Counsel Culture: The Business of Law Podcast (Byfield )

This week, former legal journalist Meg Tillay is joined by Michael Evans to discuss the stories everyone is talking about in the London legal market. This week's episode features Hogan Lovells, Shoosmiths and Liz Truss versus the lettuce.

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Former legal Journalist, Meg Tillay, is joined by Michael Evans for your daily digest of the top business of law stories from the London legal market. This week we are Houston to Manchester to discuss Magic Circle mergers, partnership tracks and the property downfall. We discover that firm partners don’t like cricket, they love it.

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For Halloween, Meg Tillay is joined by Ben Girdlestone in this bonus episode to talk about what really spooks managing partners of big law firms - including the war for talent, client fees, and cyber-vampires.

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Former legal Journalist, Meg Tillay, is joined by Ben Girdlestone for your weekly digest of the top business of law stories from the London legal market. This week we talk about the travails of Magic Circle firms in the US, menopause policies and life for associates on the fast track. We also discover that for some law firms, size isn’t everything. 

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For Pro Bono Week we are joined by Fred Banning, formerly of Pinsent Masons and the Founder of Fifth Day, a non-profit organisation founded to provide access to pro bono opportunities business professionals within law firms. We discuss the Fifth Day initiative, as well as Law.com’s annual pro bono survey. We also ask how law firms will respond to the M&A downturn and the SRA SLAPP down. 

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They'll always hit you and hurt you, defend and attack! Ahead of the World Cup, Ben Girdlestone and Meg Tillay declare their footballing allegiances, and spend just a bit of time discussing this week’s top stories in the UK legal Market. We talk about deal activity, SRA fining powers and getting lawyers in the office. We also look at this week’s Budget and discover that, just like hips, markets don’t lie.

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Meg Tillay is joined by Michael Evans and podcast first-timer Gus Sellitto to look at the top takeaways from the IBA Conference in Miami. Crockett and Tubbs talk us through the reputational impact of investigations, whether bad clients deserve good lawyers, and what it is really like to stay in a midsize town full of lawyers.

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This week, we take a hiatus from our usual weekly digests to look back at 2022 with Simon Slater, former CEO and non-executive board member of Cripps LLP, as well as Non-Executive Chair of Byfield Consultancy. We talk about how law firms adapted to the War in Ukraine, the ever-changeable fortunes of the Magic Circle, the rise and rise again of class actions, and dare to ask the question – the War for Talent, is this the beginning of the end?

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This week Meg is joined by special guest Luke Tucker Harrison, co-founder of insolvency and disputes specialists Keidan Harrison LLP, for your weekly digest and analysis of the top stories from the London legal market. We discuss rising cases of barrister misconduct, rising billing rates, social mobility in law firms, and Raab’s move against SLAPPs. Also, we can consider the death of the “all-nighter” – reports of which may (or may not) be greatly exaggerated. 

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To kick off the New Year, we are once again joined once again by Simon Slater, former CEO and non-executive board member of Cripps LLP, as well as Board Adviser at Byfield, with his forecasts for 2023. We predict the hot topics for the year ahead, including why firms might have to call curtains on NQ pay rises, the dawn of data as a key management challenge, and why we should be cautiously optimistic about the legal market's fortunes in 2023. We also ask if, with mounting public and regulatory pressure, if this will be a crunch year for ESG commitments - with firm's expected to practice what they preach. 

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This week, Meg is joined by The Law Society Gazette Deputy News Editor John Hyde to discuss the effects of the recession on Big Law, including a downturn in M&A activity and potential City redundancies. We also cover the latest criticism of the Bar Standards Board by the Legal Services Board, pathways to equity partnership, anti-strike and retained EU laws Bills currently being discussed in Parliament.

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This week, Meg is joined by Byfield Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss rising PII costs for law firms, LDI lawsuits, and recent PEP findings from Legal Cheek’s Most List 2023. We also talk about the merits of using AI chatbots at Law School, in light of the recent ChatGPT drama in the US – but then, who needs robots if your office has an apiary? 

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This week, Meg is joined by Ben Girdlestone, Managing Director at Byfield, for your regular roundup of the top stories from the London legal market. We talk about the gamble of team hires, AML compliance, press access to the family courts, and the latest outing from Seely, Neidle and SLAPPS (not the 70s supergroup - the other one). Ben also tells us why he has ditched the Chelsea boots for a pair of Scarlet Doc Martins. 

