Counsel Culture: The Business of Law Podcast

This week Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss Trump's executive orders facing a wave of legal actions, a businessman receiving a restraining order for his continued pursuit of a law firm, law firms trying to distance themselves from the phrase 'Magic Circle' and which law firms advise the biggest private equity clients in the UK and Europe.Thank you for Listening!

With Olivia taking a well-earned break, Byfield's Joint Managing Directors, Ben and Michael, take the reins for this week's episode of Counsel Culture. They delve into the UK–US trade deal, the possible merger between McDermott and Schulte, law firms linked to Trump-era deals, and Law.com's latest rankings of rising women stars in the legal industry. Thank you for Listening!

In this episode, Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the  latest developments shaping the legal landscape on both sides of the Atlantic. From Donald Trump's ongoing influence on Big Law to the growing ESG divide between UK and US firms, they explore how politics, regulation, and culture are driving change. They also dive into new research revealing that corporate clients are now actively pushing law firms to adopt AI and examine why a surprising number of in-house lawyers are heading back to private practice.Thank you for Listening!

This week we share part two of Olivia's discussion with special guest Guy Beringer CBE, KC (Hon), former Senior Partner at Allen & Overy and Chair of the Task Force on Business Ethics and the Legal Profession. Byfield Founder Gus Sellitto also joined the conversation.In this episode they continue their discussion on the new Institute of Business Ethics report- a review of how solicitors in England & Wales handle client acceptance in the context of kleptocracy, state capture, and grand corruption. They examine the report's recommendations, the role of public trust and PR, and why engagement with civil society is essential.To download the report, visit: https://www.ibe.org.uk/legal-profession-taskforce.htmlTo listen to part 1 of the recording, visit: https://byfieldconsultancy.com/2025/04/counsel-culture-guy-beringer-kc-on-the-ibe-report-and-ethical-challenges-in-the-legal-sector-part-1/ Thank you for Listening!

This week on Counsel Culture, Olivia is joined by special guest Guy Beringer CBE, KC (Hon), former Senior Partner at Allen & Overy and Chair of the Task Force on Business Ethics and the Legal Profession. Byfield Founder, Gus Sellitto, also joined the episode. Together, they discuss the new Institute of Business Ethics report—a review of how solicitors in England & Wales handle client acceptance in the context of kleptocracy, state capture, and grand corruption.In part one, they explore how these issues manifest in the legal sector, the profession's responsibility to uphold transparency, and what ethical practice looks like in reality.Part two, out next week, will dive into the report's recommendations, the role of public trust and PR, and why engagement with civil society is essential.Stay tuned!To download the report, visit: https://www.ibe.org.uk/legal-profession-taskforce.htmlThank you for Listening!

This week, Olivia welcomes Joint Managing Director Michael Evans for a discussion on how law firms are responding to Trump's impact on the legal industry, the revenue growth of Orrick and Simpson Thacher, the Legal Services Board's criticism of the SRA, and the BBC's latest legal drama. Thank you for Listening!

This week, Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss the latest updates on Trump's ongoing battle with big law, including his recent executive order against WilmerHale. They also cover the news that Linklaters is on track to meet its gender diversity targets with the promotion of 34 new partners.Thank you for Listening!

 This week Olivia is joined by Michael Evans, Joint Managing Director at Byfield, to discuss Trump targeting Paul Weiss, firms cutting diversity wording, HSF being fined for sanctions breaches and K&E revenues. To read the stories covered in this week's episode, visit the below links:https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-fines-unit-law-firm-herbert-smith-freehills-breaching-russia-sanctions-2025-03-20/ - UK fines law firm Herbert Smith Freehill's unit for Russia sanctions breachhttps://www.thelawyer.com/trump-targets-third-law-firm-as-paul-weiss-loses-security-clearances/  - Trumps Targets third law firm s Paul Weiss Loses security clearanceshttps://www.thelawyer.com/nine-firms-cut-diversity-wording-after-trump-probe/ - Nine firms cut diversity wording after Trump probehttps://www.legalbusiness.co.uk/uncategorised/kirkland-ellis-surges-ahead-as-revenue-hits-8-8bn-and-pep-jumps-16/ - Kirkland & Ellis surges ahead as revenue hits $8.8 b and PEP jumpers 16%Apologies for the audio issues in the episode, normal service will resume next week!Thank you for Listening!

Counsel Culture is excited to introduce its new host, Olivia Adam! Olivia, a Senior Account Executive, has been with Byfield for six months and previously worked as a journalist at the International Financial Law Review.In her first episode, Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss key legal industry headlines. They explore a judge's temporary block of Trump's executive order that threatened a major law firm, the surge in US law firms expanding into London and its impact on job moves, and reports that Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds could face a hefty fine for allegedly lying on his CV.Thank you for Listening!

