My legal life: Petra Green, PromoVeritas

While studying law as part of my accountancy degree, I found that I was more suited to it than accountancy. I loved the problem-solving aspect of law and coming up with creative solutions to mitigate issues and risks. But what I enjoyed most was how working in law involves dealing with people – whether happy or sad.

I studied law at Rhodes University, Grahamstown (today known as Makhanda), in South Africa. The town is centred around the university, making it really student-oriented and a great place to study. I became heavily involved in the student community by participating in sports and netball. I eventually joined the sports committee.

I secured a training contract at a law firm in Grahamstown. Because the town is so small, I got to know everyone, including judges and lawyers. Everyone was there to provide guidance. I was able to speak directly to judges for advice which was invaluable for my learning.

Being at a firm in such a small, community-centred town provided a level of insight I do not think I would have had elsewhere. Unlike a typical trainee, I was not doing administrative work – I was thrown right into the deep end of legal issues and court cases, which was fantastic.

The key difference I have found between working in London and my career in South Africa is that now I work in-house and do not deal directly with clients in the same way. Instead, my client is the business itself. This means I need to have a comprehensive understanding of the company’s inner workings – and not just the relevant details of a case – if I am to provide the best advice. In South Africa I focused most on litigation. But working in-house, I deal with many different areas of law and parts of the business, which needs a broader knowledge base. Now my role is multifaceted. I have to keep track of various issues that may arise in different departments, such as sales, information security and digital, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

'I often advise brands on collaborating with social media influencers. This involves educating both the brands and influencers. This year, there is a lot of focus on making sure that ads are transparent and that it is clear when someone is promoting a product'

In-house, I focus on drafting and negotiating contracts. I love that there is a real commercial aspect in using regulatory changes to create new opportunities, such as rules restricting the promotion of unhealthy foods. It is my job to harness these opportunities and advise clients on how best to run compliant promotions for their brands.

Another dimension involves helping clients shape their promotions while being mindful of any unique regulations in specific geographies. We have run promotions in over 80 different countries, so there is a lot to consider.

I often advise brands on collaborating with social media influencers. This involves educating both the brands and influencers on the importance of complying with advertising regulations. This year, there is a lot of focus on making sure that ads are transparent and that it is clear when someone is promoting a product. So we often have to educate both brands and influencers.

For the Cadbury golden ticket campaign, we worked as a team, drafting terms and conditions and signing the agreement. We also review all marketing communications, including point-of-sale materials and visuals, and provide feedback to the client to ensure everything is compliant.

We ran a campaign for Amazon during Prime Day to boost sales for small businesses. Customers who purchased from a small business during Prime Day were entered into a prize draw, with the prize fund exceeding $25m. The campaign was run across nine different countries and involved various teams and individuals all over the world, not just the US marketing team. It was great working with in-country marketing and legal teams globally together to create this promotion.