The Legal 500 Podcast brings together insights from over 30 years of market-leading research and content, updates and advice from our editors, and appearances from influential members of the legal community.
Legal500 Podcast: Jason Levin
Barnaby Merrill speaks to Jason Levin, an outplacement, career management, business development coach and speaker, and the founder and CEO of ReadySetLaunch.
Barnaby and Jason discussed issues including the importance of relationships, the art of maintaining weak connections, and how introverts can succeed in what’s seen as an extrovert dominated-world.
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Legal 500 Podcast: Liz Dux part 2
Will Tolcher, Global Bar Editor of The Legal 500, speaks to Liz Dux, chambers director of Littleton Chambers. This, the second part of a two-part episode, covers Liz’s move a career in chambers management from partnership in the solicitors profession. Will and Liz discuss the differences between chambers and law firms, leadership over a clerks room, managing the self-employed nature of barristers and the challenges of running an employment set during the unprecedented uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legal 500 Podcast: Liz Dux part 1
Will Tolcher, Global Bar Editor of The Legal 500, speaks to Liz Dux, chambers director of Littleton Chambers. This, the first part of a two-part episode, covers Liz’s career before the world of chambers management: private practice as a solicitor, becoming an equity partner at Russell Jones and Walker, which became part of Slater and Gordon, focussing on personal injury work including for survivors of child sexual abuse by prominent figures such as Jimmy Savile. Will and Liz discuss her route to the legal profession, the challenges of team leadership when handling challenging work, and handling litigation in the public eye. This episode includes frank discussion of her role in high-profile child sexual abuse cases.
Legal 500 Podcast: Sara George
Will Tolcher, Global Bar Editor of The Legal 500, speaks to Sara George, Sidley Austin’s lead crisis management and strategic response lawyer in Europe and vice-chair of the Employed Barristers Committee of the Bar Council. Will and Sara discuss Sara’s journey from a criminal chambers in London, through the Financial Services Authority and elite English firms through to partnership at a US firm, as well as the role of employed barristers across public service and the private sector in the UK.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Jeetander Dulani: ‘Woke Antitrust’ and the future of antitrust law
Barnaby speaks to Jeetander Dulani, an antitrust partner at Stinson LLP, about recent and upcoming trends in antitrust law, including the Biden Administration’s new merger rules, the policy of ‘litigation over regulation’ amid shifts towards alternative theories of harm in merger challenges, debate over the policy of ‘woke antitrust’, and diversity in the US antitrust bar.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Iain Quirk KC part 2
Will Tolcher, global Bar editor of The Legal 500, speaks to Iain Quirk KC, a King’s Counsel at Essex Court Chambers and co-founder of pinqDR – a law tech start-up aiming to bring the same legal underpinning of heavyweight international arbitration to a broader class of disputes through innovations in technology and arbitral rules.
The second part of this two-part podcast delves into the career trajectory of self-employed barristers as a foundation for launching law tech start-ups. Our discussion extends to various topics such as law tech and litigants in person, remote and paperless hearings, and the international prospects of pinqDR. Additionally, we explore managing disputes throughout the lifespan of a business relationship.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Ian Quirk KC
Will Tolcher, global bar editor of The Legal 500, speaks to Iain Quirk KC, a King’s Counsel at Essex Court Chambers and co-founder of pinqDR – a lawtech start-up aiming to bring the same legal underpinning of heavyweight international arbitration to a broader class of disputes through innovations in technology and arbitral rules.
The first of this two-part episode looks at Iain’s route to silk at the commercial bar, the genesis of pinqDR, how its rules work for users and the use of generative AI at the bar.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Angela Jackman
Max Hammer speaks to Angela Jackman KC, a partner at Irwin Mitchell, about the current challenges of the SEND framework and on government proposals for reform. Angela has a wealth of experience in special educational needs, having represented parents and young people in this area for over two decades. She co-authors the Legal Action Group education law updates and regularly speaks at public events on education law. Over the years, Angela has contributed to numerous responses to government consultations on education law.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Agnieszka Fryszman
Barnaby speaks to Agnieszka Fryszman, head of human rights law at Cohen Milstein, about difficulties in holding companies to account between the US and other jurisdictions, levelling the playing field between victims and perpetrators, and how aspiring lawyers can balance work in corporate law with representing victims of human rights abuses, modern slavery, and other violations of liberty. Agnieszka is a recognized expert and leader in the field of human rights law, regularly litigating cases against corporate giants and foreign powers.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Lora Krsulich
Barnaby speaks to Lora Krsulich, a litigation associate at Susman Godfrey, about her experience of entering law school and the legal profession as a first-generation immigrant to the United States, and broader issues of socioeconomic access to the law, from a practitioner and client perspective.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Megan Senese
In a new episode of the Legal 500 Podcast, Barnaby speaks to Megan Senese, co-founder of stage, a business development & marketing venture focused on relationships, revenue, and growth for legal services. Barnaby and Megan discuss her departure from a BigLaw business development position and the importance of an empathy-driven approach to building personal and professional relationships with clients.
The Legal 500 Podcast: Eric Staal
Barnaby speaks to Eric Staal, Vice President for Global Markets at Lex Mundi, about challenges facing GCs this year, including broad issues relating to stakeholderism, internal and external ESG pressures, and ongoing impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Legal 500 Podcast: William Peake
Barnaby speaks to William Peake, Managing Partner at Harneys, about his career and recent appointment to the role, promotion of healthy law firm culture on a global basis, and the importance of progressive leadership.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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/
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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/
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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.
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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.
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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/
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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