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The Lawyer Podcast
The Lawyer Podcast
Author: The Lawyer
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© 2026 The Lawyer Podcast
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Hosted by editor Catrin Griffiths and litigation editor Christian Smith, every second Thursday The Lawyer Podcast brings you our take on the top stories, trends and views moving the legal market.
For more news, analysis and data, go to www.thelawyer.com. The Lawyer Podcast can be contacted at podcast@thelawyer.com.
83 Episodes
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Send a text In this episode Cat Griffiths and Matt Byrne discuss the latest US financials season, and whether law firms are actually listening to their clients on one of the biggest issues in the world today.
Send a text This episode of the Wellness Podcast is a recording of a panel discussion that took place at The Lawyer's in-house counsel as business partner summit, featuring both general counsel and private practice lawyers who have battled their own mental health issues.
Send a text Junior associate Eloise Skinner and The Lawyer's features editor Richard Simmons discuss mindfulness.
Send a text Eloise Skinner, Sally Davies, Andrew Wells and Katie Power discuss the importance of having a sense of purpose as a lawyer.
Send a text In the first episode of The Lawyer's Wellness Podcast, we talk about the role of mental health first-aiders within law firms.
Send a text The Silver Circle was a concept coined by The Lawyer more than 20 years ago. Rather than describing a set of “magic circle wannabes”, its purpose was to collate the firms’ strategies and models. Those in the Silver Circle have arguably changed over the years, with the likes of Macfarlanes and Travers Smith remaining constant. But after two decades and enormous changes in the legal market, does the term still hold true, and who is actually in the Silver Circle now? Tune in to the n...
Send a text Brad Karp became a household name - for Big Law at least - during his 17 year tenure at the helm of Paul Weiss. But the long serving chair of the New York firm resigned from his leadership role last week over revelations in the latest batch of the Epstein files. His exit makes him one of the first Americans to resign over the revelations. So on this episode of The Lawyer Podcast, we take a look at why he quit, and what next for Paul Weiss under new chair, Scott Barshay.
Send a text The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos usually revolves around talk of business, finance and investment. Indeed, law firms Baker McKenzie and DLA Piper are official partners of the forum. But last week’s meeting was dominated by the unusual topic of Greenland: President Trump’s threat to take the island by force, the Danish government’s rebuff and the seeming fracturing of the NATO alliance. While the issue may seem like a matter of geopolitics not immediately con...
Send a text The Lawyer Podcast is back for 2026 and it is picking up where we left off: with transatlantic mergers. Just before Christmas, Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader announced what will be, by value, the largest law firm merger ever agreed. The headline figures look good, but all may not be as it seems… So on the first podcast of the year, we assess what we really make of the tie-up and ask, is time running out for other firms to find a merger partner?
Send a text As if 2025 needed just another little dollop of big legal news, Taylor Wessing and Winston & Strawn are set to become the fourth major transatlantic merger in two and a half years. So The Lawyer Podcast is back for an unexpected bonus episode as they talk through the announcement. The second transatlantic tie-up in a month, the team discusses what the firms are up to, what it means for Germany and the rest of Europe, and whether it is actually a good idea, or a bold mistake… H...
Send a text As 2025 draws to a close, it feels like 2025 has been an inflection point for the legal sector. While firm financials largely look good, fundamental changes are underway on both sides of the Atlantic. Technology, investment, mergers and even politics all shook the business of law this year. So for the final episode of The Lawyer Podcast in 2025, we take a look back at what has changed for the sector this year, and what it means for 2026.
Send a text Unlike A&O’s tie up with Shearman and Sterling, Ashurst’s announcement that it had agreed a merger did not come as a surprise. The firm had been in the market for a US-merger for more than two decades, yet its new partner, Perkins Coie, did still come as a bit of a surprise. The silver circle firm clearly needed to make its move, but was it the right one? Tune in to the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast as hosts Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith are joined by Matt Byrne and...
Send a text The Lawyer’s editor Catrin Griffiths and director of insight Matt Byrne are back from a fact-finding mission in New York, and merger mania is gripping the city’s lawyers. As firms seek scale, reach and private capital clients, some of the oldest firms in the Big Apple are pondering how a tie up could help their bottom line. And while private equity investment into firms is all the rage in the UK, in the US it is starting to gain traction as well. So in the new episode of The Lawye...
Send a text Tax rises for partnerships may be on the way in next month’s Budget – and potentially big ones at that. Many lawyers were left shocked after the news broke last week that the Government is considering adding the equivalent of employer’s national insurance onto partnerships. So on the new episode of The Lawyer Podcast, we ask what that might mean for a range of firms, whether it is a good idea (or just good politics), what firms might do about it, and what friend of the show and fo...
Send a text Private equity investment in law firms has accelerated in the past 12 months. Essentially every UK200 law firm in the country has been approached, and many have already accepted the opportunity. Now the question is whether firms at the top of the market might join in. But is it actually a good idea? Can law firms offer the rapid turnaround that private equity demands? Or is it just a chance for equity partners to cash in and retire, leaving behind them a mess for their firms? The ...
Send a text The Lawyer's UK200: Top 100 report, sponsored by Legora, is out and it contains 100 stories of firms forging ahead or falling behind. But which are the most interesting of all? In this week's episode of The Lawyer Podcast we dive into the sea of data and analysis that is the UK200 report and come up clutching four firms that are particularly worthy of attention this year. Who are they? Why should you care about them? And who does director of insight Matt Byrne think is the sexiest...
Send a text Gardening has transformed from an old-fashioned past-time to a popular trend in the past few years, and now, even law firms are getting in on the action. Firms like Eversheds, Switalskis and CANDEY are leading the charge, but there is so much more that could be done. After all, who wants to look at a grey bit of concrete all day. So as the Autumn weather sets in and as we all try to distract ourselves from the news, The Lawyer Podcast asks what difference gardens would make to law...
Send a text The kids are back in school, the clouds are rolling in, and offices across the land are filling up with lawyers returning from their holidays. And just in time, The Lawyer Podcast is back after the summer break. But just like in Westminster, it was far from a quiet summer for the legal sector. So on our first episode back, we bring you the stories you missed while you were on your holidays. From Addleshaw Goddard’s salary debunching and bumps in the road for Pogust Goodhead and th...
Send a text There is a radical reconfiguration taking place in the world of BigLaw that may make terms like magic circle or white shoe firm obsolete. The transatlantic, private capital corridor between New York and London is now the stamping ground for some of the world’s best and most profitable law firms - firms that The Lawyer are now calling the Global Elite. The Lawyer’s brand new The Global Elite report sets out those firms making the grade as part of the transatlantic universe. So...
Send a text As the government launches a sweeping review into parental leave, The Lawyer Podcast takes a look at the challenges faced by parents and other carers working in the legal sector. Are firms pulling their weight? Are men? How far have we come and what more can be done? SHOW NOTES The Lawyer's Working Parents Report can be read here.








