Legally Vocal

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino speaks to Ben White, founder of Crafty Counsel. Ben and Nino explore the similarities in their careers: both starting as corporate lawyers who moved into in-house roles before founding their own businesses within the legal industry. In doing so, they discuss the inevitable tension in trying to maintain work-life balance while building a successful ‘now or never' business. Ben also shares his insights into why a sense of community, and fun, is increasingly important to London's GC community. He also tells us a bit more about the inaugural CraftyFest, which promises to deliver both these things, along with a little dash of glitter.

In this episode Nino speaks to an old friend Casey Flaherty, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer at LexFusion. Casey shares his thoughts on why in-house lawyers and outside counsel are more similar than they think. He also talks about his passion for solving the fundamental problem of delivering legal expertise at scale and pace. Nino and Casey also discuss how a 'savings-centric' approach is counterproductive to the legal department adding value to the business. Instead legal teams should focus on how they can spend funds better.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Legally Vocal I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Alexis Alexander (General Counsel at Liberis). Alexis runs Legal and Compliance at Liberis, is a mum to twins and a ten-month-old baby, and enjoys regularly running at least 12km distances. Alexis believes her high stamina and mental grit is helped by being authentic and not having to hide her true self, as well as taking time to recognise her own achievements and gain perspective. Alexis and Stephanie also discuss unconscious and cultural biases, the value of interpersonal relationships, and how informal networks and mentors can provide a safe space for women in legal to use as a sounding board to help #breakthebias.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Legally Vocal I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Amy Wang (Trainee Solicitor at RVU). Having completed her first year of training Amy and Stephanie speak about whether the concept of gender neutrality is still relevant and whether changing from an industry that traditionally seeks individual success will ever be able to truly find equality. They also speak about the concept of proteges and how the role of mentoring requires organisations to dedicate more time from women in senior leadership positions to help #breakthebias.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Legally Vocal, I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Priscilla Osoba (Projects Solicitor at Burges Salmon LLP). Priscilla was the winner of the Under-35 Lawyer of the Year Award at our Inspirational Women in Law Awards 2019 for her work with BCultured, the firm's first BAME network and challenged the inequality that can be found in an input vs output, billable hours culture. Priscilla and Stephanie also speak about having allies and how challenging stereotypes around projecting confidence can help #breakthebias.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Legally Vocal, I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Stephanie Corey (Co-Founder at UpLevel Ops and Founder of CLOC). Stephanie shares her perspective of ‘falling into' the female-dominant world of legal operations and how she has seen female leadership develop faster in this specialisation, compared with other areas of legal. They explore how soft skills are being leveraged by leaders in smaller, more nimble organisations. They also speak about the positive impact of workplace flexibility, which was necessitated by the pandemic, and how this legacy can ultimately help to #breakthebias.

In this special episode of Legally Vocal, celebrating International Women's Day, guest host I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Dana Denis-Smith (CEO at Obelisk Support). Dana is a campaigner for equality in the legal profession and set up her company to create flexible opportunities for people in the legal profession. Dana also set up the First Hundred Years campaign celebrating the centenary of women in law, as well as looking to the future to achieve equality at a faster pace. Stephanie and Dana also discuss the challenges and opportunities for career progression in the legal industry, and how the profession has achieved many milestones with pioneering role models to help #breakthebias.

In this special International Women's Day episode of Legally Vocal I. Stephanie Boyce (President of The Law Society of England and Wales) speaks to Chidi Onyeche (Associate at Latham & Watkins). In 2021 Chidi won Under-35 Lawyer of the Year at the 2021 Inspirational Women in Law Awards and speaks about how law firms can take action on equality in three main areas: allyship, partnership and business development. She also gives direct advice to those considering going to university, especially as ‘first in family' to do so. Chidi and Stephanie also share their similar experiences in how sponsors and mentors have helped them find pathways to overcome barriers and #breakthebias.

In this episode we speak to Liz Lugones, Legal Operations Senior Advisor at UpLevel Ops. Liz shares her top three tips for building an effective legal ops strategy and how legal ops can help the legal function be more cognisant and proactive around spend management. Liz and Nino also discuss why digital fluency is critical for the evolution of legal departments and how legal ops can help educate legal teams on the capabilities of modern legal tech.

