The Non-Billable Podcast

US firm Goodwin is pursuing a focused growth strategy built around six industries: private equity, investment funds, technology, life sciences, healthcare and real estate. Chair Anthony McCusker joins the podcast to explain why the firm wants its lawyers to understand clients’ businesses as deeply as their legal problems, and how that approach sits at the centre of its Goodwin 2033 strategy.McCusker also takes us inside the firm’s AI push. Goodwin is investing $25 million a year in technology, developing its Regina operating system and redesigning common workflows through an initiative known as GAIN. The conversation also covers how Goodwin funds that investment, why external capital is not under consideration and the role of London in the firm’s future. The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:50 From Silicon Valley lawyer to Goodwin chair05:44 Leading Goodwin and the role of firm chair10:13 Why Goodwin is betting on industries over practices15:41 Building an AI-native law firm21:53 How AI could change legal delivery and pricing26:39 Superstar partners in the AI era30:07 Goodwin’s $25m-a-year AI investment32:31 Why London is vital to Goodwin’s strategyAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Weil was still generating more than $2 billion a year when its partnership unravelled. Yale Law School professor John Morley says that its collapse was driven not by financial distress, but by a decline in profitability relative to its closest rivals and a failure to choose between scale and a smaller, more elite model.Morley’s paper Why Law Firms Collapse examined around three dozen failures and identified a recurring “run on the partnership”. Because partners own the business and can leave with their clients, the departure of one productive partner reduces the profits available to everyone who remains - making the next departure more attractive.The conversation explores why superstar partners can make firms more fragile, how widening pay gaps have weakened traditional partnership cultures and why a merger may be the best escape route for a formerly elite firm losing ground.Morley also considers the lessons for London firms, the challenge facing private equity investors and what law firm leaders should watch for before a partner run becomesThe Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:50 Why Morley began studying law firm collapses04:07 Why law firms shatter rather than bounce10:29 Why US law firms are especially fragile12:51 The warning signs at Weil18:00 Why merger talks can stop a partner run23:15 Superstar partners and the decline of community29:32 What ultimately killed Weil35:08 AI, private equity and lessons for law firm leadersAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Offshore law firms play a central role in major cross-border deals and disputes, yet the market remains unfamiliar to many lawyers. Harneys global managing partner William Peake explains how the model works, why onshore law firms are its most important clients and how offshore jurisdictions compete for international business.Peake reflects on the $9.2bn dispute that helped make his career and what lawyers can expect from a move offshore. The conversation covers recruitment, partner pay, advocacy opportunities and the reality behind the promise of high-quality work and weekends in the Caribbean.We also examine private equity’s growing interest in offshore legal services, how Harneys is funding its expansion and the competitive risk posed by better-capitalised rivals. Peake also explains how his unusually candid LinkedIn presence has generated millions of views, opened doors with major firms and brought new work into Harneys.The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:40 How the offshore law firm model works03:26 The $9.2bn litigation that made Peake’s career07:56 Winning referrals from onshore law firms10:29 Recruiting lawyers and building a career offshore15:52 Partner pay, talent and accessible leadership20:24 Private equity and the Harneys Fiduciary sale33:06 Building Harneys’ profile through LinkedIn43:10 Ireland and the firm’s next phase of growthAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

PwC’s latest law firm survey points to a growing divide in the UK legal market. The largest firms are pulling ahead, specialist players are finding profitable niches and parts of the mid-market are coming under increasing pressure.Mark Anderson, who leads PwC’s professional business services sector, joins the podcast to explain why more law firm mergers are inevitable and how firms caught in the “squeezed middle” can respond.We also discuss why widespread AI adoption has yet to translate into financial returns, how the technology could reshape pricing, whether external capital has a role in Big Law and why cyber risk is back at the top of the agenda.The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:40 What PwC’s survey says about the UK legal market04:13 Why the top ten are pulling away06:18 The problem facing the squeezed middle11:19 Why more law firm mergers are inevitable13:51 AI adoption versus AI monetisation16:26 How AI could change law firm pricing24:44 Partner funding, private equity and Big Law32:21 Why cyber risk is back at the top of the agendaAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