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the first US firm financial results, as well as Freshfields' LLP accounts, and best practice in releasing the financials.Thank you for Listening!

This week, Meg is joined by Joint managing Director Michael Evans to discuss how the billable hour is still dominant in the legal world, law firm partner pay segmentation, Post Office prosecutions, Prigozhin's lawyers facing no regulatory action and what lawyers are making of the DeepSeek surge. Thank you for Listening!

Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss how regulatory, cultural, and business frameworks in the US, UK, and EU will evolve after Trump's inauguration. Thank you for Listening!

Meg returns for the second episode of Counsel Culture this year. Joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans, they discuss listed firms publishing positive results despite ongoing market volatility, what Quinn Emanuel's results might mean for the litigation market, ethics of barristers being called into question, law firms tackling friction over nonequity partner pay and unusual alliances being drawn between US and European law firms as a result of Trump's second term.Thank you for Listening!

This week Meg is joined by Byfield Associate Director, Beth Durkin. They discuss KPMG Law targeting an alternative business licence in the US, the increase in law firm rates, Private Equity's Calculated push into law firms and how the last year has reshaped the legal industry globally.To read the articles mentioned in this week's episode, visit the below links: https://www.law.com/international-edition/2025/01/06/kpmg-law-us-targets-alternative-business-licence-shaking-up-legal-status-quo/https://www.thelawyer.com/your-rates-are-unsustainable/https://www.thelawyer.com/a-new-global-order-is-here-to-stay/https://www.law.com/international-edition/2025/01/05/the-quiet-revolution-private-equitys-calculated-push-into-law-firms/Thank you for Listening!

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Directors Ben Girdlestone and Michael Evans. They discuss why climate protestors are targeting A&O Shearman,lateral partner retention, US firms dragging their feet on training contracts and how US firm are getting closer to acquiring Kramer Levin's Paris office.Thank you for Listening!

In this episode, Meg and Dina are joined by Sean McGuiness, Investment Manager, Senior Legal Counsel at Omni Bridgeway. They discuss how the PACCAR decision is impacting the market and what to expect from this government in the legislation tackling it (when it comes through), controversies around litigation funding such as fees the funders charge, why funding is so important for litigation and the upcoming market trends to watch out for.If you'd like to get in contact with Sean, his details are as follows:Sean McGuiness Investment Manager, Senior Legal Counsel OMNI BRIDGEWAYLink House, Level 2, 78 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ M +44 7725 340 688E smcguiness@omnibridgeway.comwww.omnibridgeway.comThank you for Listening!

In the episode, Meg is joined by Byfield Joint Managing Director, Ben Girdlestone, to discuss the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer merger, the climate protests outside law firms, the US election and a couple of law firm culture stories recently published by The Times.  Thank you for Listening!

In this episode, Michael and Ben dive into some of the biggest news stories in the UK Legal Market. They explore whether law firm leaders are experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) amidst the wave of mergers sweeping the sector. The conversation also touches on trainee salaries and the divide between equity and non-equity partners in US firms. Additionally, they provide updates on high-profile cases, including the BHP case regarding the dam disaster in Brazil, as well as how the SRA is handling the Post Office and Axiom Ince cases.Thank you for Listening!

Meg welcomes Simon Davis, former Law Society of England and Wales President and former commercial litigation Partner at Clifford Chance, on the podcast this week to discuss the ever-changing landscape in the legal industry and all of the challenges arising out of that for law firms and their lawyers.They also discuss scrutiny of lawyers in litigation and ethical considerations in disputes.Thank you for Listening!

Rose Walker from Bloomberg Tax is back on Counsel Culture this week to discuss how mergers, rebrands and restructurings may impact culture in law firms.Leaning on the latest Freshfields rebrand and the Johannesburg office closure and equity partner cut at A&O Shearman, Rose and Meg discuss the communications and cultural challenges that come with such changes, and what firms can do to ensure they walk the talk when it comes to diversity and inclusion.Thank you for Listening!

Counsel Culture is back with another instalment of Disputes & Investigations Monthly!In this episode, Meg is joined by Founder Gus Sellitto and Senior Consultant Dina Hudson to discuss the upcoming liability trial in the BHP Mariana Dam case, along with broader reputational concerns surrounding strategic litigation related to ESG.Thank you for Listening!

In this episode Meg and Michael Evans, Joint Managing Director at Byfield, discuss his highlights at the IBA including: his session on whether firms should speak up or remain neutral on major geopolitical/societal issues and the fact that the Mexican President attacked the legal sector and rule of law by revamping the judicial system. They also spoke about recent office closures from Armstrong Teasdale, Hogan Lovells and A&O Shearman.Thank you for Listening!

