The Lawyer Podcast

Send us a textThe wait is finally over. In just under a week, the transformational merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling will go live.But while the deal is done, the job is only just beginning. So on this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, Catrin and Christian look at how the merger will play out in the next week, the next year and beyond?They are joined by director of insight Matt Byrne and deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney as they break down the five big challenges facing the new A&O Shearman – and its worst mistake.If you want to read more, check out the stories below:Shearman trainees to miss out on extra £20k after A&O mergerA&O Shearman: 40 partners made up ahead of mergerA&O Shearman: New leaders announced A&O Shearman will be a European kingmaker

Send us a textThe Lawyer's Christian Smith, Catrin Griffiths, Richard Simmons, Katy Dowell and Charlotte Lear are joined by College of Legal Practice CEO Giles Proctor for this emergency episode of The Lawyer Podcast as they discuss the latest Solicitors Qualification Exam debacle: marking errors that led to 175 students being incorrectly told they had failed.What went wrong, who's to blame, and what happens next?

Send us a textRegional offices have long been critical to some of the UK’s biggest law firms.The essential components of today’s DLA Piper came from across the country, legacy Eversheds was formed of four firms from outside London, and Pinsent Masons was a Birmingham and Leeds outfit before it opened in London.But in recent years, some of those firms’ regional offerings have started to look like the offices they are housed in: old, crumbling, unloved.So on this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, we take a look at what Big Law is doing in England and Wales outside London, and why upstart regional firms are stealing their lunch.

Send us a textGrabbing the attention of aspiring solicitors and spectators alike, criticism of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination has torn through the media over the weeks following the most recent set of results.From City firms dropping training contracts from offer holders after failing on their first attempt, to questions over whether the exams really equip candidates for life as a newly-qualified solicitor.This week, The Lawyer asks – what the hell is going on? Catrin and Christian are joined by deputy editor Rich Simmons and reporters Lucy Floydd and Charlotte Lear to discuss the trials and tribulations of this new exam.

Send us a textLaw firms leaders love saying they don’t want growth for growth’s sake, but the truth is, without any growth at all they soon find themselves floundering.So as the financial year draws to a close, litigation editor Christian Smith and deputy editor Rich Simmons are joined by head of insight Matt Byrne, Horizon editor Katy Dowell and international editor Alex Taylor to look at what law firms are doing to find good, profitable growth - and whether they need to grow at all costs.

Explore the high salaries offered to associates at Pogust Goodhead, the changing landscape of litigation, the impact on junior lawyers' career decisions, and the evolving opportunities in the litigation market. Delve into the innovative partnership deal at Pogust Goodhead, the selective hiring approach of law firms, and the shift in career paths from law firms to funders.

Send us a textLondon has become the biggest referral market in the world - and the Brits are nowhereThe rise and rise of American firms in London’s private equity market – and the challenge that has presented to UK firms - has been well documented, particularly here at The Lawyer. But their increasing dominance is now also threatening UK firms across Europe, as European relationships in London start migrating to US firms.On this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, international editor Alex Taylor and director of insight Matt Byrne join Catrin and Christian to explore the changing dynamics of London’s lucrative relationship with Europe, and what UK firms are doing to get their own back in the US.

Send us a textLinklaters seemingly started the year strongly with a six partner hire from Shearman & Sterling in New York.So why then has it come in for so much negative attention?From an absent US strategy to a stream of senior partner losses, many in the market now believe Linklaters is losing its sparkle.On this episode, Catrin and Christian are joined by director of insight Matt Byrne and deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney to discuss what’s going wrong at the magic circle firm, is it justified, or is this a whole fuss over nothing? If you’d like to read any of the articles mentioned in this podcast, you can find their links below:https://www.thelawyer.com/six-strong-shearman-team-exits-for-linklaters/  https://www.thelawyer.com/linklaters-should-be-embarrassed-about-its-us-performance/  https://www.thelawyer.com/linklaters-threatens-to-withhold-distributions-from-departing-partners/  https://www.thelawyer.com/paul-weiss-hits-linklaters-for-yet-another-partner/  https://www.thelawyer.com/the-magic-circle-has-had-enough/ 

Send us a textThe Lawyer Podcast is back for 2024 and we’re kicking things off by delving into the lessons the legal profession can glean from the Post Office scandal.The Post Office scandal has already become one of the biggest stories of the year and few groups are so closely tied to it as the legal profession.With that in mind, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith are joined by senior litigation reporter Annabel Tinson to ask: Are lawyers the baddies in this national scandal? Where is the line between acting in your client’s best interests and acting unethically? Should hyper-aggressive litigation be a thing of the past? And how has litigation funding managed to get caught up in it all?Plus, we have special guest appearances from the University of Exeter’s professor of law and professional ethics Richard Moorhead, and Harbour Litigation Funding’s founder Susan Dunn.

Send us a textEvery law firm and his dog seems to be moving into a green office at the moment, but how important is that really when it comes to a law firm's impact on the environment?Well with COP28 well underway in Dubai, for the last episode of The Lawyer Podcast for 2023, we dive into one of the great challenges for this generation of lawyers: how can firms manage their relationship with the environment? Catrin and Christian are joined by The Lawyer's sustainability guru Jessica Boak, along with deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons, to discuss how firms impact the environment, what they are doing about it, what the next generation of lawyers want from their employers, and the thorny issue of acting for big polluter clients.