Legally Vocal is back with a brand new season and we're kicking off 2022 with our first guest, Daniel Chin, General Counsel at Arrival. In this episode Daniel shares the key to building a high-functioning legal team and the importance of having delegation processes in place early on. Daniel also shares what the biggest change was when moving from private practice to in-house (spoiler alert: it wasn't time recording!) and explains why he thinks the PQE system is in need of reform.

In this episode we speak with Jenny Hacker, Head of Legal Operations at Royal London. Jenny speaks about the rise and maturity of legal operations, and gives advice for GCs looking to make their first hire in this area. She also discusses the importance of being data-driven, allowing the legal team to be more proactive in identifying the trends, challenges and opportunities for the future. Nino and Jenny also discuss the selection and impact of technology, particularly recently as the pandemic has been an enabler for new ways of working.

In this episode we speak with Nick Pester, newly appointed GC at Wheely. Nick speaks about why gaining commercial exposure within a business is essential to the development of being a good lawyer. He also shares his number one tip for any lawyer looking to become more commercially minded. Nino and Nick also discuss the challenges of the client-law firm relationship today and how firms can be better prepared to support businesses in the future.

In this episode we speak with travel enthusiast Kate Sullivan, Head of Legal at EasyJet and former GC at Lonely Planet. Kate speaks about what drew her to the role at EasyJet and why she wasn't apprehensive about joining an industry heavily affected by the pandemic. Nino and Kate also discuss the importance of bringing your 'whole self' to work and how legal can play a part in supporting the world's sustainability issues.

Summer is over, which means Legally Vocal is back! In this episode we speak with the wonderful Sarah Binder, General Counsel at Lime. Nino and Sarah discuss the importance of understanding cultural differences when completing deals in different regions and how the M&A process has changed as a result of the pandemic. Sarah also shares why she's got a bee in her bonnet about 'really understanding your business' and her number one tip to ensure in-house counsel are known as the company's trusted advisors.

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined by Alexis Alexander, General Counsel at Liberis. Alexis shares why the ability to "talk the language of the business" and "make friends and influence people" is absolutely key for GC's who want to position themselves and their team as a strategic partner of the business. Nino and Alexis also discuss the rising emergence of the legal ops role in the UK and why she feels the role is integral to the success of the legal function.

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined by Frankie Williams, Group VP Legal at Farfetch. Having guided two companies through IPO's, Frankie shares the biggest challenges faced through those experiences. She also talks about what innovation looks like for her and her team who aspire to "do what's never been done" every day. Frankie also shares her excitement of setting up the legal function at Farfetch and how data is helping her demonstrate to the business that the cost of bringing more people in-house is actually really effective.

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined by Lisa Gan Tomlins, General Counsel at MADE.COM. Lisa shares her experience of working in disruptive early stage businesses such as Just Eat and MADE. She also talks about why she founded the Disruptive GC network back in 2016. Nino and Lisa further discuss whether the legal industry can adapt to the changing expectations of lawyers, and why the winners will be the firms that use the lessons of the pandemic as an opportunity to evolve and innovate.

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined by Patrick Duxbury, Partner and Head of Life Sciences at Gowling WLG. Patrick shares how his team managed the incredible task in getting the landmark agreement for Astra Zeneca to develop and distribute Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine across the line last year. Nino & Patrick also discuss the most important factors in building strong relationships with clients, and why the "war for talent" could be a big issue for regional law firms in a post COVID world.

Legally Vocal is back with a new and refreshed format and we're kicking off 2021 with our first guest, Josh Kaye, VP Legal and Business Affairs at A&E Networks & Office of General Counsel at Hearst. In the first episode of Season 2, Nino and Josh discuss everything from taking up running in lockdown to the key takeaways he took from 2020 on how he runs his team and the legal function more generally. Looking ahead to the next 12-18 months, Josh also shares his views on the biggest challenges facing the legal sector, and has some sage advice for anyone looking to pursue a path in law.

In the final episode of 2020, Nicholas d' Adhemar looks back at the highlights and key themes discussed in the Legally Vocal podcast series over the last 12 months. From adopting new working practices due to the ongoing global pandemic, to the acceleration of technology and rising importance of diversity and ESG, hear from our guests as they share their experiences of the legal world in 2020, and their predictions for 2021 and beyond.

