'The reality is very different': KPMG legal chief Stuart Bedford on what people get wrong about the Big Four’s legal ambitions

Sep 2, 2025

In this conversation with Stuart Bedford, the Global Head of Legal at KPMG, listeners gain insight into the unique role of Big Four firms in the legal industry. Stuart shares his journey from traditional law at Linklaters to shaping KPMG’s approach, emphasizing the integration of law, technology, and specialized teams. He explains why KPMG focuses on areas like regulatory compliance rather than flashy M&A deals. The discussion also covers KPMG's recent expansion into the US and the transformative power of technology in legal services.

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ANECDOTE

Career Path From Maths To Global Law

Stuart Bedford described his non-linear path from maths teaching to law and a 30+ year career including Linklaters and in-house roles.
He emphasized enjoying changing practice areas and working across jurisdictions during his career.

INSIGHT

Deep Specialisation Limits Flexibility

Specialisation in big firms has deepened and lawyers now usually stay within narrow swim lanes after qualification.
General counsel needs broad coverage across many areas, making hiring and coordination harder.

ANECDOTE

Why He Joined KPMG

Stuart explained he moved to KPMG after retiring from Linklaters because he was intrigued by multidisciplinary work and KPMG's tech and delivery vision.
He saw the role as a new challenge to serve different client legal needs at scale.

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What role do the Big Four really play in the legal market, and how different are they from traditional firms? In this episode, we sit down with Stuart Bedford, global head of legal at KPMG, to get a first-hand view of how one of the world’s largest professional services organisations is approaching the delivery of legal services.

Stuart reflects on his own career journey, qualifying at Linklaters, building one of the City’s leading corporate practices, and eventually stepping into leadership at KPMG. He explains how his experience across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions shaped his perspective on what clients truly need from their lawyers.

We dig into what sets KPMG Law apart - why they’re not chasing the mega M&A deals that grab headlines, but instead focusing on areas where law, technology, and multidisciplinary teams intersect. From entity management and post-merger integration, to regulatory compliance and legal managed services at scale, Stuart outlines a model that looks very different to Big Law.

Finally, Stuart discusses KPMG’s expansion into the US via an Arizona ABS licence, the firm’s Legal Reimagined programme, and the opportunities created by technology, data and global delivery. If you’ve ever wondered how a Big Four legal arm competes without playing the traditional law firm game, this conversation offers a look inside.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

01:15 Introduction & Stuart’s Early Career Path

03:18 Changing Specialisation in Law Firms

05:35 Why Stuart Moved to KPMG

08:32 Rethinking the Big Four’s Legal Offering

13:14 Post-Merger Integration & Entity Management

16:38 Technology, Data & Legal Reimagined

21:17 Delivering Managed Legal Services at Scale

25:39 Talent, Culture & Multidisciplinary Teams

29:18 Embedding Legal Within the Wider KPMG Business

31:40 Have the Big Four’s Legal Dreams Materialised?

33:31 US Expansion & the Arizona ABS Licence

38:02 Looking Ahead: The Future of KPMG Law

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