If this year's UK200 is anything to go by, the majority of UK law firms are in robust health. Indeed, they are finally fighting back against the growth of US competitors. So why are so many upending their partnership models? In part one of our two part podcast series celebrating the 20th edition of The Lawyer's UK200, editors Catrin Griffiths, Chri…

Last week, A&O Shearman set out post-merger plans to close its legacy Allen & Overy base in Johannesburg, reduce its partnership by 10 per cent by the end of the financial year, and sell its consultancy business Consulting by A&O Shearman. So is this a sign of things already going wrong, or is this all par for the course for big mergers? In this ne…

Football law has typically been the domain of sports specialists. However, in recent years, there has been a growing number of large, elite firms and chambers entering the football market. Clifford Chance and Freshfields act for Manchester City, and Slaughter and May and Linklaters represent the Premier League. Latham and Watkins worked on the Chel…

The associate recruitment market has tightened up over the past year or two. For trainees looking to qualify, that means finding a home in their preferred practice area is more difficult too. But qualification and, specifically, which team you qualify into, can be one of the most crucial moments in a solicitor’s career. So on the final episode of T…

Labour won. Now what? As Sir Keir Starmer walks into Downing Street, The Lawyer Podcast boils up a vat of coffee and brings you an election results show for lawyers. With special guests including former Clifford Chance partner and tax celebrity Dan Neidle, we discuss which lawyers are in and out of Parliament after a night of change, look at what w…

The doom of the middle market has long been foretold. As global mergers grab attention and smaller, boutique firms blossom, many question whether there is any role for mid-market practices in law’s future. But, on Tuesday evening, Addleshaw Goddard marked a remarkable, decade-long turnaround as it was crowned Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awar…

Law firms have long had a problem with gender equality. Partners and senior leaders are weighted heavily towards men, with an average of 2.35 male partner to every female partner in the UK's top 100 firms. However, that number is actually much improved on five years ago, when it was 2.83 male partners to every female. The number of female senior an…

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Last week, The Lawyer reported that time-poor lawyers are struggling to date in a profession where time is money. Longer hours for junior lawyers, compounded by a waning London dating market, is only adding to the problem. So on this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation edit…

Last week, all eyes were on A&O Shearman, a union hailing Big Law and its future. But in this week’s episode, we consider why so many solicitors are pursuing another future: opening their own firm. A survey from Censuswide on behalf of Harbour Litigation Funding last year found that half of UK firm partners had ambitions to set up their own firm – …

The wait is finally over. In just under a week, the transformational merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling will go live. But while the deal is done, the job is only just beginning. So on this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, Catrin and Christian look at how the merger will play out in the next week, the next year and beyond? They are j…

The Lawyer's Christian Smith, Catrin Griffiths, Richard Simmons, Katy Dowell and Charlotte Lear are joined by College of Legal Practice CEO Giles Proctor for this emergency episode of The Lawyer Podcast as they discuss the latest Solicitors Qualification Exam debacle: marking errors that led to 175 students being incorrectly told they had failed. W…

Regional offices have long been critical to some of the UK’s biggest law firms. The essential components of today’s DLA Piper came from across the country, legacy Eversheds was formed of four firms from outside London, and Pinsent Masons was a Birmingham and Leeds outfit before it opened in London. But in recent years, some of those firms’ regional…

Grabbing the attention of aspiring solicitors and spectators alike, criticism of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination has torn through the media over the weeks following the most recent set of results. From City firms dropping training contracts from offer holders after failing on their first attempt, to questions over whether the exams really equ…

Law firms leaders love saying they don’t want growth for growth’s sake, but the truth is, without any growth at all they soon find themselves floundering. So as the financial year draws to a close, litigation editor Christian Smith and deputy editor Rich Simmons are joined by head of insight Matt Byrne, Horizon editor Katy Dowell and international …

The new episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now. Last week The Lawyer reported that claimant firm Pogust Goodhead could pay its newly qualified associates up to £2m (if it wins its cases), making them by far and away the highest paid in the country. Yet although Pogust Goodhead is offering more money than anyone else, the move is also a sign of wh…

London has become the biggest referral market in the world - and the Brits are nowhere The rise and rise of American firms in London’s private equity market – and the challenge that has presented to UK firms - has been well documented, particularly here at The Lawyer. But their increasing dominance is now also threatening UK firms across Europe, as…

Linklaters seemingly started the year strongly with a six partner hire from Shearman & Sterling in New York. So why then has it come in for so much negative attention? From an absent US strategy to a stream of senior partner losses, many in the market now believe Linklaters is losing its sparkle. On this episode, Catrin and Christian are joined by …

