Michael Leathes, the dynamic and energetic general counsel who heads the in-house legal team at British American Tobacco, was on the conference circuit last month, promoting his company’s legal extranet system, Anaqua, developed in conjunction with the legal department of the Ford Motor Company.
At the Practical Law Company’s conference on clients and technology, Leathes wowed the assembled audience with the revelation that Anaqua cost £5m to develop – as one wag pointed out, this represents more dosh than is found in most delegates’ entire annual legal budget.
