Legal Life In Lockdown: NHS Charity GC On Tackling Two Roles and Drafting Agreements on the Eurostar

Rachael Carolan is the general counsel for technology company what3words, and recently took on an additional, voluntary general counsel role for the COVID-19 charity initiative Meals for the NHS.

Carolan speaks to Legal Week about juggling the two roles, and advises not attempting to draft agreements while aboard the Eurostar…

How are you juggling both GC roles? 

I’m currently working full time with what3words and working with Meals for the NHS during my spare time (early morning/evenings/weekend).

This has definitely kept me busy – which I’m extremely grateful for at the current time!

What time do you tend to start your day, take lunch and finish up? 

I start earlier (around 8am), take lunch around 1-2pm, and finish anywhere from 5pm to 8pm dependent on what fires might need putting out.

Do you get dressed properly every day? 

Yes – it makes me feel “normal” and makes me more efficient. My lockdown dress code is definitely “relaxed” though!

What’s the best part of working from home? 

Getting a bit more of my day back (no crowded commute).

Describe your home workspace in three words.  

Organised chaos & mugs.

Do you prefer phone calls or video calls? 

A mixture of both – phone calls are actually more efficient – as you tend to just get straight to the point. Video calls are best for training, creative problem solving and for team bonding.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when the lockdown is lifted? 

I’ll see friends and family that I haven’t been able to see and buy lots of coffees (and pastries) from my favourite cafe.

What’s the biggest challenge about working from home? 

Remembering to take breaks and not being able to see my team in person.

How many times a day are you interrupted by pets/ spouses/ children? 

My partner has a bit more time on her hands as of this month – so let’s see. I wish I had a pet (dog) to be interrupted by!

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you on a video call? 

Nothing embarrassing has happened (yet).

What do you miss most about the office? 

Seeing my colleagues in person and being more active throughout the day.

How are you spending your weekends? Is there a Netflix recommendation you’d share or a new hobby you’ve taken up? 

Walking/biking, talking to family and I’ve become addicted to both seasons of Your Home Made Perfect. Unorthodox on Netflix is also very good.

I (shamefully) baked for the first time in a decade the other weekend. When flour next becomes available I might explore this more.

How productive are you working from home compared with being in the office? 

I think I’m more productive as a whole – largely on work that is less collaborative though and requires more focus.

Background music or silence? 

Bit of both.

What are the best and worst remote working experiences you have had? 

My experience during coronavirus has been very positive – it’s easy to work remotely when the entire company is.

My worst remote working experience was trying to finalise a complex software agreement on a train from London to Amsterdam alongside a commercial colleague who was in Nigeria. We both had really bad internet due to our locations, we had very little time, and I definitely would not recommend attempting to draft and negotiate a software agreement on a packed Eurostar.

Read More:

Legal Life In Lockdown: PPF’s Legal Director on Living Through “A Dystopian Drama”

Legal Life In Lockdown: Freshfields’ Ken Baird on 120-Strong Video Calls and Cooking Challenges

NHS COVID-19 Charity Brings In Tech GC