But, Is It Legal?

Can a law firm embrace private equity, acquisitions and ambitious growth without losing the culture that made it successful? In this episode of But Is It Legal?, host Simon Marshall sits down with Nick Taylor, CEO of Higgs LLP, to explore the firm’s evolution from a leading West Midlands practice into a private equity-backed, multi-regional law firm. Drawing on more than 25 years of M&A experience, Nick offers an honest account of external investment, law firm consolidation and the realities of building a modern, scalable legal business. 🎙️ 🔥 What's included: The Higgs “secret sauce”: why care, authenticity and strong relationships remain central to the firm’s culture and client experience. Why private equity?: the limitations of traditional partnership funding and why external investment offered Higgs a faster route to growth. Choosing the right investor: how Higgs assessed potential partners and why cultural alignment mattered as much as financial backing. The reality of the deal: Nick reflects on leading Higgs through an intense due diligence process and drawing on his own M&A background. Building a multi-regional firm: the strategy behind Higgs’ expansion beyond the West Midlands and its acquisitions in Scotland. Protecting culture through acquisitions: why Nick is “fiercely protective” of the Higgs identity and how the firm assesses potential acquisition targets. The consolidation of legal services: how regulation, recruitment pressures, technology costs and narrowing margins are reshaping the profession. AI and future growth: why technology could allow specialist firms to scale without increasing headcount at the same rate. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to understand what private equity investment really means for a law firm, this episode offers a commercially grounded view from someone leading the process. Nick explains how Higgs is combining legal excellence, operational discipline and ambitious growth while working to protect the culture at the heart of the business. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Nick Taylor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-taylor-b27aa349/ Profile: https://www.higgsllp.co.uk/our-people/nick-taylor 👉 Follow Simon Marshall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

What does it really take to modernise a 110-year-old law firm, and what happens when the person leading it isn't a lawyer? In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall sits down with Ashton Hunt, CEO of Tees Law, to explore how one of the East of England's most established firms is transforming itself from the inside out. From agricultural heritage and deliberate strategic restraint to AI disruption and client experience, Ashton brings a commercial perspective to the challenges facing the legal profession right now. 🎙️ 🔥 What's included: From Stanley Tee to today: how 110+ years of agricultural heritage still shapes Tees culture and client relationships, and why that longevity is a genuine commercial asset. Strategic restraint: why Tees deliberately avoided opening in London and what it means to maximise what you've already built before chasing the next thing. The non-lawyer CEO advantage: how an accountant's mindset breaks bottlenecks, challenges "we've always done it this way" thinking, and treats law firm operations like a production line. R&D: robbing and duplicating: how Ashton applies lessons from Amazon, production-line efficiency, and cross-industry thinking to legal services. AI and the value of lawyers: "AI knows in a second what you've accumulated in 30 years. What's your value add?" why relationships and client experience become the true differentiator. Breaking down silos: the social investments, cross-referral culture and internal relationship-building that drive a 450-person firm. Big little firm to little big firm: Ashton's three-year vision to take Tees into the UK's top 50, and why he's confident they'll get there. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to understand how a deeply traditional law firm can genuinely transform its culture, client experience and ambition without losing what makes it great, this episode is essential. Ashton brings commercial honesty, sharp strategic thinking and a refreshingly outsider view of what the legal profession needs to do next. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Ashton Hunt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhunt/ Profile: https://teeslaw.com/people/ashton-hunt/ 👉 Follow Simon Marshall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

What does it really take to lead the solicitors’ profession in 2025? In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall welcomes Mark Evans, the 181st President of the Law Society of England and Wales, to discuss the pressures facing high street firms, why solicitor wellbeing can no longer be ignored, and how the profession must become more open, representative and fit for the future. Mark also shares the personal story behind founding the legal running community LegalRunner. 🎙️   🔥 What's included: Why he wanted the presidency: using the role to make the profession more open and representative. Pressure points: regulation, compliance and financial strain on smaller firms. Get involved: Mark’s push to open up the Law Society so more solicitors can shape change. Why wellbeing is personal: the family experience that changed Mark’s view of health and work. Running through grief: how taking up running became a turning point in his own life. LegalRunner: why he founded a running community for the legal profession and why it helps people open up. A profession fit for the future: Mark’s themes of wellbeing, representation and long-term resilience. Practical advice for lawyers: protect your personal diary with the same discipline as your work one. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to understand where the legal profession is under the most pressure, and what needs to change to keep it strong, this episode is essential. Mark brings honesty, warmth and a grounded view of leadership, wellbeing and why the profession must work harder to support the people within it. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Mark Evans LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-evans-57927917 Profile: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/about-us/our-governance/council-constituencies-and-current-members/mark-philip-evans 👉 Follow Simon Marshall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

