Legal Life In Lockdown: Close Brothers GC on 900-Strong Virtual Quizzes and A "Chaotic Playroom" Of A Home Workspace

Angela Yotov is the group general counsel for U.K. merchant banking group Close Brothers. Here, she discusses the work the business has been doing amid COVID-19, the next shows on her Netflix list and her advice for other GCs during the crisis.

Describe your home workspace in three words.

Overcrowded. Chaotic. Playroom.

How do you think working from home when working in-house compares with those working in private practice?  

I’m not sure how much of a difference there is. Everyone faces similar lockdown challenges e.g. caring for dependants, space issues, overcrowding, loneliness, frustration, lack of outside space etc. I imagine that many of the same issues apply.

IT allows us to communicate with our clients/customers and stakeholders and work effectively out of the workplace but there are still elements of some in-person interaction which are missed by those working in-house as well as in private practice where working from home is on a continuous and prolonged basis.

Do you prefer phone calls or video calls?

Video calls as there is a greater connection when you can see someone’s expressions. Long video meetings can be quite draining though.

What are the most helpful and unhelpful things external advisers can do for you at the moment?

Helpful – sending more personalised observation emails about what is going on in the market that is largely tailored to what we might be interested in, not just generic client alerts (although the latter can be helpful).

Unhelpful – sending lots of spam.

Do you get dressed properly every day?

Yes but more smart casual than if I was in the office.

What’s the best part of working from home?

Being able to spend more time with my kids, not having to commute and being able to do a bit more exercise.

What notable work has the team recently been doing? 

The Close Brothers team has been doing some great work on forbearance, government funding schemes (as we are a lender) and return to work planning on the COVID side of things together with a good deal of business as usual work, which is pivotal to supporting our customers and other stakeholders. I am fortunate to have a really high performing team of great individuals.

I am also a non-executive director and trustee at FareShare, the U.K.’s largest food redistribution charity. FareShare has been doing some exceptional work during this pandemic. They delivered food throughout the U.K. that was the equivalent of 2.3 million meals in one week last month, an extraordinary accomplishment.

In London, FareShare created the London Food Alliance with The Felix Project and City Harvest during the pandemic to assist those needing it most in the capital.

What has been the best social activity/game that has been organised among the team during lockdown? 

An oldie but goodie – a pub quiz with more than 900 participants which was a lovely bonding activity across the Close group.

How are you spending your weekends? Is there a Netflix/book recommendation you’d share?

I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old so most of my non-working time is spent with them or asleep!

As you will appreciate, there hasn’t been a lot of downtime but I hear that The Last Dance on Netflix about Michael Jordan’s career in the late 90’s is excellent – this is next on my list.

Background music or silence?

Silence.

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

Early (I try to exercise or catch up on work), 12pm for lunch, 6pm for dinner with the family and then I log on later to finish up whatever needs to be done. Every couple of hours.

What would be your three top tips for others GCs during this crisis? 

Regular communication with your teams – I send around a weekly email to let my teams know what is going on with me on a personal level e.g. Couch to 5km running challenge, potty training, toddler meltdowns whilst on calls with my CEO etc as well as updating them on what is going on in the business and thanking them for the great work they continue to produce.

Focus on wellness – lockdown is a particularly challenging time for everyone for a variety of individual reasons. It is a marathon and not a sprint and people have gone through their highs and lows at different times – we need to all look out for each other. It is also important to build healthy habits into the day for a mental and physical break from work.

Empathy – engage in the challenges that team members are going through and check in with them.

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