The Hearing – A Legal Podcast
Thomson Reuters
The Hearing is a legal podcast from Thomson Reuters. Listen to insightful discussions with lawyers, legal experts, and other interesting people connected to the legal industry. We delve into anything and everything – trailblazers in the law, the latest insights on legal innovation and trends, and how the profession is evolving. With hosts based in the UK and the US, we cover issues around the globe. Our current hosts: Becky Annison – Trained at a London law firm before moving in-house. Spent 12 years as a senior solicitor in a large international company, before joining Practical Law's In-house practice area team. Now, as Head of Engagement for The Chancery Lane Project, Becky uses her knowledge of contracting and law to help tackle the climate crisis. Janelle Wrigley – An attorney based in California. As head of the Antitrust & Competition team at Practical Law, leads a team of lawyers producing practical guidance for competition lawyers worldwide. Previously, Janelle was a litigator at the US Federal Trade Commission and at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York. Teneé Frazier – An attorney, editor, and speaker based in Alabama. As a member of the State and Local Government team at Practical Law, she uses her expertise in municipal law to produce substantive content for local government attorneys. Previously, Teneé was Assistant General Counsel at the Alabama League of Municipalities. Yasmin Sheikh – Executive coach, trainer, consultant, and speaker, with a background as a lawyer – practising for 12 years in a large international law firm. Founder of Diverse Matters – which helps promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity within organisations. Yasmin is also a former vice chair of the Disabled Solicitors Network at the Law Society of England and Wales. Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 5, 2023 • 38min
EP. 123 – Camille Vasquez (Brown Rudnick)
When lawyers represent celebrities, they don't typically become celebs themselves. But that’s what happened to Camille Vasquez, who represented Johnny Depp in his defamation trial against Amber Heard. In this episode, Lauren sits down with Camille, who rose to fame in no small part because of the way she commanded the courtroom in Depp v. Heard, all while the world watched. As you'd expect, the Depp trial, and the many serious issues it raised, are discussed – including gender roles, cancel culture, the court of public opinion, and the importance of teamwork. Camille and Lauren also chat about Camille's life after the Depp trial – including making partner at Brown Rudnick, representing other high-profile clients, and working as a legal correspondent for NBC. Camille’s passion for her work, including being in the courtroom, really shines in this episode – leaving no doubt that she’s a star in her own right. We'd love to hear from you! So drop us a line at thehearing@tr.com to say hello, or to share your ideas for future guests and topics.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
May 22, 2023 • 48min
EP. 122 – Victoria Lewis (byrne·dean)
If we were to suggest “blending your personal and professional life, to bring your whole self to work”, how would that make you feel? Perhaps that sentiment aligns perfectly with how you approach your career too. Or maybe it makes you feel like stuffing carrots in your ears to avoid yet more corporate speak. Whatever your reaction, listen up! Yasmin's next guest – Victoria Lewis, CEO of byrne·dean – is about to put you through your paces. Victoria explains to Yasmin exactly why this attitude means so much to her, and her clients, and why it makes byrne·dean such a popular place to work. Trigger warning: Victoria and Yasmin discuss child loss.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
May 8, 2023 • 53min
EP. 121 – Helen Wan (The Partner Track)
If the best childhood gift you ever received was a typewriter to write mystery stories, perhaps it's no surprise when you end up writing a novel that inspires a hit TV show. In this episode, host Jennifer Thibodaux sits down with Helen Wan – lawyer, author, and DEI consultant.Jennifer and Helen chat about Helen's debut novel, The Partner Track, which follows a young, Chinese-American woman navigating life as a senior associate at a large law firm in New York City. Helen explains how her experiences in Big Law inspired her book and outlines the casual racism she encountered from certain publishers. Fast-forward, and the story has been a hit in print and on the small screen – even resonating with fans that Helen wasn't expecting.Jennifer and Helen explore the story's themes – being women of color in the profession, assimilation versus authenticity, defining success, and staying curious. Plus, we get to hear how writing this book has changed Helen's life and what she's doing now. Helen also shares the advice that motivated her to transform her "subway scribblings" about her workday into a novel. And, after listening to this episode, you'll be inspired to follow your passion too. Hint: get started!
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Apr 24, 2023 • 33min
EP. 120 – Redundancies, layoffs, and cutbacks – oh my!