In today's episode, Meg is joined by David Patient, Senior Adviser at Travers Smith, for a conversation on law firm expansion in the Middle East, the talent war and David's key lessons for law firm leaders. He also shares his predictions on how the legal industry may evolve in the coming years.Thank you for Listening!

After a summer hiatus, Counsel Culture is finally back!We're kicking off with an exciting new episode featuring James Booth and Edin Imsirovic from Financial News.Together with Meg, they discuss Paul Weiss' impressive growth one year later and A&O Shearman's recent hiring of two private equity partners from Sidley and making people redundant (probably).

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss the return of deals, Kirkland & Ellis Partner moves and diverse lawyers being used as “window dressing” in client pitches. 

 This week, Meg is joined by Associate Director Liam McCafferty to discuss how the legal industry (and others) can use the Labour Cabinet as an example for increasing socio-economic diversity, what an increase in UK-focused infrastructure and planning work means for law firms and A&O and Linklaters' financial results announcements.  

The latest episode of Counsel Culture is now live!This week, Meg is joined by Michael to discuss the UK and French elections' impact on the market, UK law firms' financial results so far and what constitutes the global elite within the legal sector.

The latest episode of Counsel Culture is now live!This week, Meg is joined by Gus and Dina for their monthly disputes & investigations episode. This time they discuss the latest updates in the Post Office Inquiry and the class action against Glencore, the second-ever collective settlement approval order in opt-out proceedings in the CAT, and the fate of the Litigation Funding Agreements (Enforceability) Bill following the announcement of a general election in July.

 In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to delve into several stories from this week's legal news. They discuss topics including the complexities of dating as a lawyer, strategies for managing stress, mental health and wellbeing, and why employees are seeking stability in their careers amidst economic instability. Additionally, they cover the official announcement of the A&O Shearman merger and the recent significant salary increases for Newly Qualified lawyers across the city. 

 In this episode, Meg is joined by Eric Staal, Vice President of Global Markets at Lex Mundi, to discuss challenges faced by General Counsel in responding to geopolitical issues affecting their companies, and handling various stakeholders as part of their response, how those challenges have changed the relationship between in-house counsel and external advisers and what options are available to GCs to better navigate those issues. 

This week Meg is joined by Senior Consultant Dina Hudson for the third instalment of our Counsel Culture Disputes & Investigations Monthly series. They discuss the reputational risks of the FCA's "name and shame" proposal, the internal and external communications considerations and challenges for the BBC in the wake of Huw Edwards' resignation and the importance of having a robust PR strategy in place when launching group action claims, as illustrated with the Grindr claim launched this week. 

In today's episode, Meg and Senior Consultant Dina Hudson are joined by Mary Inman, Partner at Whistleblower Partners LLP. They discussed Whistleblower Partners LLP and the work they're doing worldwide, as well as the legal, reputational and psychosocial risks faced by whistleblowers. They also spoke about what regulators and employers can do to ensure whistleblowers are taken seriously and remain safe when raising concerns, the SFO's decision to compensate whistleblowers for coming forward and details of the DOJ's new proposed whistleblower program. 

This week, Meg welcomes Tony Williams, retired Principal at Jomati Consultants, to the show. They discussed Tony's plan post-retirement from Jomati as well as the various milestones through Tony's career including his biggest challenges, most rewarding moments and lessons learned. He also shared some thoughts on how the legal industry has changed and some predictions for the future. 

This week Meg is joined by Ana Carolina Salomão, CIO and Partner at Pogust Goodhead. They spoke about the firm's compensation case against BHP over a collapsed dam in Brazil; seeing ESG as a business opportunity; group actions and collective redress trends across Europe and the Litigation Funding Agreement (Enforceability) Bill 2024.

This week, we have the privilege of welcoming a very special guest, Camille Vasquez, a Partner and Co-Chair of the Brand & Reputation Management Group at Brown Rudnick. Camille, who has worked with a number of high-profile clients, gained global recognition for her successful representation of Johnny Depp in a televised defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard two years ago.The team drew on Camille's experience to discuss the importance of litigation teams seeing themselves as storytellers for their clients, how they can help rebuild a client's image during and after a trial, the main differences between UK/US defamation trials and litigation funding regimes, whether the latter should be regulated, among other topics.

This week Meg is joined by Stefan Ciesla, Co-founder of Ayora, a company that provides AI for legal revenue management. They discuss Ayora's report called "Addressing the $36bn value gap in law firms: a primer for innovative law firms" which claims that the legal industry is losing up to $36 billion a year due to sub-optimal revenue and working capital management. They also speak about how AI can help reduce that figure and its wider use in the legal industry.

Today, Meg is joined by Gus and Dina for the next instalment of our Disputes and Investigations Monthly series. They discuss the Christian Horner case, the latest legislative proposals regarding SLAPPS, the FCA planning to name firms being investigated earlier and more often and the SFO offering monetary compensation for whistleblowers to come forward.

