Using legal expertise to help the business thrive

Bobby Ladwa is a highly experienced lawyer who has worked in Asia, with occasional spells in London and the Middle East, for 18 years. He spent most of his career in private practice to partnership level before coming in-house with Barclays.

Arriving at Barclays

I was on a private-practice client secondment in Dubai when the opportunity arose to go in-house with Barclays, helping establish a team with experienced colleagues who had also been in private practice. I’ve now been with Barclays for over 11 years, as a Director in a senior Banking Legal role – the same amount of time as I’d spent in private practice. “ The last 11 years have been an amazing experience – since the financial crash of 2008 we’ve been focused on restructuring and transformation, learning from the past and strengthening Barclays to excel in a rapidly changing global landscape. Through regulatory reforms, a volatile geo-political environment, Brexit – and now the pandemic – we’ve continued to grow in a very smart way. I feel very proud of the bank, and very connected to the business and the brand.

Diversity of thinking is valued here; so is the diversity of our people and leadership. We have a very strong people agenda at Barclays.

Why in-house with Barclays?

In a law firm, the business is law and everything you do – from management to case work – is to that end. Here, our business is the banking business and being a lawyer at Barclays has a purpose beyond law. We use our legal expertise to help the business thrive and to make sure our clients and customers achieve their goals. And, of course, the bank is a globally important institution – we are an essential part of the economy. Everything relies on money, and we enable people to run their personal and business financial lives effectively. Lawyers at Barclays are trusted advisors who play a vital role in making all this possible.

For lawyers who can think commercially, and want to stretch their careers beyond case law, there’s a huge range of opportunities for growth, learning and career progression. Even beyond the Legal function

Learning to learn

To be successful at Barclays, it’s important to keep learning. As the world changes, the bank changes with it and our function evolves to support the bank. We need to understand our clients within the business, the goals they are trying to achieve, and helping them navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, so we can make a positive difference. This means we must be adaptable, curious and ready to change to meet the needs of the business, as it changes to meet the needs of the world.

Celebrating diversity

Diversity of thinking is valued here; so is the diversity of our people and leadership. We have a very strong people agenda at Barclays – we’ve built on it through all the ups and downs, and it really matters. I’ve been the chair of Embrace Asia, our international network dedicated to promoting, championing and supporting our multicultural workforce, and I’m also a champion of our women’s network, which has really helped me develop professionally and personally. As a person of British-Indian heritage with two decades spent in Asia Pacific, I’m proud that I can bring my whole self to work: I’ve learned a lot about the power of diversity.