What does it really take to lead a high growth legal function – especially in an emerging tech business like blockchain?
🎙️ In this episode of The Crafty Show, Renée Graham, Head of Content at Crafty Counsel, speaks with Atik Ahmed, Head of Legal at the Marco Polo Network. Atik offers a candid look into building and scaling a legal function from the ground up in a fast-growing, globally distributed company.
From handling contracts and compliance to setting strategy, Atik shares what the legal journey looks like when your company is scaling fast and the tech is new. The result? A masterclass in agility, trust-building, and delivering legal that fits the pace of a high growth environment.
From insurance to blockchain: a non-linear path to legal leadership
Before joining Marco Polo in 2017, Atik worked in legal roles at Unum and Bupa, having trained at Pinsent Masons. But his career started in journalism—he was once shortlisted for The Guardian’s Student Sports Journalist of the Year. He brings that clarity and curiosity into his legal leadership today.
Leading a high growth legal function in practice
Atik speaks openly about working as sole counsel, embedding legal early, and learning to flex between legal rigour and commercial demands. For lawyers in scaleups—or those thinking about it—this episode is full of lessons on what to prioritise, how to build influence, and when to ask for help.
Among other things Atik talks about his career journey, the highlights and challenges of working in-house, working in blockchain, and steering the legal function at a high growth company as it scales up.