In part two of Nino's chat with Jason Mulvihill, they take a close look at what the regulatory impacts will be for private equity post election on both a federal and a state level. Jason is also looking ahead to the future and shares AIC's plans for supporting the legal community within private equity over the next few years.

In this episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined by Jason Mulvihill, Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel of the American Investment Council (AIC). They examine the impact the recent US election result will have on the legal sphere, and more specifically private equity. Jason also shares his observations on how the responsibilities of the CLO and GC are increasingly growing beyond just legal and why it is set to continue.

In part 2 of episode 12, Nino and Allyson talk about how inhouse practices will evolve over the next 10 years. They also discuss whether legal departments within technology businesses evolve at a different speed to those based in traditional industries.

In the latest episode of Legally Vocal, we travel across the Atlantic once again to Cambridge MA, where Nino is joined by Allyson McLaughin Huntington, Chief Legal Officer for Miraki Innovation. Allyson talks about her transition from Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County to setting up her private practice, before moving in-house to a venture capital firm. Allyson also shares insights into the various skills she picked up during her legal journey and how legal tech has changed since her move from private practice.

In part 2 of episode 11, Nino and Jeanine discuss how recent global events will shape the future of legal teams. Jeanine also uses her own experiences to suggest how legal firms and in-house departments can attract a more diverse cohort of professionals.

In our first episode of the Autumn, we travel across the Atlantic to New York City where Nino is joined by Jeanine Anderson, Senior Legal Counsel at Equinix. Jeanine shares her experience of starting a new role during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, what it means to be an agile lawyer, and the future of communication in a totally digital space.

In part 2 of episode 10, Nicholas d' Adhemar and Ben Foat make their predictions on the shape of legal teams of the future. They discuss skill gaps that have emerged in recent months and how these could shape and create new roles in legal teams. Ben also provides examples on how heads of legal can equip themselves to support diversity and equality initiatives in their legal departments.

In our latest episode, Nino is joined by Ben Foat, Group General Counsel of Post Office Limited. Amongst other things, Nino and Ben discuss the role GCs can play in strategic planning processes at board level. They also talk about diversity and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in legal departments and what this looks like moving forward.

In part 2 of episode 9, Nicholas d' Adhemar and Laura Bygrave outline their thoughts on the legal teams of the future. They make predictions on the emerging skills required for the lawyers of tomorrow and which forms of legal technologies are here to stay.

In this episode, Nicholas d' Adhemar welcomes Laura Bygrave, Innovation and Ventures Lead at Deloitte Legal. Nino and Laura talk about the role of innovation and how it can be embedded into the culture of legal teams today. They also discuss the ways in which the legal industry can further support women and their achievements in the legal world today.

In part 2 of Episode 8, Nicholas d'Adhemar and Charlotte Henderson make predictions about the future of the legal profession. They share their thoughts on the long-term impact of the Covid-19 crisis on capital solutions, how the way in-house legal teams collaborate internally and externally will change over time, and what the biggest pressure felt by GSs in the next few years is going to be.

In this episode, Nicholas d’Adhemar welcomes Charlotte Henderson, General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer at All Seas Capital Partners. Nino and Charlotte talk about finding and executing new deals in times of a global pandemic. They also discuss the biggest challenges and expectations facing in-house teams today, the key characteristics of an effective in-house team leader and the role of change management in increasing tech fluency across the in-house legal team.

In part 2 of Episode 7, Nino welcomes back Private Equity heavyweight Phil Sanderson. Nino and Phil share their predictions for the future of private equity, both in terms of in-house legal teams and private practice. They touch on the long-term impacts of Covid-19 on in-house teams, the role of actionable data in demonstrating the value that external counsel brings, and the skills that in-house teams will need to double down on in the future.

In part 1 of Episode 7, Nino d'Adhemar welcomes Private Equity heavyweight, former Co-chair Private Equity at Ropes & Gray and Head of Private Equity at Travers Smith, Phil Sanderson. In this episode, Nino and Phil share their thoughts on how they expect the wider PE industry to respond to the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis. They also talk about the evolution of the legal function in PE and the role of effective working relationships between PE houses and their external counsel.

