The Legal 500 Podcast: Social Mobility and the Law Part 2

In the second part of a two-part series on social mobility issues in the law, Barnaby Merrill continues his conversation with David Ampaw of DLA Piper, Polly Richard of Travers Smith, and Prisca Wharton of White & Case, all prominent voices in the British legal community on social mobility, about the journey each lawyer has taken in their life and career, issues they continue to face, and the potential for positive change moving forward.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Social Mobility and the Law Part 1

In the first part of a two-part series on social mobility issues in the law, Barnaby Merrill speaks to David Ampaw of DLA Piper, Polly Richard of Travers Smith, and Prisca Wharton of White & Case, all prominent voices in the British legal community on social mobility, about the journey each lawyer has taken in their life and career, issues they continue to face, and the potential for positive change moving forward.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Disrupting the GC Role

Barnaby speaks to Aarash Daroodi, General Counsel and Executive Vice-President at Fender Guitars. Aarash has an incredible life story, having left the US and lived in multiple countries by the age of ten, and since taking on his role at Fender, has sought to disrupt and redefine the role of a general counsel and the relationship between law firms and their corporate clients. Barnaby and Aarash discuss DEI initiatives within firms, the concept of “business intelligence”, and what both in-house and private practive recruiters can do to recruit and train a more diverse collection of lawyers, representative of society today

The Legal 500 Podcast: Preserving Access to Healthcare Services

Following her research of the healthcare sector for the Legal 500 United States, Sophie Chan speaks to Mark Reagan from Hooper Lundy & Bookman, P.C. about preserving access to healthcare services, the shift to a value-based care system, and the importance of daily activities in end of life care.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Mindful Return

In the first episode of 2023, Barnaby speaks to Lori Mihalich-Levin, the founder and CEO of Mindful Return, an organisation that offers training and support to new parents in their transition back to work. Barnaby and Lori discuss the formation of Mindful Return, the ‘leaky pipeline’ of career progression for working mothers, and what law firms should be doing to both ease new parents back into work and support them with continued career progression.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 15

Barnaby Merrill speaks to John Quinn, the founder of Quinn Emmanuel and one of the most high-profile, successful trial lawyers in the world, on his firm’s success, work on behalf of Ukraine in the ECHR, the future of high-stakes business litigation, the increasing importance of data, and working practices in a post-Covid world.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Legal Business and Freeths LLP

Legal Business‘ senior reporter Tom Baker sat down with Freeths’ disputes partner James Hartley to relive the headline-grabbing Post Office litigation. On the agenda: slippery litigation tactics, the ins and outs of disputes funding, and the personal toll the scandal inflicted upon postmasters up and down the country.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 14

Barnaby sits down with Charlotte Mills and Jen Goodwin from the Jackson Lees corporate and commercial team to discuss the skills (legal and non-legal) lawyers need to successfully act for family businesses and SMEs, as well as the training offered to lawyers within the Jackson Lees team to develop these skills.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 13

Following Pride Month, David Koehne speaks to Andy Lewis, co-founding member of O:PEN, a new pensions sector network that seeks to connect LGBTQ+ pensions professionals. Lewis talks about the experience of setting up the network in 2019, discusses the importance of real diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the benefits sector-wide networks can bring to their members.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 12

Barnaby Merrill speaks to TLT partners Esther Smith and Maria Connolly about ESG, and how firms can show leadership on all aspects of the topic both as legal advisors and as businesses themselves. The firm was a sponsor of Legal 500’s Enterprise GC conference, where Maria spoke as part of the Leading With Integrity roundtable on ESG issues.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 11

Barnaby Merrill speaks to Jazz Hampton, CEO and Head of Legal at Turnsignl, an app that connects motorists directly to an attorney after they are stopped by police. Jazz speaks about the origins of the app amidst the chilling scenes of the George Floyd killing, the regulatory issues behind its creation, and the broader topic of legal tech as a solution to racial and socioeconomic inequity. Turnsignl is available in Minnesota, Georgia, and California, with more information available at its site: https://www.turnsignl.com/

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 10

David Koehne is joined by Alesya Pavlynska from Ukrainian firm Arzinger, Anna Hałas-Krawczyk from Greenberg Traurig’s Warsaw office and Katie Newbury from Kingsley Napley in London to discuss the issues facing civilians displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and thinking about how the international legal community is getting involved.