Many firms talk “strategy”; few make space for it. In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall welcomes Jo Farmer (joint Managing Partner at Lewis Silkin) to discuss her playbook for modern firm leadership - pacing decisions, keeping close to clients, rolling out AI with courage, and killing off firm clichés.🎙️ 🔥 What's included: Leadership pace: when to slow decisions so better answers surface. Strategy vs ops: carving protected thinking time (and using it). Two at the top: how a joint MP model adds challenge, pace and accountability. AI that sticks: enterprise-wide Harvey rollout to build a learning culture. Beyond ROI: why judging AI too early misses the real win-capability. Next-gen growth: lower chargeable targets so associates learn BD, tech and pricing early. Differentiate or drift: retire tired taglines; speak to outcomes. Market moves: rise of super-boutiques as conflicts and economics bite. Visible leadership: consistent internal comms without chasing virality. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want a candid, usable blueprint for leading a law firm, this episode is for you. Jo brings clarity, practicality and rare transparency on how decisions get made, and how the next generation is being built.   👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Jo Farmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-farmer-3569b62/ Profile: https://www.lewissilkin.com/experts/jo-farmer 👉 Follow Simon Marshall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

Many lawyers lurk on LinkedIn, few turn it into real client work. In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall welcomes Pawel Sawicki (Bird & Bird) to discuss his playbook on using consistency, personality, and practical posts to build trust and generate new work. Pawel explains the simple steps that turns quiet views into DMs, and DMs into deals. 🎙️ 🔥 What's included: The pivot: moving from passive scrolling to a repeatable posting habit that compounds. Three content pillars: practical white-collar guidance, employer branding, and personal passions. Why “personal” wins: how human posts outperform technical posts and still lead to new work. DMs to deals: the charity-jersey post that turned into a whistleblowing engagement. Relationship hacks: meetings that start with shared interests (and end with trust). Cadence & engagement: 1–2 posts a week, weekdays vs weekends, and never post & ghost. For hesitant lawyers: play the long game: experiment, reply, comment, build community. Authenticity vs AI: being human is the edge; be kind is the rule. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want a practical, repeatable ways to turn LinkedIn into a potential pipeline, this episode is for you. Pawel shares tactics, stories, and cadence that convert quiet readers into real clients. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Pawel Sawicki Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawel-sawicki-bird/ Profile: https://www.twobirds.com/en/people/p/pawel-sawicki   ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/   Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

Former BBC anchor turns mediator. Joanna Gosling (Irwin Mitchell) talks about her new role and fascinating career journey. In this episode of But is it Legal?, Joanna joins Simon Marshall to discuss listening-first rules, smart pauses, and why many deals land after mediation, women-on-boards lessons for better decision-making, and some of her biggest career moments. 🔥 What's included: • Leaving the newsroom: From life as a BBC anchor to mediation, and the journey between. • How she runs a mediation: Listening-first rules, smart pauses, and when to split the room. • Staying steady: Daily head-clearing habits, reflective follow-ups, and never leaving people stuck. • When talks stall: Why many deals land after the day and how to keep momentum. • Women on boards: Key insights, Deloitte’s women on board’s programme and making boardrooms communicate better. • Big moments: Announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s passing live and anchoring the handover to King Charles. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want a practical guide to moving mediations from deadlock to settlement - this episode is for you. Joanna brings clear, field-tested tactics on listening, pausing and momentum, women-on-boards insights, and a rare look into life as news anchor, covering some of the biggest moments in history. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Joanna Gosling Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-gosling-8a54aa224/ Profile: https://www.irwinmitchell.com/our-people/joanna-gosling ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk  

What happens when you swap billable hours for a movement? In this episode of But is it Legal?, Simon Marshall sits down with Ben White (Crafty Counsel) to learn how a small idea became the UK’s fastest growing in-house legal community, and where it’s heading next…🎙️ 🔥 What's included: The story so far - Leaving Clifford Chance to founding Crafty Counsel, and the in-between. Events that work - “Stadium buzz, dinner party feel,” neuro-inclusive touches, and yes… the silent-disco headphones. Keynotes that hit - Post Office’s Lee Castleton, Zelda Perkins, Jordan Breslow and why ethics lands. Going continental - Crafty Fest Europe (Amsterdam, 2nd October) at the Heineken Experience + speakers from Unilever, Rio Tinto, Mastercard, Mollie and PopHouse to name a few. New-market playbook - Crafty Locals meetups and brand-building beyond the UK. Boutique x AI - Why focused firms that pair human judgment with AI could change the industry. What’s next - Crafty Week (FinTech Day, Disputes Day, Legal Tech Buyers Club) and early US moves…. watch this space. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want the inside track on where the in-house community, legal events, and AI-shaped service models are headed, and how to build legal networks that actually move your career forward - this episode is for you. 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Ben White Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-white-33b79032/ Crafty Counsel: www.craftycounsel.co.uk ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/ Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk  

