The Lawyer Podcast

Send us a textProposed redundancies at CMS and Taylor Rose have raised associate anxieties across the market, with many wondering whether they could be the start of wider trouble.Hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith are joined by director of insight Matt Byrne and deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons to discuss what you need to know, and whether you should be worried.

Send us a textWhy is everyone talking about Paul Weiss and Neel Sachdev?The Lawyer Podcast is BACK after the summer break and for the first episode of the new term, the team take on the hottest story of the summer: Paul Weiss and its big London play.Join hosts Catrin Griffiths, Christian Smith and guests Matt Byrne and Rachel Moloney as they unlock the Chamber of Secrets to reveal what you need to know, why you need to know it, and what it all means for the likes of Kirkland, Slaughters, Macfarlanes and the rest.

Send us a textLike many of its listeners, The Lawyer Podcast is on its summer holidays.But hanging over the summer for partners at A&O and Shearman & Sterling is the question of whether they should vote through the two firms’ proposed merger.With the vote expected in the Autumn, whether the biggest firm tie-up in decades will actually go through is still a live debate.So if you’re looking for something to listen to while you sip your next piña colada and look out to sea, check out this episode on the merger from our archives, recorded less than 24 hours after it was first announced.

Send us a textThe last episode of The Lawyer Podcast before the summer break is out now!Join hosts Catrin and Christian as they speak with Horizon editor Katy Dowell about why so many firms are moving or upgrading offices, and why they don’t all agree on what the future office should look like.What do treasure chests, Robert the Bruce, Adam Smith, seduction and sedition have in common? Anderson Strathern, as it turns out. The Lawyer Podcast chats to managing partner Murray McCall about how the firm discovered its, and half of Scotland’s, history.And we are live from The Lawyer’s In-House Financial Services conference where we are joined by two GCs to talk about getting to grips with the financial services sector, what to expect from life as a GC, and AI (obviously). The Lawyer Podcast will be taking a summer break over July and August but will return in the Autumn.

Send us a textThe new episode of The Lawyer Podcast is out now!On this episode, Catrin and Christian preview next week’s The Lawyer Awards and take a look at some of the categories exciting them this year.Rachel Moloney, deputy editor (City), joins the podcast to discuss which firms retain talented senior lawyers in corporate when they're not making partner, while other firms just don’t like it (hint, it’s the US ones).And following the launch of Horizon Live last week, we bring you an excerpt of the discussion between the London managing partners of three leading US firms. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s Jason Glover, Jenner and Block’s Christine Braamskamp, and Mayer Brown’s Dominic Griffiths join to tell us why an economic downturn isn’t a bad thing for private equity lawyers, and what they think about the A&O – Shearman & Sterling merger.

Send us a textThe new episode of The Lawyer Podcast comes to you live from The Lawyer’s recent GC conference in Bedfordshire.Catrin and Christian are joined by a range of senior in-house leaders, along with journalists from The Lawyer to discuss what’s keeping GCs up at night.Sarah Binder from Lime and Kodak’s John O’Reilly explain how a bad economy is making life tough for in-house lawyers, Chanel’s Cécile Cailac suggests what in-house counsel can do so they aren’t seen as idea killers, Mollie Stoker from Ocado gives her advice on improving retention in a competitive market, and Adam Woodhall of Lawyers for Net Zero argues why GCs can tackle climate change during their day jobs.Deputy editor (UK) Rich Simmons and in-house reporter Lucie Cruz also join to tell listeners what they’re hearing behind the scenes at the conference.Please note, this podcast was recorded on 11 May 2023.

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.