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This week, Meg is joined once again by Ben Girdlestone, Managing Director at Byfield, for another weekly roundup of news from the London legal market. We talk about law firm flotations, the latest fighting talk from the SRA, and whether law firms will finally call time on billable hours. As the ChatGPT discourse rumbles on, Ben channels his inner John Connors to contemplate the Robo-Flak. We also ask, are British lawyers just a little too Hugh Grant?

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For your weekly digest of the top business of law stories, Meg is joined by special guest Elaine Banton, Barrister at 7BR, and Co-Chair of the Bar Council's Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee. We talk about barristers' wellbeing, the barriers to career progression for female lawyers, and recent cases of overt racism in the industry. To mark National Apprenticeship Week, we also ask whether alternative routes will improve access to the profession. Finally, we also speak about the use of AI to cut down the court backlogs.

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 This week, to mark the arrival of car-sized extra-terrestrials,  Host Droid M-3G0 Meg is joined by Captains Michael "Skywalker" Evans and Ben "Kenobi" Girdlestone of the U.S.S Byfield for a voyage to a legal market far, far, away. In their continuing mission, to discover whether Utah really is centre of the legal universe, and to boldly fund litigation where no one has litigated before. We talk about the Big Four's growth (at warp speed?), separatist partners,  and whether A&O has found AI-bot it is looking for. We also look at the SRA's new fining powers, expanding faster than the universe itself.  

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This week Meg is joined by guest Corinne Staves, Partner at Employment, Partnership and Regulatory specialists CM Murray LLP. For the hot topics this week, we look at the latest research into the productivity of law-from-home, discuss class actions breaking the £1bn mark, and debate whether the four day week could really work for law firms. We also examine the latest attempts of the SRA to turn the screw on conduct - and the reveal that the Home Office's 'is monitoring' lawyers. Is Robert Jenrick watching you?

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Ben Girdlestone joins Meg to discuss this week's news that white shoe firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore is officially establishing a London office, as well as Matt Hancock's half hour, M&A activity slowly making a comeback, robot lawyers and clients asking firms for discounts, fixed fee deals and postponements of payments as companies face increasing financial pressures.

Make sure to tune in next week as we'll have a special guest to discuss International Women's Day, and this morning's news that the Hogan Lovells-Shearman & Sterling merger is off.

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This week, Meg is joined by Law.com International News Editor Rose Walker. They discuss challenges faced by women in law including career progression and women's health issues to mark International Women's Day, as well as how men can become better allies at work. They then dive into the future of Shearman & Sterling amid a management shake-up following the end of merger talks with Hogan Lovells, and discuss why the Cravath, Swaine & Moore's move into the City is so important in terms of media relations in the UK.

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It's a new dawn, it's a new day! This week, Byfield Account Manager Jessica Hancock and Account Executive Thomas Ziprin joined Meg to discuss the Bar Council of India's decision to open up the doors of the legal industry to foreign lawyers and law firms, licenses for law firms in Saudi Arabia and their ethical and cultural implications, free therapy at work, lawyers not receiving their pay boost last year and more on the use of AI in law.

Next week, The Times Legal Editor Jonathan Ames will join us so make sure to tune in!

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This week, The Times' Legal Editor Jonathan Ames and Byfield Founder Gus Selitto join Meg to discuss mediation in divorce cases, apprenticeship schemes and junior lawyers' mental health, India opening up its doors to foreign lawyers, the expected wave of Credit Suisse lawsuits, as well as the latest on the Jeffrey Epstein-related litigation targeting Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

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This week, Korn Ferry Partner Funke Abimbola joins Meg to discuss how firms can ensure to be paid on time while accommodating clients facing financial pressures, whether the high salaries for junior lawyers are justified, and what firms and in-house teams can do to better embrace diversity, equity and inclusion at all career levels across the industry. Funke also offers her thoughts on Linklaters' latest introduction of a flexible model for using bank holidays, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's lock-up modification to shorten the time gap between billing clients and getting paid.