King & Spalding is in growth mode in London. The office increased revenue by 48% last year, has expanded its footprint at 8 Bishopsgate and recently hired a major international arbitration and litigation team from WilmerHale.London managing partner Tom Sprange explains why the office has become central to the US firm’s international strategy. It is now King & Spalding’s fourth-largest office, its biggest outside the US and a hub connecting the firm’s practices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.The ambition is not to become a conventional full-service firm. Sprange describes a more selective model built around elite disputes, finance, private capital, investigations and regulatory work. He also explains why collaboration matters more than individual books of business, and why King & Spalding looks for practice builders rather than lawyers who simply claim to bring clients with them.The conversation also explores the changing economics of international arbitration, the rise of the highly paid superstar partner and how firms can stop their best lawyers being poached. Sprange closes by setting out where King & Spalding could expand next and why the firm’s trainee pipeline remains important to its London plans.The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:40 Why London matters to King & Spalding03:33 Revenue growth and the London practice mix09:48 Not going full-service13:12 Fund finance and making major team hires work19:53 The WilmerHale raid and the changing arbitration market23:36 How international disputes lawyers win clients27:44 Superstar partners, pay and retention32:51 The modern partner, AI and what comes nextAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Walker Morris has nearly doubled in size over the past seven years while holding on to a model that looks increasingly distinctive: one office in Leeds and no international network of its own. Revenue reached a record £90.2m last year, leaving the firm within reach of its £100m Ambition 27 target.Managing partner Jeanette Burgess explains why she believes the single-site model still works. The bigger question is what happens beyond £100m. Burgess says Walker Morris can continue scaling from Leeds for now, although the firm is reviewing its options as it develops its post-2027 strategy. She also discusses why the firm is attracting lawyers looking for greater autonomy than they may find at larger City and national firms.In relation to AI, Burgess expects firms may need “fewer, better people” in some areas and anticipates a gradual move away from hourly rates for routine work. But she rejects private equity as an answer to the investment challenge, arguing that surrendering control would cut against Walker Morris’ partnership model.The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Request a demo of CoCounsel Legal, visit: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/cocounsel-legal-uk.html Chapters00:01 Introduction01:35 Record growth and Jeanette’s path to leadership05:13 Evolution, innovation and leading the firm07:33 Walker Morris’ position in the market09:13 The advantages of a single office in Leeds16:01 How far can the model scale?18:51 AI, talent and the future law firm pyramid28:13 Why private equity is not right for Walker Morris33:02 What comes after Ambition 27?About Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Charles Russell Speechlys has expanded rapidly under managing partner Simon Ridpath, opening in Milan and Singapore before making a defining move into the US this year. The strategy is built around the firm’s ambition to become the world’s leading adviser to private capital – following wealthy individuals, families and entrepreneurs as their lives and investments become increasingly mobile globally.In this episode, Simon explains why the US had become an unavoidable gap in the firm’s network, what he learnt during two-and-a-half years studying the market and why CRS resisted the temptation to accelerate its launch simply by “opening a chequebook”.We also go inside the 2014 merger that created Charles Russell Speechlys. Simon reflects on the unusual challenge of combining two genuinely equal firms, why he prefers to talk about behaviours rather than culture and why mergers pursued principally for scale should make law firm leaders nervous.Finally, we explore one of the biggest questions facing the profession: how partnerships will fund international expansion, AI and the increasingly complicated business of running a law firm. Simon explains why private equity ownership remains difficult for Big Law, where external investment could work on a project basis and how technology may force firms to overhaul traditional pay and reward structures.Chapters00:01 Introduction00:55 Leading through constant disruption03:08 From legal aid work to City law04:59 Inside the Charles Russell Speechlys merger09:18 Why Simon became managing partner11:18 Building the firm around private capital17:09 Why CRS finally entered the US23:15 Following private capital into Milan and Singapore26:23 Funding growth, private equity and the impact of AIAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Christian Bartsch is the CEO of Bird & Bird, the international law firm built around technology, IP and regulation. He joined the firm in 2007, became CEO in 2022 and was recently re-elected for a second term.In this episode, Bartsch explains how he followed a leader who had run the firm for 26 years and why he involved the wider partnership in shaping Bird & Bird’s first five-year strategy.He discusses the firm’s target of reaching €1bn in revenue by 2029, its recent expansion into Tokyo, Riyadh and Lisbon, and why India remains a market he watches closely. He also addresses law firm consolidation, external capital and the circumstances in which Bird & Bird might consider a merger.The conversation then turns to AI, why Bartsch believes generic firms are vulnerable, how the traditional law firm pyramid may change and why training partners matters just as much as giving associates new tools.Chapters00:01 Introduction01:02 Christian’s journey from tech partner to CEO02:51 Taking over after David Kerr’s 26-year tenure04:59 Building a five-year strategy with the partnership07:29 Bird & Bird’s sector focus and competitive edge12:15 The €1bn revenue target and why growth isn’t the strategy17:43 International expansion, Saudi Arabia and India20:34 Big Law consolidation, US mergers and external capital27:11 AI, the law firm pyramid and why generic firms could struggleAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

