miscellany of subjects and to represent the company; whether on stage at conferences, during store visits, in meetings colleagues, or with suppliers, customers, government, regulators etc.  

The worst thing would be the number of faces and names I am expected to remember; not my strong point.

What do you hope to do when you retire?

Wear shorts all day, have a drink in the afternoon, and nail lots of guitar riffs.

What is the daftest bit of corporate jargon you've heard?

I am immune to it all now, but I always liked "shrinkage" meaning "theft".

What's the most outdated thing you've experienced in the industry?

Tech company executives using pen and paper and printing things out.

…and the most innovative?

The iPhone.

Describe your commute in 10 words or less.

Waze. Podcasts. Spotify. M3 (road not car). Singing.

How many unread emails do you have in your inbox?

Since I started writing this, nine.

Favourite pastime?

Falling about laughing with my family.

What would your motto be?

It's stolen from Danny Baker and Danny Kelly, but it's this: "Sometimes right. Sometimes wrong. Always certain."