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This week, Joshua Bates, Associate at O'Connors, joins Meg to discuss law firms cancelling their PII covers, anti money-laundering compliance and cyber security challenges they are facing and how to respond to them, the lack of regulatory scrutiny on law firm use of cryptocurrency as a payment method and artificial intelligence.

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Byfield founder Gus Sellitto and Associate Director Beth Durkin join Meg this week to discuss some of the week's biggest stories: Kirkland & Ellis' latest financials, the future of law firm listings following Ince's announcement that it is going into administration, junior lawyers' wellbeing in light of the Paul Hastings viral mishap, and how firms can help women to manage work and their healthcare needs related to fertility and menopause. Finally, the team also discusses the latest of the CBI drama, and how businesses can better prepare for such crises.

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This week, Meg and Ben discuss the messaging and the implications of UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's resignation on UK regulators and their efforts in cracking down on bad behavior. They then analyse the AmLaw 100 results, discuss the future of Private Equity practices and the latest Law Society guidance on climate change. They end up talking about the AI-produced Oasis album which made the headlines this week and how AI is changing copyright issues in law.

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In today's episode Meg is joined by Justice Robin Knowles CBE, judge in the High Court and Chair of the National Pro Bono Centre, and Mary Dobson-Smith, Executive Lead for the National Pro Bono Centre. They discuss the new Lord Chancellor and what challenges he'll face regarding tackling access to justice, the 10-year anniversary of the Legal Aid Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) and its effects on legal aid and access to justice since its implementation. They also discussed the biggest challenges for accessing justice.

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This week, Harneys' Global Managing Partner William Peake joins Meg to discuss the inclusion of AI into lawyers' day-to-day jobs, compliance experts warning junior lawyers who communicate with clients via Whatsapp and social media, NQ salary increase At Linklaters and Allen & Overy, as well as the Legal Services Board opening a call for evidence on the role that lawyers' conduct plays in the misuse of non-disclosure agreements.

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This week, CMS' Head of International Arbitration and London International Disputes Week Co-Chair Richard Bamforth joins Meg and Michael to discuss what to expect at the LIDW starting next Monday, and how London as a disputes centre is faring post-pandemic, and amid economic downturn and the war in Ukraine.

Michael and Meg then discuss a survey featured in the Financial Times' Full Disclosure newsletter about Gen Z lawyers wanting more meaning out of their work and a better life-work balance. They also discuss a report finding that 55 London law firms have facilitated £1.48 trillion in fossil fuel projects in the past five years, clashing with their own ESG targets and the latest guidance from the Law Society.

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This week, Bob Nightingale MBE, Founder of the London Legal Support Trust, joins Meg to discuss the Legal Walk 2023 taking place in June, access to justice, and the appointment of Alex Chalk as Lord Chancellor.

If you wish to participate in this year's Legal Walk, please visit the LLST's website: https://londonlegalsupporttrust.org.uk/

If you wish to donate to Byfield for the Legal Walk, please do so here: https://londonlegalsupporttrust.enthuse.com/pf/byfield-consultancy-2023

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As our regular host Meg takes a well-deserved break, Account Director Liam McCafferty steps in to discuss the top legal stories of the week with Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone. They cover topics such as the A&O and Shearman merger, The Lawyer's US 50 2023 report, news that a city firm has been instructed to handle the CBI affair and the possible future implications of the rising tensions between the US and China. 

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Rose Walker, Editor at Bloomberg Tax, joins Meg to talk about successful strategies for a merger announcement, following the A&O Shearman news a few weeks ago.

We talk about the importance of getting the choreography right for different stakeholders - as well as what to lookout for next in terms of remuneration, people issues and financial integration.

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This week, Byfield Founder Gus Sellitto joins Meg to discuss the impact of investigative journalism on the reputation of companies following the FT's latest expose into Odey Asset Management, the parallels between the latest partygate revelations and last week's arraignment of Donald Trump, and the proposal to give judges powers to dismiss some SLAPPs.

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This week, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Partner and PRIME Executive Chair Elizabeth Robertson joins Meg to discuss social mobility in the legal industry. They discuss Elizabeth's own journey into law, and best practice for firms to ensure they help improve access to the profession, and retain talent.

They also discuss white collar crime trends to expect as the FCA's joint Executive Directors of Enforcement and Market Oversight settle in their role, and as the SFO is set to change leadership in the coming weeks.