Building a Generation of Financially Savvy Lawyers | Ep 32 Carla Hoppe 🎙️ Lawyers can recite law in their sleep, yet many admit they’ve never learned the basics of financial management. In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall welcomes Carla Hoppe, the founder of Wealthbrite, for a straight-talk conversation on money mis-education in the UK. Carla reveals how Wealthbrite equips lawyers, from trainees to partners, with the practical tools to save, invest, and build real wealth.🎙️ 🔥 What's included: Money & mental health - “Money is still the number one cause of stress and anxiety in working adults in the UK,” yet the profession “still doesn’t talk about it enough.” Why lawyers stay silent - Fear of judgment, salary secrecy, and keeping personal finances off-limits at work. When private pressure turns into firm-level risk - Falsified expenses, padded timesheets, and chasing bonuses. The u-curve of financial stress - Survey data shows that peak stress is felt at the start of people’s careers, eases, then climbs again at 10 years plus PQE. Misinformation minefield - Viral social media videos which provide advice that can lead to fraud without a single disclaimer. Next-gen fixes - A new “Keep the Change” community where partners, senior associates and juniors answer questions anonymously, and why 15-year-olds talk about it more openly… they don’t have any shame. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to see how money stress is quietly reshaping the UK legal profession, and how to protect yourself and your firm, this episode is a must. Carla offers clear, practical insight on what needs to change, financial risks, and building a safer, smarter money culture through her Wealthbrite community.   👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Carla Hoppe Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlahoppe/ Wealthbrite: https://www.wealthbrite.co.uk/    ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/   Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

Re-wiring the Legal Career Playbook | Ep31 Alana Tart 🎙️ Feeling boxed in by the “one-track” legal career?  In this episode of But is it Legal?, host Simon Marshall chats with Alana Tart, General Counsel, Executive Coach, Mindfulness Teacher and co-founder of The Mentor Well, a youth-mentoring start-up that helps young individuals to navigate their futures confidently.🎙️ 🔥 What's included: Fractional GC decoded: Why scaling tech companies hire Alana, how she still sits at the board table, and the two myths that stop senior lawyers from making the leap. Designing bountiful weeks, not 14-hour days: The practical routine that lets her switch from strategy calls to school drop-offs without missing a beat. Coach vs. Counsel: How mindfulness and emotional-intelligence coaching turbo-charge her contract negotiations (and why “weaponised wellbeing” is a real risk). Mentor Well: The start-up pairing teens with well-informed mentors: safeguarding rules, data-privacy headaches, and the game-changing impact on Gen Z resilience. Red-flag culture: Narcissism, gas-lighting & “neck-up” thinking in law firms: what it looks like, why it festers, and the self-awareness fix HR policies can’t deliver. Rapid-fire truths: The stress habit she’s still kicking, the phrase she’d ban from every lawyer’s vocabulary, and who shouldn’t choose the fractional path. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to steal a blueprint for building a multi-strand legal career, discover why emotional intelligence, not just technical skills, will future-proof you in an AI-driven world, learn how an innovative mentoring model can safeguard youngsters mental health, and finally ditch the habit of brushing off “soft skills” as mere “pragmatism.” 👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Alana Tart Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-tart-771a30/ Profile: https://www.thelegaldirector.co.uk/team/alana-tart/ Mentor Well: https://www.thementorwell.com/ ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/   Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk

Fresh off The Lawyer’s Hot 100 list, Laura Hughes (Browne Jacobson) talks about the future of law, government, and everything in between. In this episode of But is it Legal?, Laura joins Simon Marshall to break down what’s really going on behind the scenes of English devolution, local government reform, and the rise of Combined County Authorities. From advising governments on landmark structural changes to opening Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office, Laura shares sharp insights on the legal, political, and personal challenges shaping the UK’s next chapter.🎙️   🔥 What's included: Corporate aspirations to public impact: Hear how Laura found purpose in public law, and why it’s now one of the most politically charged and rewarding legal areas. The next decade of Public Law: Laura explains why public lawyers are about to be very busy, and how devolution, reorganisation, and funding gaps will collide across the UK. Behind the headlines: What really goes into creating a Combined County Authority? Laura breaks down the legal, political, and operational side that most never see. The legal side of devolution: Understand the pressure facing councils, governments, and legal teams trying to implement sweeping reforms without resources. Opening Cardiff: Discover what it’s like to lead a firm’s expansion into a new region, and why Browne Jacobson’s Welsh office was more than just a postcode. Hot 100 recognition: Laura reflects on being named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100. What it means to be recognised as a leader, and how she balances big ambition with mentorship and team culture. Legal heroes & real-world impact: Why Ruth Bader Ginsburg still influences Laura’s leadership style, and how she brings that same focus on equality and clarity to the boardrooms of public institutions. 🎧 Why you should listen: If you want to understand where the UK’s legal and political systems are heading, and what lawyers will need to do to keep up, this episode is essential. Laura brings experience, honesty, and real insight into how big decisions get made behind closed doors.   👉 Subscribe now and be part of the conversation that’s changing up the UK legal sector! ----- 👉 Follow Laura Hughes Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hughes-solicitor/ Profile: https://www.brownejacobson.com/people/laura-hughes ----- 👉 Follow Simon Marshall Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpaulmarshall/   Website: www.tbdmarketing.co.uk