POL00250703 - Email from Jane MacLeod to Avene Regan, cc Paula Vennells and Alisdair Cameron re Litigation- meeting with Tony Robinson

Evidence on official site

POL00250703
POL00250703

From: Jane MacLeod:
Sent: Fri 22/09/2017

To:

Ce: Alisdair
Cameron{™

Subject: Re: Litigation- meeting with Tony Robinson

Attachment: image001.png

Attachment: image002.png

Thanks Avene- we'll liaise with BD to sort this out.

Jane MacLeod
Group Director of Legal, Risk & Governance

Sent from my iPad

On 22 Sep 2017, at 15:53, Avene Regan 4 GRO b wrote:

Hi Jane,
Yes Paula would like to meet with Tony. Happy to liaise directly if helpful.
Best,

Avene

<image001.png> Avene Regan
2017 Winner of the Executive Assistant
Global Postal Award for to the Group Chief Executive,
Customer Experience Paula Vennells

Post Office Customer Support Centre
Finsbury Dials

20 Finsbury Street
London, EC2Y 94Q

From: Jane MacLeod
Sent: 22 September 2017 1

Alisdair Cameron

Subject: Litigation- meeting with Tony Robinson
POL00250703
POL00250703

Paula, Al

Unfortunately Tony Robinson (QC) is not available on Monday. Would it make sense for us to arrange for
you to meet a him ahead of the CMC in any event?

Jane

<image002.png> Jane MacLeod
Group Director of Legal, Risk & Governance

Ground Floor

20 Finsbury Street
LONDON

EC2Y 9AQ
Mobile number:

From: Avene Regan

Sent: 22 September 2017 12:06
To: Jane MacLeod
Ce: Rodric Wi

Subject: RE: Call with Richard Callard
Hi Jane,
Regarding the call, between 8:30-10 or 12-1pm would be ideal. Obviously will be flexible though.
Thanks,
Avene
<image001.png> Avene Regan
2017 Winner of the Executive Assistant
Global Postal Award for to the Group Chief Executive,

Customer Experience Paula Vennells

Post Office Customer Support Centre
Finsbury Dials

20 Finsbury Street
London, EC2Y 94Q

From: Jane MacLeod
Sent: 22 September 2017 11:55
POL00250703

POL00250703

To: Avene Regan

1; Alisdair Cameron
Rodric Williams GRO.

Subject: RE: Call ichard Callard

Avene,

Following discussion with Paula & Al this morning I suggest the following as speaking notes re the
Postmaster Litigation:

Postmaster Litigation
e Jane will give a briefing as part of my CEO’s report on the Case Management Conference which
is being heard on 19 October
e@ = This will set out the procedural steps to be followed by both parties over the next 12-24 months
e Broadly 2 key questions to be decided:
oO Whether Horizon is robust
© Whether the postmaster contract is fair and supports our operating practices
e@  Freeths are pressing for the contractual question to be heard first, and our QC supports this
approach as it gives us the best opportunity to influence the way the legal questions are framed.

e = There are strategic risks with this approach. If we go to trial and lose, then it will undermine the
nature of the relationship between Post Office and the agency networks, and we would
potentially be at risk of substantial financial losses.

e@ However this option would also support us if we were considering a settlement ahead of any
such hearing, as it would ensure that we had the best possible visibility of Freeths’ case, so as to
be able to better assess what a successful settlement could look like.

e@ We don’t expect that the hearings on these issues will happen before late 2018, and at this
stage we still don’t know if the CRC will have opined at that point.

® =~ Our QC (Tony Robinson***) is briefing us in November on the outcome of the CMC, and that
will enable us to monitor progress (both ours and Freeths’) and we will keep under
consideration whether a settlement should be considered.

e = Rod Williams has been keeping the BEIS legal team informed on key developemnts

ee

Avene - We’re looking to see if we can get a short meeting/call in between Tony and Paula/Al on
Monday ahead of the Board discussion

Paula/Al — does this work for you based on our discussions this morning?

Jane

<image002.png> Jane MacLeod

Group Director of Legal, Risk & Governance
Ground Floor

20 Finsbury Street
LONDON

EC2Y 9AQ
Mobile numb

POL00250703

POL00250703
From: Avene Regan
Sent: 22 September 2017 0:
To: Rob Houghton Nicholas Kennett .
‘ >; Kevin Gilliland GRO iMartin Kirke

$; Jane MacLeod

Morning all,

Apologies for short notice, Paula has a regular pre-board call with Richard today at 2pm. She's
asked for your input on any issues you think she should either raise or be aware of.

In particular anything relating to IT, Peregrine and on ARC, Nom&Rem that would be useful to
call out or mention ahead of the meetings next week.

Mark — Patrick has provided some helpful input on our banking framework. Copying you in case
there is anything else to mention.

Al—1I suspect there will be some steers following your call with Carla this morning, which you
can update during your 1:1 later.

Any steers or input appreciated by 1pm if possible.
Thanks,

Avene