
Counsel Culture: The Business of Law Podcast
Counsel Culture is your weekly digest of the biggest news stories in the UK Legal Market, brought to you by Byfield.
Episodes
101 episodes
Ownership Shifts, Disputes Firm Growth, and AI Gone Wrong
This week, Olivia is joined by Eleanor and Ben to discuss Clifford Chance’s openness to M&A and private equity investment and what this signals for the future of law firm ownership. They also look at the rise of disputes boutique Quillon, w...
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Season 1
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Episode 101
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22:10

How Private Capital is Reshaping Legal Careers with Melinda Wallman
For our 100th episode of Counsel Culture, Olivia speaks with Melinda Wallman, Chair and Global Practice Leader at Macrae, about how the rise of private capital is transforming legal recruitment. They explore the contrasting dynamics between the...
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Season 1
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Episode 100
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31:54

Building Culture and Influence with William Peake
This week, Olivia is joined by William Peake, Global Managing Partner at Harneys. They sit down to discuss William’s career journey and what shaped his path to leadership, as well as t...
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Season 1
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Episode 99
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47:32

The Shifting Career Landscape and the Rise of Non-Equity Partnerships
With regular host Olivia taking a well-earned break, Ben is joined by Byfield Account Director Eleanor Dean to cover a range of key topics - from the toughest UK graduate job market since 2018 and the growing shift towards non-equity partnershi...
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Season 1
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Episode 98
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22:59

Professor Stephen Mayson Discusses the IBE Report and Ethics in Legal Practice
This week, Olivia is joined by special guest, Professor Stephen Mayson, Lead, Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation (England & Wales); professor of law; independent non-executive chair, director and advisor; Bencher, Lincoln’s Inn...
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Season 1
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Episode 97
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47:16

CM Murray's Story, IFSEA Conference and Driving Change in Law – with Clare Murray
This week, Olivia is joined by Clare Murray, Managing Partner at CM Murray and Chair of the CLSC Communications Committee. They explore the origins of CM Murray, how the firm has evolved over the years, and what sets it apart. The conversation ...
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Season 1
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Episode 96
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39:23

Trump Lawsuits, Magic Circle Debate and Europe’s Top Private Equity Advisers
This week Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss Trump's executive orders facing a wave of legal actions, a businessman receiving a restraining order for his continued pursuit of a law firm, law firms trying to dis...
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Season 1
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Episode 95
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34:43

UK-US Trade, Trump Ties, and Legal Talent to Watch
With Olivia taking a well-earned break, Byfield's Joint Managing Directors, Ben and Michael, take the reins for this week’s episode of Counsel Culture. They delve into the UK–US trade deal, the possible merger between McDermott and Sch...
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Season 1
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Episode 94
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24:18

Trump's Ripple Effect, ESG Gaps and AI Demands
In this episode, Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the latest developments shaping the legal landscape on both sides of the Atlantic. From Donald Trump’s ongoing influence on Big Law to the growing ESG d...
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Season 1
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Episode 93
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27:41

Guy Beringer KC on the IBE Report and Ethical Challenges in the Legal Sector – Part 2
This week we share part two of Olivia's discussion with special guest Guy Beringer CBE, KC (Hon), former Senior Partner at Allen & Overy and Chair of the Task Force on Business Ethics and the Legal Profession. Byfield Founder Gus Sellitto a...
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Season 1
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Episode 92
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18:54

Guy Beringer KC on the IBE Report and Ethical Challenges in the Legal Sector – Part 1
This week on Counsel Culture, Olivia is joined by special guest Guy Beringer CBE, KC (Hon), former Senior Partner at Allen & Overy and Chair of the Task Force on Business Ethics and the Legal Profession. Byfield Founder, Gus Sellit...
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Season 1
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Episode 91
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34:09

Trump’s Impact, Rising Revenues & Regulatory Battles
This week, Olivia welcomes Joint Managing Director Michael Evans for a discussion on how law firms are responding to Trump’s impact on the legal industry, the revenue growth of Orrick and Simpson Thacher, the Legal Services Board’s criticism of...
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Season 1
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Episode 90
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26:45

