April 2025
20 Questions
In this month’s interview we pose our 20 Questions to Nikki Jackson, our Legal and Copyrighting Expert.
Q1. What pivotal moment or specific challenge early in your career fundamentally changed how you approach your work?
One of the most influential moments came during my early years as a junior solicitor. I was supporting a senior partner on an intellectual property case where a small business was fighting to protect its original work against a much larger competitor. The stakes were high, and the power imbalance was stark. It was the first time I saw how profoundly the law can protect creativity and fairness when applied with precision and integrity. It taught me that legal work is not simply a technical exercise, it carries real consequences for people’s livelihoods and ideas. That experience has stayed with me throughout my career and shaped my determination to provide advice that is both rigorous and grounded in humanity.
Q2. What is the single biggest misconception people have about your role or department, and what’s the real story?
The most common misconception is that legal experts are there to say “no” or dampen creativity. In truth, my role is to enable creative work to flourish safely. I help teams explore new ideas with confidence, ensuring that contracts, copyright protections and regulatory considerations support the project rather than hinder it. When legal guidance is integrated early, it opens doors, it doesn’t close them. My goal is always to find solutions that protect our clients while allowing innovation to thrive.
Q3. Looking ahead, what is the one thing you are most determined to change or innovate within the company in the next year?
I want to strengthen our approach to proactive risk management, particularly in areas where law and technology overlap. As AI-generated content, blockchain authentication and new digital regulations evolve, businesses will need frameworks that anticipate issues rather than simply react to them. My focus will be on developing practical guidance that blends legal rigour with marketing creativity, helping our clients navigate this changing landscape with confidence and clarity. Internally, I’m also passionate about enhancing legal literacy across the team so that everyone understands both their responsibilities and their opportunities.
Q4. If you had to summarise your leadership philosophy in just three words, what would they be?
Clarity, fairness, reassurance. I believe that people do their best work when they have clear guidance, feel respected, and know there is someone supporting them through complexities and challenges.
Q5. What skill that you learned outside of your formal education has been most crucial to your success here?
Adaptability. Law may appear rigid from the outside, but in practice it requires enormous flexibility. Regulations change, technologies evolve, and client needs shift constantly. Parenting three children, balancing work and family life, and learning to reorganise my priorities when needed have all strengthened my ability to adapt calmly and decisively. That balance has been invaluable in the fast-moving digital and creative industries.
Q6. How do you ensure that your team stays creative and takes calculated risks, even when the stakes are high?
I encourage an environment where people feel free to ask questions without fear of judgement. When the legal side of a project feels approachable, teams are more willing to explore ambitious ideas. I make a point of explaining risks in context rather than simply listing restrictions. When people understand why boundaries exist, they become more confident in navigating them and more willing to innovate within a safe framework.
Q7. What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
A senior partner early in my career told me, “Don’t protect the process, protect the principle.” It taught me to stay focused on the core values behind legal work rather than getting lost in procedure. That mindset has helped me cut through complexity and provide practical, meaningful guidance even in fast-changing situations.
Q8. How has the company culture evolved since you started, and what role do you play in shaping it now?
Since joining JMS in 2019, I’ve seen the culture deepen in its understanding of the importance of trust, both internally and with clients. As the legal and copyright expert, I act as a steadying influence, ensuring that compliance and creativity exist in harmony. I also contribute to our culture through training and open conversations about ethics, digital responsibility and the future of content creation. On a personal note, seeing my son join the company has given me a wonderful perspective on how welcoming and supportive our environment is.
Q9. Describe a time when a project failed, and what you, or the team, learned from that experience.
Several years ago, while consulting, a client launched a campaign without completing the recommended IP checks. It resulted in a dispute that could have been entirely avoided with slower, more thorough preparation. Although the issue was resolved, it reinforced the importance of diligence, communication and early-stage legal involvement. It reaffirmed my commitment to ensuring that teams have the right processes, not just the right intentions.
Q10. What is a quality you actively look for and try to mentor in junior employees?
Judgement. Legal work isn’t simply knowing rules, it’s understanding how to interpret and apply them in context. I encourage junior colleagues to ask thoughtful questions, think critically and recognise that good judgement grows with experience, reflection and curiosity.
Q11. What is your favourite non-work-related book, podcast, or hobby, and how does it influence your leadership style?
I’ve always loved literature, particularly stories that explore human relationships and moral dilemmas. Reading has shaped my leadership style by reminding me that every decision, legal or otherwise, has a human element behind it. It keeps me grounded, empathetic and aware of the broader context in which people make choices.
Q12. Where do you go or what do you do when you need to completely disconnect and recharge?
Walking in the countryside near my home is my sanctuary. It gives me the space to breathe, step back from complex issues and reconnect with the things that matter most. Those quiet moments often bring clarity that is hard to find in the bustle of everyday work.
Q13. If you could have dinner with any three people (living or historical) to discuss strategy, who would they be and why?
I would choose Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her clarity of thought and principled leadership, Ada Lovelace for her pioneering vision in both logic and creativity, and Mary Beard for her ability to interpret complex systems through a historical lens. Each brings a different kind of wisdom.
Q14. What piece of technology or simple tool can you not live without (and why isn’t it your phone)?
My legal notebook. It’s where I organise thoughts, draft ideas, and plan strategies before they take shape in formal documents. It acts as a bridge between the creative and analytical sides of my work.
Q15. If you weren’t in this industry, what completely different career path do you think you would have followed?
I suspect I would have become a literature lecturer or a writer. I’ve always been drawn to stories; structure and the way ideas influence society. Those interests align closely with my work, even if expressed differently.
Q16. What’s one thing you are currently learning (professional or personal)?
The emerging legal frameworks surrounding AI-generated content and intellectual property.
Q17. What is your go-to method for starting a challenging conversation?
I begin with transparency, setting out the facts calmly and then discussing options collaboratively.
Q18. What do you believe is the next big trend that will disrupt our industry?
The legalisation and regulation of AI-driven creativity. It will redefine copyright, ownership and the boundaries of expression.
Q19. What makes you most proud to work for this company?
The integrity of the work we do and the people we work with. JMS consistently chooses the responsible approach, even when it’s not the easiest one.
Q20. What is one personal habit or routine that contributes most to your daily productivity?
A short moment of morning quiet, collecting my thoughts before the day begins. It’s a simple routine, but it keeps me balanced and focused.