LOD Alumni: How Natalie found her way back to law through renewable energy

LOD alumna Natalie found her way back to law through LOD after building a successful career as an illustrator and creative director. Her secondments opened the door to renewal energy, where she is now Senior Legal Counsel APAC, supporting major projects across the region.

Tell us about your career background.

I started out in insurance and commercial litigation at HWLE, then Turks, before making my in-house move to a national transport and logistics group. Then, while taking some time off with a baby and a toddler, I somewhat stumbled into a creative business. I'd always been artistic, and what began as a side interest turned into an unorthodox but wonderful detour: I spent several years as an illustrator and creative director, working with brands, sometimes internationally, mostly in fashion. For a while I was, by my own description, an escaped lawyer. LOD is how I found my way back, and it's also where my move into renewable energy began. I still keep my creative business going. Today, I'm senior legal counsel for APAC at TCL SunPower Global, a generalist commercial role with a particular focus on utility-scale solar.

What drew you to LOD?

A bit of gentle pushing from friends who could see I was drawn back to law even while I might have been telling myself otherwise. I'd spoken publicly about life beyond law and my creative work, but the pull never quite went away. LOD gave me a route back without an all-or-nothing decision: real in-house work, real clients, and room to keep one foot in my creative world while I found my feet again. It turned out to be the door into renewables.

What were your experiences on assignment? What clients and work?

Two assignments, both genuinely hands-on. The first was in-house at SGS, the testing and certification group, across their mining, energy and infrastructure contracting. The second was as sole APAC counsel for Maxeon Solar Technologies, a NASDAQ-listed solar manufacturer out of Singapore, working directly with the C-suite on cross-border deals spanning APAC, Europe, Latin America and the US. What I valued most was being trusted as part of the business, and the genuinely global reach of the work.

Where has your assignment journey brought you to now?

Straight into the sector I now call home. The Maxeon assignment took me deep into solar, and that led to my permanent role at TCL SunPower Global. One highlight since has been leading the legal work on the negotiation and execution of a 720MW solar utility project in Central Queensland, enough to power more than 244,000 homes, and set to be the largest back-contact solar plant in the world.

What positively surprised you about working with LOD?

The breadth of secondments they had on their books, and the flexibility to match you to the right one. I could step into work I might never have found on my own. What surprised me most was the support sitting behind me: even as a seconded lawyer, I had access to LOD's resources and know-how, the kind of backing you don't always have when you're the sole lawyer in a business. It meant I was never really out there alone.

How has LOD supported you in your career and life?

LOD met me where I was, ready to come back but not on rigid terms. They found me work that mattered and kept opening doors, each assignment building on the last until one of them turned into a career. Just as much, they understood that I was rebuilding a professional life around everything else going on, and gave me the flexibility to do that. Graham, Jayne and the wider team looked after me with real care throughout, and that made all the difference.

What advice would you give someone considering a secondment?

Treat it like a real job, not a waiting room. Turn up as though the client is your employer, take ownership, and build relationships that outlast the assignment. And if there's a corner of law you've been curious about, use a secondment to test it properly. That curiosity is exactly how mine became a pivot rather than a pause.

If you could describe your LOD journey using just one word, what would it be, and why?

Never-say-never. I'd spent years calling myself an escaped lawyer, fairly sure I was done. LOD is proof I was wrong, and I'm glad I was.

Inspired by Natalie's journey? Speak to our team to learn how an LOD secondment could help you gain valuable experience, expand your network and take the next step in your legal career.