Navigating Non-Lawyer Ownership in Law Firms

What if law firms didn’t have to be owned by lawyers? In the UK, non-lawyer ownership has been shaking up the legal industry for over a decade, bringing in private equity, corporate structures, and even stock market listings. But has it led to innovation or just new ethical dilemmas? Corinne Staves, a UK legal expert, joins Lawyerist Podcast to reveal the surprising ways this shift has (and hasn’t) transformed the profession.  

Listen to our previous episodes about non-lawyer ownership: 

• #354: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, with Lori Gonzalez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist 
• #355: A Look at the New Non-lawyer Firm Ownership Reform, Pt.2, with Allen Rodriguez: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist 
• #221: The State of the Legal Profession, with ABA President Robert M. Carlson: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Lawyerist 

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Chapters:  

(0:00) Introduction & ABA TECHSHOW Announcement 

(2:50) Meet Corinne Staves 

(3:44) How Non-Lawyer Ownership Works in the UK 

(6:03) Why the US is Afraid of Non-Lawyer Ownership  

(8:41) Can Non-Lawyer Ownership Threaten Attorney Ethics? 

(12:18) Unexpected Benefits of Non-Lawyer Ownership 

(17:17) Does This Hurt Small Law Firms? 

(20:31) Advice for US Lawyers Considering This Model 

(23:20) The Future of Law Firm Ownership