Useful resources:
Multilaw Ukraine Crisis Support Centre: https://www.multilaw.com/Multilaw/Ukraine_Crisis_Support_Centre.aspx

UA Support:
https://www.ua.support/

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 9

Barnaby Merrill speaks to Tony Randle, head of Shoosmiths Connected Services, and Sarah Holford, Head of Legal and Compliance at Scania and a client of Shoosmiths. The panel discusses developments in client services on the law firm side and the evolution in what clients are asking from their legal advisors.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 8

Barnaby Merrill is joined by three barristers at Red Lion Chambers: Richard Sutton QC, Barnaby Jameson QC, and Jade Bucklow, to discuss combining life at the Bar with other pastimes, as well as the wider importance of work-life balance in the demanding world of law.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 7

With the launch of the EMEA edition of The Legal 500 Global Green Guide, Barnaby chats to Anna Baubock, editor of the Green Guide and The Legal 500 US about how the Green Guide came about, the findings from the inaugural edition, and how firms and in-house counsel can get involved, as well as plans for the Guide moving forward.

Check out the Global Green Guide: https://www.legal500.com/global-green-guide/

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 6

Barnaby Merrill sat down with Kokila Alagh of KARM Legal Consultants in the UAE to discuss blockchain technology, and its applications for the future of the healthcare sector.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 5

Barnaby Merrill sits down with Aisha Choudhury from Bates Wells to discuss impacts of Brexit on immigration law, and how these changes can be met by employers.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 4

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of pro bono organisation Advocate, Bar Editor Will Tolcher sat down with an all-star panel featuring Advocate CEO Rebecca Willkie, Andrew de Mestre QC, and Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing of the Court of Appeal. The panel discussed their experiences with pro bono, work with Advocate, and their thoughts on the benefits of pro bono work for legal practitioners.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 3

Barnaby Merrill speaks to Pinsent Masons funds partners Ian Warner and Oliver Crowley on the growth of ESG and social impact funds, and the difficulty in defining a ‘true’ impact fund. Ian and Oliver also offer their thoughts on the importance of diversity in the investment funds sector, and the work done by their firm to promote the issue within the space.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 2

In today’s episode, Bar editor Will Tolcher speaks with Lord Nicholas Wilson, justice of the United Kingdom Supreme Court until 2020, about his varied career, the challenges of carrying out the judicial office remotely, sitting on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and his new role as a commercial arbitrator, practicing out of Fountain Court Chambers.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Season 2 Episode 1

Change is afoot in the legal industry. In today’s episode, senior researcher David Koehne and Marcin Serafin of Polish firm Maruta Wachta discuss ‘the law firm of the future’ and what the increasing demand for innovation, being driven by evermore sophisticated clients, means for the way the industry operates.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Bonus Episode 5

This week’s episode of The Legal 500 podcast is hosted by The Lex 100, guide to legal education and training in the UK, and is all about solicitor training during the pandemic and beyond. Hosted by Peter Tweedley, Editor of The Lex 100, it features an interview with Victoria Widdows, Director of International Legal Recruiting and Development at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld. Join us for a discussion of the challenges of maintaining training opportunities for aspiring solicitors, continuing high quality firm practise, handling the rapid transformation of the legal workplace, and more.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 16

In a slight break from our normal schedule, this week’s episode features an extract from our recent webinar discussion on disputes in the Gulf Cooperation Counsel (GCC) states. This lively discussion takes in the views of Marcus Khoury, senior counsel at Consolidated Contractors Company, one of the largest construction companies globally and the leading contractor in the GCC, Sean Yates, general counsel of China State Construction Engineering Corporation in the Middle East, Robert Stephen, registrar of DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre and partners representing Horizon & Co law firm, including managing partner Ali Ismael Al Zarooni.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Bonus Episode 4

Over recent months the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated chambers’ marketing strategies. Keating’s Marie Sparkes, Wilberforce’s Hayley Eustace, and Old Square’s Phil Desmondez talk about the history and future of marketing at the Bar, including webinars, social media, and – yes – directories, while UK Bar editor John van der Luit-Drummond offers some best practice advice on chambers submissions.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Bonus Episode 3

This week’s bonus episode of The Legal 500 podcast is all about social mobility at the Bar. Join Red Lion Chambers’ Joanna Hardy, 5 St Andrew’s Hill’s Alexandra Wilson, Essex Court Chambers’ Rick Hoyle, and Trinity Chambers’ Craig Vickers as they discuss the challenges facing wannabe barristers from non-traditional backgrounds and how chambers can ensure a more diverse membership in the years ahead.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 15

