Case Study: Marks and Spencer streamlines property legal operations with Orbital

How M&S manage their large retail estate portfolio

Marks and Spencer, a major British multinational retailer, faced significant challenges in managing the legal aspects of its large and complex retail estate portfolio. Their property legal team was inundated with a high volume of varied queries from colleagues, a situation that intensified during the UK lockdown and the busy Christmas trading period. Sourcing answers from sporadic data and original documents was time-consuming, and they needed a way to provide prompt, clear advice without constantly instructing external counsel and incurring fees.

By implementing Orbital, the team gained a digital solution that allowed them to instantly access property details and provide real-time answers. This empowered colleagues to self-serve on simpler queries and enabled the legal team to handle more work efficiently. The results included faster decision-making, a reduction in external legal fees, and the ability to support the company's rapid pace of change. Orbital also became a common reference tool for both internal teams and external law firms, improving collaboration.

Marks and Spencer

Carolyn Lock

Head of Property Legal