The Lawyer Podcast is back for 2024 and we’re kicking things off by delving into the lessons the legal profession can glean from the Post Office scandal. The Post Office scandal has already become one of the biggest stories of the year and few groups are so closely tied to it as the legal profession. With that in mind, editor Catrin Griffiths and l…

Every law firm and his dog seems to be moving into a green office at the moment, but how important is that really when it comes to a law firm's impact on the environment? Well with COP28 well underway in Dubai, for the last episode of The Lawyer Podcast for 2023, we dive into one of the great challenges for this generation of lawyers: how can firms…

The new episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now! Across the UK and Europe, new types of litigation are booming – and the money is pumping in. On this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith and Alex Taylor sit down to debate what the future holds for the once maligned practice area, and whether litigators are proving thems…

Salary wars are so 2022. Or are they? On Tuesday this week, The Lawyer’s deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons revealed the largest firm pay gaps between London and the regions. Did you know that Hogan Lovells’ Birmingham newly qualifieds (NQs) are paid £45,000 less than their London colleagues? And Eversheds Sutherland’s regional NQs are all paid £33,00…

The Lawyer’s Horizon Live is due to kick off next month. We are launching a series of webinars, dinners and roundtables featuring some of the biggest names in law discussing the most prominent issues affecting the profession. To celebrate, on the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, four of The Lawyer’s editors present some of their favourite Horizon…

Profits are falling and costs are rising. On the latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast, the team chat about why profit isn't a dirty word: Love it or hate it, PEP is part of a firm's branding and the status of its lawyers; Profit matters for firms' long-term health and investment; Would-be partners should use PEP in tandem with intel on capital requ…

Proposed redundancies at CMS and Taylor Rose have raised associate anxieties across the market, with many wondering whether they could be the start of wider trouble. Hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith are joined by director of insight Matt Byrne and deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons to discuss what you need to know, and whether you should be …

Why is everyone talking about Paul Weiss and Neel Sachdev? The Lawyer Podcast is BACK after the summer break and for the first episode of the new term, the team take on the hottest story of the summer: Paul Weiss and its big London play. Join hosts Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith and guests Matt Byrne and Rachel Moloney as they unlock the Chamber…

Like many of its listeners, The Lawyer Podcast is on its summer holidays. But hanging over the summer for partners at A&O and Shearman & Sterling is the question of whether they should vote through the two firms’ proposed merger. With the vote expected in the Autumn, whether the biggest firm tie-up in decades will actually go through is still a liv…

The last episode of The Lawyer Podcast before the summer break is out now! Join hosts Catrin and Christian as they speak with Horizon editor Katy Dowell about why so many firms are moving or upgrading offices, and why they don’t all agree on what the future office should look like. What do treasure chests, Robert the Bruce, Adam Smith, seduction an…

The new episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now! On this episode, Catrin and Christian preview next week’s The Lawyer Awards and take a look at some of the categories exciting them this year. Rachel Moloney, deputy editor (City), joins the podcast to discuss which firms retain talented senior lawyers in corporate when they're not making partner, w…

The new episode of The Lawyer Podcast comes to you live from The Lawyer’s recent GC conference in Bedfordshire. Catrin and Christian are joined by a range of senior in-house leaders, along with journalists from The Lawyer to discuss what’s keeping GCs up at night. Sarah Binder from Lime and Kodak’s John O’Reilly explain how a bad economy is making …

It looks set to be one of the most extraordinary deals in legal market history, ushering in a new era of global law, and so The Lawyer Podcast is here with an emergency edition to tell you what the A&O - Shearman & Sterling merger means. Hosts Cat and Christian are joined by deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney to talk through why they have merged, …

On the brand new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, the coronation may be over, but law firms are still crowning new leaders and partners across the City. Our deputy editor (City), Rachel Moloney, joins hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith to discuss the trends emerging from the annual round of promotions. Our other deputy editor (UK) Richard Sim…

The latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now! Tune in as hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith speak to reporter Maria-Ward Brennan about the downfall of the Ince Group, while Horizon editor Katy Dowell joins the podcast to reflect on previous law firm collapses. Director of insight Matt Byrne takes us on a tour of what the 2023 US Top …

On the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith speak to director of insight Matt Byrne, who reveals how litigation funder Harbour is evolving into something of a bank to law firms. Keep an eye out for Matt’s article next week. Meanwhile, in-house reporter Lucie Cruz brings all the goss on Pau…