Trump’s Executive Order & Linklaters’ Gender Progress
This week, Olivia is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss the latest updates on Trump’s ongoing battle with big law, including his recent executive order against WilmerHale. They also cover the news that Linklaters is on...
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Season 1
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Episode 89
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22:36

Trump vs. Paul Weiss, Diversity Cuts & Financial Wins
This week Olivia is joined by Michael Evans, Joint Managing Director at Byfield, to discuss Trump targeting Paul Weiss, firms cutting diversity wording, HSF being fined for sanctions breaches and K&E revenues. To read the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 88
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37:49

Trump’s Order Blocked, US Firms Expanding & a CV Controversy
Counsel Culture is excited to introduce its new host, Olivia Adam! Olivia, a Senior Account Executive, has been with Byfield for six months and previously worked as a journalist at the International Financial Law Review.I...
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Season 1
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Episode 87
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22:03

Law Firm Financial Results, Trump Tariffs and US Change in ED&I Policies
This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans to discuss the first US firm financial results, as well as Freshfields' LLP accounts, and best practice in releasing the financials.
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Season 1
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Episode 86
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27:06

The Billable Hour’s Grip, Partner Pay Divides & Legal Reactions to DeepSeek’s Rise
This week, Meg is joined by Joint managing Director Michael Evans to discuss how the billable hour is still dominant in the legal world, law firm partner pay segmentation, Post Office prosecutions, Prigozhin's lawyers facing no regulatory actio...
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Season 1
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Episode 85
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35:52

Navigating Change: Post-Trump Dynamics in US, UK, and EU Regulatory, Cultural, and Business Landscapes
Meg is joined by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone to discuss how regulatory, cultural, and business frameworks in the US, UK, and EU will evolve after Trump's inauguration.
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Season 1
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Episode 84
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23:02

Financials Season Kick-Off, Internal Pay Wars, Preparing for a Second Trump Term
Meg returns for the second episode of Counsel Culture this year. Joined by Joint Managing Director Michael Evans, they discuss listed firms publishing positive results despite ongoing market volatility, what Quinn Emanuel's results might mean f...
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Season 1
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Episode 83
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34:08

KPMG Law's Move into the US, Rising Rates and PE Investments into Law
This week Meg is joined by Byfield Associate Director, Beth Durkin. They discuss KPMG Law targeting an alternative business licence in the US, the increase in law firm rates, Private Equity’s Calculated push into law firms and how the last year...
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30:26

Climate Protests, Partner Retention, and US Firm Dynamics
This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Directors Ben Girdlestone and Michael Evans. They discuss why climate protestors are targeting A&O Shearman,lateral partner retention, US firms dragging their feet on training contracts and how ...
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Season 1
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Episode 81
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40:38

Disputes & Investigations Monthly: Diving into the Market Impact of the PACCAR Decision and Key Insights on Litigation Funding with Sean McGuiness
In this episode, Meg and Dina are joined by Sean McGuiness, Investment Manager, Senior Legal Counsel at Omni Bridgeway. They discuss how the PACCAR decision is impacting the market and what to expect from this government in the legislation tack...
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Season 1
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Episode 80
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24:05

HSF-Kramer Merger, Climate Protests and the US Election Impact
In the episode, Meg is joined by Byfield Joint Managing Director, Ben Girdlestone, to discuss the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer merger, the climate protests outside law firms, the US election and a couple of law firm culture stories recently p...
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Season 1
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Episode 79
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25:30

FOMO in Law Firm Mergers, Trainee Salaries, and High-Profile Legal Cases
In this episode, Michael and Ben dive into some of the biggest news stories in the UK Legal Market. They explore whether law firm leaders are experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) amidst the wave of mergers sweeping the sector. The conversati...
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26:15

Counsel Culture – Law Firm Challenges and Ethics in Litigation with Simon Davis
Meg welcomes Simon Davis, former Law Society of England and Wales President and former commercial litigation Partner at Clifford Chance, on the podcast this week to discuss the ever-changing landscape in the legal industry and all of the challe...
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37:59