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King & Spalding Associate Rosie Watterson joined Meg this week to discuss how law firms and the wider legal industry can better embrace their lawyers and staff with a disability, chronic and/or mental illness and why it matters for firms to ensure they are seen and heard.

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This week, Michael Evans is back to discuss the early days of financials season for UK firms, the new SFO appointment, law firms' AI and cybersecurity woes, the awful story about Hong Kong putting a bounty on pro-democracy lawyers, and former Herbert Smith Freehills Chair and Senior Partner James Palmer's piece on needing policy and regulatory decisions to take into account long-term rather than short-term goals for a better future.

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Ben joins Meg this week to discuss expected lawyer salary slumps, tattoos in the workplace, Slaughter & May's new social mobility initiative, Osborne Clarke's return to office policy, and Law.com's inaugural UK Top 30 firms by revenue ranking. Counsel Culture is now moving to publication on Wednesdays, but listeners are more than welcome to provide any feedback! 

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This week, Byfield Joint Managing Director Michael Evans joins Meg to discuss the SRA cracking down on anti-money laundering failures and on firms falsifying asylum and human rights claims. They also discuss the implication of the latest Supreme Court judgment on litigation funding, whether the legal industry will adopt workcations and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's decision to no longer share their financial results publicly.

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This week, Byfield Joint-Managing Director Michael Evans and Meg discuss Dentons' separation from Dacheng, the firm's Chinese arm, as well as the latest clarifications from Freshfields on the decision not to release their financials. They also discuss the ongoing Government campaign against immigration lawyers and the latest working from home arrangements in Big Law.

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As our regular host Meg has taken a well-deserved break and with summer drawing to a close, we have taken a different approach to this week's episode. Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone and Senior Account Executive Hattie Lunt have stepped in to discuss the three big themes for Autumn - hybrid working, the A&O and Shearman Merger and the consequences of Freshfields deciding not to release its financials. 

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In this week’s episode, Meg is joined by Eric Staal, Vice President, Global Markets at Lex Mundi, the world's leading network of independent law firms. They discuss the consequences of AI adoption by in-house teams, the ESG considerations that are keeping GCs up at night and how the billable hour is affecting relationships between in-house and private practice, all in the context of a new “regulatory supercycle”.

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 This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael to discuss the recent departures from Kirkland & Ellis, ongoing developments at Axiom Ince and the news that Schillings is opening a PR arm. They also look ahead to what's coming up this quarter including the A&O and Shearman merger and what transactional practices should expect for the end of the year. 

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 This week, Meg is joined by James Booth, Professional Services Reporter at Financial News. They discuss the Kirkland & Ellis departures to Paul Weiss in London, KPMG halving pay for its US partners on gardening leave and Goldman Sachs announcing job cuts for underperforming staff in the US, and how we could see this bleeding into Big Law. 

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This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the Axiom Ince closure, the Bar Standards Board’s new social media guidelines for barristers and the SDT’s findings in the Oliver Bretherton case. They further talk about whether law firm leaders should voice their political opinions, the Maria Rooney menopause case returning to the Employment Tribunal and Lewis Silkin’s kindness code.

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In today's episode, Meg and Ben discuss the latest from party conference season and expected impacts on the legal industry, an increase in the number of lawyers calling a mental health hotline, firms wrestling with return to offices, Clifford Chance's project advising UK rappers on their legal contracts alongside Urban Lawyers, and GSK settling four lawsuits at once in the US.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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 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”. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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 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. 

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 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. 

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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.

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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.

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 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.  

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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. 

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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 BRIDGEWAY

Link House, Level 2, 78 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ
M +44 7725 340 688
E smcguiness@omnibridgeway.com
www.omnibridgeway.com

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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.

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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/

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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 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 breach

https://www.thelawyer.com/trump-targets-third-law-firm-as-paul-weiss-loses-security-clearances/  - Trumps Targets third law firm s Paul Weiss Loses security clearances

https://www.thelawyer.com/nine-firms-cut-diversity-wording-after-trump-probe/ - Nine firms cut diversity wording after Trump probe

https://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!

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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.

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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. 

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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.html

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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.html

To 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/ 

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