In the latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast, we ask: Which law firm is involved with a ballet about a tech billionaire? Why is the challenger firm in Oslo banned from a football tournament? And why are we being so nice about Eversheds?The Lawyer tarafından oluşturuldu

The latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast has just landed. If you think the last few years have been buoyant for recruiters, then check out what director of insight Matt Byrne has to say about just how busy the lateral market has been. Elsewhere, do you like virgin piña coladas? After her LinkedIn post about alcohol at law firm events gained tractio…

On this episode, editor Catrin Griffiths and deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney bring you all the drama from Cravath’s raid on Shearman & Sterling’s leveraged finance team. Meanwhile litigation editor Christian Smith quizzes deputy editor (UK) Richard Simmons and in-house reporter Lucie Cruz on how junior lawyers are faring this trainee qualificat…

On this episode, litigation editor Christian Smith and international editor Alex Taylor discuss Man City’s new signing: Lord Pannick KC, and how big money means lawyers are the new stars of football. The Lawyer’s editor Catrin Griffiths talks about an emerging trend of former managing partners switching firms. And to mark the anniversary of the sta…

Following the launch of the Hot 100 last week, The Lawyer’s editor Catrin Griffiths sits down with new Hot 100 member Banke Odunaike from CBRE to discuss her career, the nuances of being a role model, and what her son made of her inclusion. The Six Nations kicks off this weekend as a storm of legal issues hangs over rugby. The Lawyer’s litigation e…

The Lawyer Podcast is back for 2023. In the first episode of the year, The Lawyer's editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith are joined by deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney to discuss all the rumours surrounding Hogan Lovells’ merger talks with Shearman & Sterling. We also speak to Hill Dickinson partner Jessica Neary about b…

Tis the season to be jolly, so for the last episode of The Lawyer Podcast for 2022, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith are getting into the Christmas spirit with the dulcet tones of the best law firm choirs the City has to offer. But first, can lawyers actually switch off at Christmas? Lawyers-turned-journalists Christian…

This episode, has the music stopped for leveraged finance? Deputy editor Rachel Moloney joins Catrin Griffiths to assess what the recession is doing to all those expensive hires. Christian Smith talks about lawyers' obligations and the SRA’s new guidance on SLAPPs - and there's a punchy guest appearance from former Clifford Chance UK tax head Dan N…

In the latest episode of the fortnightly The Lawyer Podcast, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith are back with the stories driving the UK legal market. Football's World Cup could be the most controversial in recent history and has shone a spotlight on the role of sport and business in Qatari nation-building. So what does i…

In the first episode of the new fortnightly The Lawyer Podcast, hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith dive into the top stories shaking the UK legal market. They discuss why Slaughter and May’s new work-life balance code has got people talking, and what it says about US firms’ zero imagination in London. Speaking of US firms in London, Matt By…

The Lawyer Podcast is launching this week. Listen to the trailer now.The Lawyer tarafından oluşturuldu

Contract lifecycle management, or CLM for short, is a hot topic in the world of in-house legal. With Leeway being a CLM provider, we know how important it is for legal teams to prove the return on investment of their chosen tool to the relevant stakeholders. But often, people don’t know where to start. In this episode, we’re joined by legal tech en…

The words “fun” and “law” don’t often come in the same sentence. --- But what would it mean if we started weaving fun into the day-to-day of in-house legal? --- Sure, it might sound a bit flippant at first, but more and more studies are proving the value that a fun approach to tasks can have on the quality of the output and the fulfilment and susta…

I think we can all agree that there’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to in-house legal. --- And if we want to progress your legal team, your business or the industry more generally, we’re going to need to challenge conventional thinking. --- This means we need more in-house legal professionals to have an entrepreneurial spirit, to be a…

In this day and age, I think we can all appreciate the value of great leadership. --- And yet, leadership isn’t usually taught in law school. --- In fact, most leaders in the world of legal have stumbled upon the opportunity, and it’s often a big learning curve. --- So why should in-house legal folks care about leadership? And what are the guiding …

By now, there’s no denying the rise of legal tech in the in-house legal community. And the most popular category in legal tech is, of course, contract management solutions (or CLM for short). With Leeway offering a CLM platform, we can’t help but get excited about the huge potential of CLMs for in-house legal teams and their businesses. However, on…

Whether you’re moving to a new city, shifting from private practice to in-house, or it’s your first experience in the world of legal all together, it’s likely that it’ll take some adjusting. Often, a new environment or new responsibilities can leave you feeling out of your depth. This persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or…