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – With corporate layoffs making headlines around the world, Becky Annison explores the pitfalls of handling redundancies across borders, and where companies go wrong. Speaking with experts from the US and UK, Becky delves into the widely varying rights that employees have in different places, and the consequences that businesses should consider before reducing headcount. They discuss the surprising experience of seeing a mass layoff live-tweeted around the world and how that might affect how employees perceive their rights. Does Elon Musk listen to The Hearing? Might he learn some lessons for the future? We hope so! Certainly everyone else will gain insights about how employers can handle the layoff process, when it can’t be avoided, with thoughtfulness and fairness. Guests: – Kate Bally, Director, Practical Law US Labor & Employment – Chris Hovenden, Senior Editor, Practical Law Global Employment – Stephanie Lopes, Chief Legal Officer, Volt
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Apr 10, 2023 • 11min
EP. 119 – Tracey Dovaston (Head of DEI & Partner)
MY LEGAL JOB & ME – In the hotseat for this episode is Tracey Dovaston, a Partner and the Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pallas Partners. Tracey has an impressive background, switching between private practice and in-house roles. These have included Head of Litigation Investigations & Regulatory Enforcement at Barclays, Chief Compliance Officer, and Executive Litigation Counsel. Listen to Tracey as she talks about her passions, the motivation behind her career decisions, and as she shares her tips for success.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Mar 27, 2023 • 35min
EP. 118 – Rossana Arteaga-Gomez (American Civil Liberties Union)
On this week's episode, our host Lauren Sobel sits down with Rossana Arteaga-Gomez – a partner at AXS Law Group in Miami, Florida, and President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida. Rossana and Lauren chat about Rossana's unique legal career in both civil litigation and criminal defense work, as well as how Rossana cracked the code on marrying her passions with her career. They dive into some formative experiences that Rossana had – including being a witness in her own cases, and having clients tell her that they preferred to hire a white man as their attorney. The pair also discuss Rossana's passion for civil rights and her mission to improve the criminal justice system through her work with the ACLU. We'd love to hear from you! So drop us a line at thehearing@tr.com to say hello, or to share your ideas for future guests and topics.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Mar 13, 2023 • 56min
EP. 117 – Mark Henderson (Doughty Street Chambers)
We know we have some long-time listeners to The Hearing (thank you!) and we get super excited when we meet them. But for those of you who haven't listened since way back in 2018, an episode we often find ourselves recommending is ep. 6 (https://pod.fo/e/149f97). It's a jaw-dropping interview and it's how we first met Yasmin. Fast-forward five years – with Yasmin now one of our regular hosts – in this episode she covers similar ground with her guest, Mark Henderson – a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London. Mark and Yasmin talk about being thrown into the deep end of disability overnight, with the ongoing challenges around accessibility, visibility and opportunity that this brings. Mark's story is both moving and inspirational. As you'll hear, there was so much to discuss that we can't wait to have him back.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Feb 27, 2023 • 48min
EP. 116 – Alexandra Carter (Columbia Law School)
What does the word negotiation really mean? What's the best question to ask during a negotiation? And what does negotiating have to do with kayaking?! In this episode, Jennifer chats with Alex Carter, world-renowned keynote speaker, professional coach, and Director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School, to answer these questions and more. Alex reveals the traits of a skilled negotiator that anyone can learn to help resolve conflict. She also explains why claiming your worth matters, including on a larger scale. Alex describes how she followed the "deep knowing in her gut" to leave her position as a litigator at a mega law firm, to return to her law school to teach. She believes passionately that each of us should pay similar attention to what brings us joy – and shares a great trick for figuring it out. As an avid reader, Jennifer also asks Alex about her best-selling book, "Ask For More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything". And, after listening to this episode, you will be inspired and ready to do just that!
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Feb 13, 2023 • 25min
EP. 115 – Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses
Expert witnesses can make or break a case: judges and juries look to their authority to explain all manner of technical subjects. But it turns out that hidden biases may be at work in who gets selected to testify as an expert. In this episode, Becky digs into why this disparity exists and how it might be solved with her guests Isabel Kunsman and Kathryn Britten. Isabel and Kathryn are partners at consulting firm AlixPartners and co-founders of Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE), an organisation working to bring gender equality to this important function of the law.
To find out more about the ERE pledge, go to: https://www.expertwitnesspledge.com/
Jan 30, 2023 • 38min
EP. 114 – Katharine Larsen (Thomson Reuters)
In this episode, Lauren chats with Katharine Larsen, Deputy General Counsel, Litigation, for Thomson Reuters. Katharine was raised in a small town in the midwestern US, but always knew she wanted to explore the world. At a young age, Katharine began living and working abroad, and continued to do so at various points in her legal career. Now back in the US and working in New York City, Katharine has a unique global perspective that sets her apart from many American lawyers. Through her journey around the globe, Katharine also found her passion in media law. Katharine and Lauren chat about this passion and other topics, including how Katharine's global experience helped her work to free Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from prison in Myanmar, some big-picture differences between the US legal system and those of other countries, and the greatest challenge facing the media right now. They also chat about the importance of approaching situations without making assumptions, and why it often pays to ask open-ended questions. (Interview recorded 16th December 2022)
We'd love to hear from you, so drop us a line at thehearing@tr.com to say hello, or to share your ideas for guests and future topics! Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