In the second part of episode 6 of Legally Vocal, Nino and Tom talk about how they see the demands of companies on their external counsel changing in the coming years. They also share their thoughts on how the traditional billing model will evolve to allow for better communication and transparency, the role of actionable data in the relationship between in-house legal teams and firms, and how they see the value proposition of external legal counsel changing over the next five years.

In episode 6, Nino is joined by Tom Hambrett, Group GC at Revolut, who shares the story of how a trek in the Guatemalan jungle led to him joining the British FinTech scene. Nino and Tom also talk about the role of technology in managing a decentralised legal function in times of Covid-19, his approach to securing a seat on the board for Legal and how Revolut uses KPIs to demonstrate the value of Legal within the business.

For our fifth episode, Nino d’Adhemar is joined by current Law Society Deputy Vice President I. Stephanie Boyce. Stephanie is only the second in-house lawyer to be elected and as President of the Law Society and will take up the post in July 2021. They talked about her ambitions as President and her journey from practice to in-house and beyond. We recorded this episode shortly after the UK went into coronavirus lockdown with both host and guest working from home. They discussed the professional adjustments that have been made, both personally and for the legal industry at large, and considered how the way we embrace and use technology could be a lasting legacy of this crisis. Nino and Stephanie also spoke of the opportunities available for in-house legal teams to re-engineer the way they work, and how they can showcase the value they bring to their organisations.

For the second part of episode 4 of Legally Vocal, Nino d’Adhemar is joined again by Deputy General Counsel at the Bank of England, David Geen. This time Nino and David examine the motivations and benefits of moving in-house and their hopes for greater diversity in legal teams in 2025. They also talk about what firms can do to move towards a different approach to offer their lawyers a better balance and retain talent. As before, all views expressed during Legally Vocal are David's alone and are not representative of those of the Bank of England.

For episode 4 (part 1) of Legally Vocal, Nino d’Adhemar is joined by David Geen, Deputy General Counsel at the Bank of England. David talks about the multitude of challenges faced when managing legal risk across all elements of the Bank’s remit, including firm supervision, market infrastructure, resolution, and macroprudential policy enforcement. He also shares his experience of starting work at the Bank in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote and describes the enormous task undertaken since to prepare the UK for the eventual exit from the European Union. All views expressed during Legally Vocal are David's alone and are not representative of those of the Bank of England.

In part 2 of Legally vocal's third episode, Nino welcomes back Dana Denis Smith, founder of Obelisk Support and first100years.org.uk. They talk about their shared experience of going from lawyers to entrepreneurs, the future makeup of the legal profession, and what needs to be done to encourage greater diversity at the board level.

In episode 3 (part 1), Dana Denis-Smith joins Nino in the studio. Dana is an award-winning entrepreneur, founder of Obelisk Support which provides alternate ways of working across the legal industry. She is also the founder of first100years.org.uk, a unique history project charting the journey of women in law. In the first part of episode 3, Nino and Dana examine what the legal industry should be doing to modernise, promote diversity, and help lawyers develop the skills they will need to succeed.

In part 2 of the second episode of Legally Vocal, Nino is joined again by Hans Albers, President of ACC Europe. They talk about the emergence of legal ops, changes in legal skills and backgrounds, and how businesses will increasingly measure the success of their legal departments in the future.

In episode 2 (part 1), Nino is joined by the President of ACC Europe and associate GC for Juniper Networks, Hans Albers. Nino and Hans talk about the strength of the European GC network, its willingness to share experience and ideas on how to do things differently, and how being commercially aware is key for the lawyer of the future.

In part two of episode one, Nino continues his conversation with BT's David Griffin where they examine how the legal tech environment might change by 2025, and how the threats and opportunities of technology will influence legal teams of the future.

In part one of our first episode, Nino is joined by BT's David Griffin to examine the legal profession of today, the challenges faced by in-house teams, and the big tech and cultural developments we can expect over the coming years.

The Legally Vocal podcast, hosted by Apperio CEO, Nicholas d’Adhemar. Legally Vocal is the home of insights, ideas, and provocations for legal teams. Together we will be discussing what's happening in the legal industry today… and looking ahead to tomorrow.