Jo Farmer, joint managing partner of Lewis Silkin, joins the podcast to discuss the firm’s rapid growth and the strategy behind it. She explains why Lewis Silkin has resisted chasing revenue for its own sake, instead focusing on organic growth, its core strengths and expanding into locations where it sees opportunities for both clients and talent.Jo also talks about her own route into law, from growing up without any lawyers in the family to building a career in IP and advertising and eventually becoming joint managing partner.She discusses why social mobility matters so much to her, and why she believes Lewis Silkin’s distinctive history continues to shape the culture of the firm today.We get into leadership too, including why Jo never originally planned to become managing partner, what she learned from studying leadership at Cambridge and Harvard, and why she is a big believer in sharing the top job with fellow joint managing partner Richard Miskella.Finally, Jo shares how Lewis Silkin is approaching AI, from its early adoption of Harvey to building its own employment product, Delphius. Chapters00:01 Introduction00:50 Jo’s journey to Lewis Silkin and managing partner03:46 What makes Lewis Silkin different08:06 Social mobility and opening up routes into law10:02 Why Jo never planned to become managing partner12:25 The case for joint managing partners16:37 What Harvard taught Jo about leadership22:47 The strategy behind Lewis Silkin’s rapid growth30:34 AI, Harvey and the future of the law firm modelAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk

David Beech, CEO of listed law firm Knights, joins the podcast to discuss how he has built one of the UK's largest regional legal businesses since buying the firm in 2012. He explains why Knights has prioritised people and cash over traditional law firm metrics, how the business has grown through almost 30 acquisitions, and why he believes law firms should separate ownership from management.David also shares the thinking behind Knights' distinctive strategy. He discusses why the firm has no fee targets, why it manages through regional leadership rather than practice groups, and why culture is the first consideration when assessing acquisitions. The conversation explores external investment in law firms, drawing on David's experience of private equity backing and taking Knights public in 2018. He reflects on what it is like running a listed law firm, why he believes corporatisation is the long-term direction of the legal industry, and why minority investment may prove a more natural model for traditional partnerships than outright buyouts.Chapters00:01 Introduction00:50 Building Knights into the UK's largest regional legal business05:47 Why people and cash matter more than fee targets15:44 Rainmakers, culture and leading a collaborative law firm21:34 Why Knights has no ambition to open in London24:03 The acquisition playbook behind nearly 30 deals33:58 Lessons from private equity and taking Knights public38:42 Why more law firms won't follow Knights onto the stock market42:44 The future of external capital in the legal industryAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: ⁠⁠https://www.nonbillable.co.uk