 This week Meg is joined by Steven Barrett from Radcliffe Chambers to discuss when barristers should call themselves barristers and whether judges should be banned from using social media. They also spoke about Latham & Watkins' decision to cut off automatic access to its international database for Hong Kong lawyers and Freshfields asking lawyers to opt for lower-class travel to meet sustainability targets. They concluded the episode by examining Pogust Goodhead's new “synthetic equity program”. 

This week Meg is joined by John Hyde, Deputy News Editor at The Law Society Gazette. They sat down to discuss the latest developments in the Post Office Inquiry including what the next phase looks like, the impact on the victims and the SRA's involvement. They also spoke about the latest on Axiom Ince, analysing Pragnesh Modhwadia's property company being shut down, the SRA's review into consumer protection and the compensatory fund. Finally, they touched upon National Apprenticeship Week and how important apprenticeships have been for the legal industry. 

This week's episode marks the first instalment of our Disputes and Investigations monthly series. Meg is joined by Byfield Founder Gus Sellitto and Dina Hudson, Senior Consultant in our Disputes and Investigations practice, to discuss Byfield's updated Disputes & Investigations PR service offering, the highlights from The Lawyer's Top 20 cases for 2024, PR considerations amid investigations and legal disputes, Law360's corporate crime cases to watch this year, and the importance of having a strong communications and PR strategy ahead of a cross-border trial. 

This week Meg is joined by HSBC's Head of Professional & Business Services, Victoria Ritchie.They discussed various aspects of HSBC's annual law firm strategy report for 2024 including, how law firms are planning for the impact of the basis period reform on their finances, how they're investing in ESG, overseas expansion and technology and how banks are helping them facilitate those investments.  They also explored the relationship between in-house lawyers and external advisers when considering the ESG requirements for working with certain law firms or banks.

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the new black box partner remuneration model at Paul Weiss, Slaughter and May announcing it will name and shame those who work from home full time, SSB Law going bust and owing £200m to litigation funders and the government reversing the July PACCAR decision for the Post Office Inquiry.

This week Meg is joined by Account Director Liam McCafferty to discuss this week's biggest legal stories. They cover the Post Office scandal, Linklaters' latest hire in the US, SRA fines for breaches of transparency, M&A advisers table from the London Stock Exchange Group and the latest update on Axiom Ince and the compensation cap.

In what is the last Counsel Culture episode of 2023, Meg is joined by Joint Managing Directors Michael Evans and Ben Girdlestone to discuss the biggest stories of 2023. They cover the A&O and Shearman merger, Paul Weiss' recruitment, the Axiom Ince fallout, how firms have handled their messaging around the Middle East conflict and predictions for 2024.

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the news that Deloitte and KPMG are asking staff to use burner phones on Hong Kong trips and CTS has fallen victim to a cyber security attack. They also discuss the SRA ruling out a one-off levy on solicitors to compensate clients of Axiom Ince and the effectiveness of workplace wellbeing schemes.

This week's episode of Counsel Culture is now live!Meg and Joint Managing Director Ben discuss Allen & Overy's ransomware, breaking glass ceilings for women in law, and junior lawyers wanting to join firms and do work that align with their values.

As regular host Meg takes a well-deserved break, Account Director Liam and Joint Managing Director Michael step in to speak about the week's biggest legal stories. They discuss the Rwanda scheme ruling, Axiom SFO raids, the recent trends in younger lawyers preferring ethical work, international firms entering Africa and the acquisition of Chambers and Partners. 

In this week's episode, Meg is joined by Thomas Kendra, Arbitration Partner from Hogan Lovells, to discuss market trends in litigation and arbitration in Europe and Africa, how Asian investments in Africa are affecting disputes across the continent, the Nigeria arbitration case in the London courts in October and the ICSID and UNCITRAL code of conduct affecting arbitrators. 

This week's episode of Counsel Culture is brought to you all the way from Paris, as a week of knowledge sharing and networking at the IBA draws to a close. Joining Meg this week is Mark Stephens CBE, Founder of and Partner at Howard Kennedy and Co-Chair of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute.  They discuss Mark's IBA experience so far, his work in decriminalising homosexuality and SLAPPs. 

This week, Meg is joined by Account Director Liam McCafferty to discuss the lawyers doing the longest hours, Mid-market M&A, the Bar Standards Board's proposed disclosure of chambers rankings to implement further regulatory changes and whether legal directories are still worth the effort.

This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss the A&O Shearman merger, KPMG's legal arm reaching £100 million in revenues, how Inflation and increased overhead expenses, combined with a decrease in billable hours, is causing concerns for law firms and the $69 billion Microsoft takeover of Activision.