‘Re-engineering current models to drive better results’: in part two of our series with Susan Hackett, CEO of Legal Executive Leadership, Susan and David move away from the hypothetical and discuss how to improve existing models for in-house legal departments.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 14

‘Defining an ideal in-house legal business model’: on the first of two episodes with Susan Hackett, CEO of Legal Executive Leadership, David asks what the in-house legal function looks like in an ideal world.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 13

On our second episode with MOSAIC Collective, founders Emma Sharpe and Claire Debney dive deeper into the MOSAIC Mood Index, a vital report into the mood of the profession.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 12

On the first of two episodes with MOSAIC Collective, David speaks with founders Emma Sharpe and Claire Debney about their commitment to openness, mental wellbeing and challenging the status quo in the legal industry. Read the MOSAIC Collective’s guest blog at fivehundred magazine to learn more about the MOSAIC Mood Index, and stay tuned for part two next week!

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 11

On Episode 11 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David hands the mic over to GC Magazine’s Harveen Kaur. Harveen speaks with Simon Lee, head of legal, governance and risk at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), about the challenges Covid-19 has brought to the natural world, and how lockdown has affected ZSL London Zoo’s research projects and the animals it looks after. Also speaking is a more famous David – Sir David Attenborough. If you would like to support ZSL’s work, please consider donating.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Bonus Episode 1

On the second bonus episode of The Legal 500 Podcast, UK Bar editor John van der Luit-Drummond starts his series of conversations with leading and up-and-coming practitioners on the issues facing chambers and their members. First off, he speaks about the impact of Covid-19 on international arbitration. Joining him are Hall of Famer Philippa Charles, partner and head of international arbitration at Stewarts, Owen Lawrence, CEO of the International Arbitration Centre, Andrew Stevens, a junior barrister at 4 Pump Court, and Jern-Fei Ng QC of Essex Court Chambers.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 10

On the tenth episode of The Legal 500 Podcast, David speaks with Dana Denis-Smith, founder and CEO of Obelisk Support and creator of The First 100 Years project, about gender equality, the importance of quotas, female entrepreneurship, and how to be an ally.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Bonus Episode 1

On the first bonus episode of The Legal 500 Podcast, guest contributor Barnaby Merrill takes a deep dive into the Baltic legal market and its response to Covid-19 with Laimonas Skibarka, Managing Partner of Sorainen. Watch this space for more bonus episodes and regional insights from The Legal 500 Team.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 9

On Episode 9 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David speaks with Brad Karp – “the hardest working man in law”, chair of Paul Weiss since 2008 and Legal 500 Hall of Fame litigator – about leadership in lockdown, affirmative action, and the firm’s recent acquisitions.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 8

Episode 8 of The Legal 500 Podcast focuses on our partnership with the Billable Hour campaign. Founder Sean Jones QC speaks about the campaign, where it started and how to help, and David is joined by Save the Children’s humanitarian director Gareth Owen OBE, who details the urgent causes supported by your invaluable donations. Learn more about The Legal 500 and Billable Hour.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 7

On episode 7 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David speaks with senior members of the clerking community about modernisation at the Bar and the importance of listening to the client.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 6

On Episode 6 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David Burgess speaks with Jeff Davis, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, about perfectionism and openness in the legal profession.
Recommended reading and listening:
“It’s Not Easy Being Alpha” – The M&A Journal
Brené Brown’s “Unlocking Us” podcast

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 5

Episode 5 of The Legal 500 Podcast continues David’s conversation with Deborah Farone and Yolanda Cartusciello about law firm marketing, partner expectations and innovation during the pandemic.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 4

On Episode 4 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David Burgess speaks with Deborah Farone and Yolanda Cartusciello about the importance of marketing in the age of coronavirus.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 3

On episode 3 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David Burgess speaks to UK Solicitors editor Georgina Stanley about the UK research cycle, what measures researchers are taking in these uncertain times, and what she has brought to the publication since taking on the editor role two years ago.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 2

On the second episode of The Legal 500 Podcast, Publishing Director David Burgess speaks with editors Ella Marshall (EMEA), Tim Girven (Latin America) and Ian Deering (USA) about research in the age of Coronavirus.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Episode 1

On Episode 1 of The Legal 500 Podcast, David Burgess presents an extract of the IBA Webinar ‘Personal Tales from the Wild Side: The Lawyer’s Survival Guide to Covid-19’. Watch the whole webinar at the IBA website.

The Legal 500 Podcast: Trailer

Publishing director David Burgess introduces The Legal 500 Podcast.