The Lawyer Podcast

Send us a textIt looks set to be one of the most extraordinary deals in legal market history, ushering in a new era of global law, and so The Lawyer Podcast is here with an emergency edition to tell you what the A&O - Shearman & Sterling merger means.Hosts Cat and Christian are joined by deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney to talk through why they have merged, why it is bold, and why, no matter what they say, it’s absolutely a takeover.Director of insight Matt Byrne also joins the podcast to discuss what it says about the future of the transatlantic market, and where it leaves other US and magic circle firms.

Send us a textOn the brand new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, the coronation may be over, but law firms are still crowning new leaders and partners across the City. Our deputy editor (City), Rachel Moloney, joins hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith to discuss the trends emerging from the annual round of promotions. Our other deputy editor (UK) Richard Simmons is also with us to explain why A&O and Linklaters have caved and upped their NQ salaries. And Christian tells Cat why the Quinn Emanuel and Pallas Partners' Credit Suisse litigation reflects the changing nature of class actions and litigation strategy.

Send us a textThe latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now!Tune in as hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith speak to reporter Maria-Ward Brennan about the downfall of the Ince Group, while Horizon editor Katy Dowell joins the podcast to reflect on previous law firm collapses.Director of insight Matt Byrne takes us on a tour of what the 2023 US Top 50 report reveals about some of the most profitable firms in London, and why this year is different to all the others,And are the days of office dogs numbered? International editor and pandemic puppy purchaser Alex Taylor makes an appearance to talk about his dog Pilot.

Send us a textOn the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith speak to director of insight Matt Byrne, who reveals how litigation funder Harbour is evolving into something of a bank to law firms. Keep an eye out for Matt’s article next week.Meanwhile, in-house reporter Lucie Cruz brings all the goss on Paul Hastings’ controversial slide to junior associates, as Catrin and Christian ask whether it really is a privilege to work at a top 20 firm.Finally, deputy editor (UK) Richard Simmons is back on the show to argue why Linklaters and the rest of the top 50 are actually incredibly boring, and why The Lawyer will soon be launching ‘Beyond The Bubble’, its new strand of stories exploring what’s going on in the UK’s mid-market. 

Send us a textIn the latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast, we ask:Which law firm is involved with a ballet about a tech billionaire?Why is the challenger firm in Oslo banned from a football tournament?And why are we being so nice about Eversheds?

Send us a textThe latest episode of The Lawyer Podcast has just landed.If you think the last few years have been buoyant for recruiters, then check out what director of insight Matt Byrne has to say about just how busy the lateral market has been.Elsewhere, do you like virgin piña coladas? After her LinkedIn post about alcohol at law firm events gained traction online, Kirkland & Ellis associate and founder of social mobility charity Strive, Sana Shafi, speaks to in-house reporter Lucie Cruz about whether the law needs to pay more attention to those who don’t drink.And finally, deputy news editor Jessica Boak explores why the legal market in Leeds is having a growth spurt.

Send us a textOn this episode, editor Catrin Griffiths and deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney bring you all the drama from Cravath’s raid on Shearman & Sterling’s leveraged finance team.Meanwhile litigation editor Christian Smith quizzes deputy editor (UK) Richard Simmons and in-house reporter Lucie Cruz on how junior lawyers are faring this trainee qualification season.And Catrin and Christian discuss the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s recent decision in the class action against Meta and Facebook, and what it might mean for this burgeoning and lucrative area of law.

Send us a textOn this episode, litigation editor Christian Smith and international editor Alex Taylor discuss Man City’s new signing: Lord Pannick KC, and how big money means lawyers are the new stars of football.The Lawyer’s editor Catrin Griffiths talks about an emerging trend of former managing partners switching firms. And to mark the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, the show is joined by Kinstellar’s Daniel Bilak in Kyiv to explain what life is like now for Ukrainian lawyers, and lawyer for Ukraine Jonathan Gimblett of Covington & Burling explains Ukraine's legal actions against Russia in the international courts. 

Send us a textFollowing the launch of the Hot 100 last week, The Lawyer’s editor Catrin Griffiths sits down with new Hot 100 member Banke Odunaike from CBRE to discuss her career, the nuances of being a role model, and what her son made of her inclusion. The Six Nations kicks off this weekend as a storm of legal issues hangs over rugby. The Lawyer’s litigation editor Christian Smith explains what’s going on, and why lawyers are so much more involved in the game now. The Womble Bond Dickinson and BDB Pitmans merger is off. Deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons is back on the podcast to figure out what went on, and what struggling BDB Pitmans might do next. And international editor Alex Taylor joins us from Oslo, where he wants to talk about Spain, and the possible strategic partnership between Taylor Wessing and Spanish firm ECIJA.

Send us a textThe Lawyer Podcast is back for 2023.In the first episode of the year, The Lawyer's editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith are joined by deputy editor (City) Rachel Moloney to discuss all the rumours surrounding Hogan Lovells’ merger talks with Shearman & Sterling.We also speak to Hill Dickinson partner Jessica Neary about being accused of being an “absent mother” at the school gates.Deputy editor (national), Richard Simmons, is also in the studio to discuss what Gen Z law students want out of their careers – and it’s not as many dogs and oat milk flat whites as you might think.And The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases for 2023 was announced earlier this week. Senior litigation reporter Adam Mawardi joins the podcast to discuss some of his favourites.