The Lawyer Podcast

Lucie Cruz, Tech Editor at The Lawyer, shares her valuable insights into the legal world of startups. She discusses the unique challenges in-house lawyers face while supporting rapid growth and innovation. Lucie emphasizes the adaptability required for general counsels in dynamic environments and contrasts this with traditional legal practices. The conversation also delves into the evolving role of legal counsel, highlighting the importance of collaboration, budget constraints in hiring, and the differences in startup cultures between the UK and US.

Alex Taylor, the International editor of The Lawyer, and Michal Radoszewski, a staff writer and Polish native, delve into the shifting legal landscape in Eastern Europe. They discuss Poland's rapid economic growth and its potential to outpace Japan and the UK in GDP per capita. The podcast explores Linklaters' exit from Warsaw and what this signals for the Magic Circle, alongside the ambitions of firms like Addleshaw Goddard and Kinstella. The changes in talent dynamics and strategic local opportunities are examined, shedding light on the region's evolving market.

Annabel Tinson, Deputy litigation editor of The Lawyer with expertise in class actions, discusses the landmark Merricks v Mastercard case. She delves into the implications of the controversial £200 million settlement and its potential to reshape the UK litigation landscape. The conversation raises critical questions about fairness in class actions, who truly benefits, and the ethical dilemmas faced by class representatives. Tinson even hints at future adaptations, leaving listeners curious about who will bring this legal drama to the screen.

Send us a textAs Donald Trump and his allies put corporate ESG on both sides of the Atlantic in their crosshairs, is now the time for law firms to stand up and prove that their sustainability programmes are not just all for lip service?To mark the launch of The Lawyer’s Sustainability Hub, the podcast team discuss the future of law firm sustainability, which firms need to up their game, why the Slaughters’ partner dining room is progressive, and why Linklaters (or “Stinklaters”) actually deserves credit for what it is doing on the environment.The Sustainability hub is here to help you discover how your law firm is reducing its impact, benchmark one firm’s progress against its peers, uncover what more is needed to drive meaningful change across the industry, and much more.

Send us a textLosing more than a dozen partners in a year isn’t good for any firm, but it’s particularly bad if you are a top of the market type practice like Latham & Watkins.But after such a stumble in London and across Europe last year, which saw the firm recalibrate its partner remuneration and bonus structure to hold on to top talent, the time has come to ask: should Lathamites be worried, or is a little turbulence all part of life for a global elite firm?Join Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith, Matt Byrne and Rachel Moloney as they discuss Latham’s place in the emerging global elite market.

Send us a textThe Lawyer Podcast is back with for 2025!Every January for the past 15 years, The Lawyer has published its Top 20 Cases to look out for in the coming year. Each year’s list boasts of the skill and depth of the legal market, and the high drama of the English courts.So what makes this year different, and what can it tell us about the current state of law, business and politics? Well to kick off the New Year, Catrin and Christian are joined by senior litigation reporter Annabel Tinson to discuss the lessons from this year’s top cases.

Send us a textIt's less than a week until Christmas and across the country, fires are blazing, trees are twinkling and pigs in blankets are roasting. But in offices, lawyers still have their noses to the grindstone. For those who celebrate it, the Christmas break can be a time to put your feet up and relax. But many still need to work over the festive season, and many still find it difficult to stop. So for our final podcast of the year, The Lawyer looks at workaholism and why lawyers so susceptible to it. Joining hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith to highlight the growing awareness around workaholism in the legal profession are James Browning, an academic researcher into addiction, and psychotherapist counsellor Paul Arnold.

Send us a textEditors Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith and Richard Simmons are back to reveal the five firms in the second hundred of the UK200 they are watching in the coming years – for good or for ill.Tune in as we discuss firms from around the country: RBG, Lawrence Stephens, Enyo Law, FBC Manby Bowdler and Simpson Millar.And please remember to like and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.

Send us a textThe announcement that Herbert Smith Freehills would merge with US firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel has got chins wagging across the transatlantic market.But is this a new mega-firm in the vein of A&O Shearman, a shrewd building block for HSF to make advances in the US, or a bit of an anti-climax?What is clear is that HSF will need to prove to markets on both sides of the Atlantic why the Kramer Levin deal makes sense.Tune in to the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast as Catrin and Christian are joined by the team leading The Lawyer’s new “global elite” coverage, Matt Byrne and Nikhil Raj Aggarwal, to assess the numbers, drivers and rumours behind the latest transatlantic tie-up.

Send us a textIt is a moment of change for the European legal market.With firms like Kirkland and Paul Hastings making major recent moves in the EU, US firms are starting to seriously disrupt the European order.This is most visible in Germany, France and the Nordics.So on this episode of the The Lawyer Podcast, our international editor Alex Taylor joins us after a recent visit to Oslo to discuss how US firms are impacting their local rivals, and what UK firms need to do to avoid being forgotten.Listen to our February episode on Europe here.