Featured in our GC Spotlight Series this month is Stephanie Hanson, who is the Chief Legal Officer at Tag Worldwide, which is a global, end-to-end marketing production agency. Tag’s services not only provide best in class production services (including adaptation) they also include consultancy services and channel activation facilitated by its proprietary technology platform Digital Interact.
Tag was acquired by the global advertising powerhouse Dentsu group in 2023, enabling it to leverage access to a wider network of creative, media, CXM and other advertising services for its clients.
As Tag’s Chief Legal Officer, Stephanie’s broad remit covers core legal services as well as risk & compliance (including insurance), SHEQ, Co Sec and Data Privacy. Her aim is to fully immerse her team within the commercial operations of the business ensuring that the team serves as business partners who are pragmatic and solutions-driven. She is also the proud sponsor of ESG on Tag’s Executive Committee. Her ethos is to lead with empathy, inclusivity and authenticity.
Prior to joining Tag, Stephanie attained her commercial legal experience in a variety of sectors, having worked in research, the travel industry, publishing and most notably spending 10 years working in the climate change and sustainability sector at the Carbon Trust.
Outside of her ‘day job’, Stephanie is a contributory member of the Law Society’s Intellectual Property Law Committee and is also a Steering Committee member of Diversity Amplified, a mission-driven collective aimed at broadening networks and amplifying the various diversity and inclusion initiatives of its members’ within the workplace.
1. Hi Stephanie, can you tell us a little about your role and journey into law? What excites you outside of work?
In my current role I’m responsible for the legal, co sec, risk & compliance and ESG functions at Tag Worldwide. We’re an end-to-end creative production and channel activation agency and since June 2023 we have represented one of the key brands within the Dentsu group. My original passion was psychology and I quite fancied myself as the female version of Fitz, a criminal psychologist in the popular British TV crime drama series of the 90s. However, my path took an unexpected turn towards law based on a combination of opportunity and practicalities – and I’ve never looked back! Outside of work, I’m pretty much an experience-junkie and I still have a fair amount outstanding on my bucket list including climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and visiting the Galapagos Islands – and eating at The Fat Duck.
2. As a Chief Legal Officer, what are some of the challenges that keep you up at night? How are you addressing them?
I’d have to say it’s the standard insomniac’s fear of not knowing what you don’t know in a global company with thousands of employees, the opportunity for a serious mishap is constant. There is always a process to improve, a new employee to train, a new law on the horizon and so forth, so our work as in-house lawyers is never ‘done’. It’s also the obscure and unexpected breach that could present the biggest liability. And that’s just the BAU. The best type of challenges are the problem solvers – unchartered territory, queries raised, an impasse on a negotiation and finding a creative way to please (or dis-please) both sides of the fence to reach agreement. These are the challenges that keep your mind ticking at night – but in a good way.
3. What do you think about the use of LegalTech, data analytics and process optimisation to improve your legal department’s value?
When used effectively tech, analytics and optimisation is a lawyer’s best friend. I’ll confess I’m not the most technology-savvy lawyer but we’ve made use of AI-powered contract repository as well as AI-powered legal research platforms with impressive results. As with most legal departments, we have also ventured into AI territory for workflow optimisation which is a game-changer, although I do need to make more use of the technology. Of course there’s the instinctive worry that Legal AI could usurp our demand, but I view it as an accelerator for good quality outputs with timely delivery – there will always need to be humans in the loop.
4. What trends do you expect to see in the legal services industry in the next 5 years?
Service delivery efficiencies, further migration to e-contracting (and this becoming the primary mode of contracting), a shift in the basics of legal training to include AI prompt engineering, intellectual property lawyers in higher demand (as AI/technology enables more potential IP infringement). In other areas, a standardisation of work/life balance, greater diversity and inclusion in the profession, with an increasing climate change regulatory landscape, there may be more litigation in this area.
5. Where do you see NewLaw/ALSP fitting in the matrix of your legal department?
We have always had a layered approach to resourcing levels with flexible support providers on hand to augment capacity during peak periods (typically coinciding with a strategic corporate project). The reliance on external support is ad hoc so we haven’t had much experience of the NewLaw model – but it is refreshing, and with increasing tech tools and AI building efficiencies into the process, plus the lower costs associated with the post-covid flexible working boom, we’re only heading further in this direction and I’m looking forward to reaping the rewards!
6. Your favourite tune? And why?
I’m a bit of a strange creature – and love a good TV show theme tune. I loved the Narco’s opener, as well as the theme tunes for Mad Men and Succession to name a few. I love them for no reason other than loving a good melody – they’re the best earworms and literally live rent-free inside your head.
KorumLegal is a boutique legal consultancy committed to providing value innovation in legal service delivery. The legal services industry is continuing to change with ‘NewLaw’ – and clients are seeking more innovative and cost-effective solutions without compromise on experience and quality
