GMT: The Podcast For Globally Minded Law Firm Leaders

Welcome back to the GMT Podcast. In this second part of our two-part conversation, co-hosts Murray Coffey and Rob Bata are joined by Gerard Tanja from Venturis Consulting Group. Together, they continue exploring the evolving landscape of global legal markets, focusing on U.S. expansion, cross-border mergers, and predictions for the year ahead.

If you missed Part 1, be sure to catch up here.

Key Discussion Points:

• How Magic Circle firms are evolving their strategies and looking beyond traditional financial centers in the U.S.
• The rise of mid-market consolidation across Europe and its impact on the global legal landscape.
• Predictions for 2025 and beyond, including potential surprise mergers and sector-driven growth initiatives.

Predictions to Watch:

Here are just a couple of the many predictions shared by our guests. Be sure to listen to the full episode to catch all of their insights.

• Gerard Tanja: "I do think we will see firm-to-firm mergers of UK-headquartered international firms which have a main presence in continental European jurisdictions. ."
• Rob Bata: "We will see U.S. firms continuing to show tremendous interest in Asia, especially as they navigate the challenges of decoupling from China."

Do not miss out. Tune in now to hear the full range of predictions and insights.

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

Welcome back to GMT! In this episode, Rob Bata and Murray Coffey sit down with trusted advisor Gerard Tanja of Venturis Partners to unpack what's really going on in the global legal market. We take a deep dive into cross-border expansion, major mergers making headlines, and why litigation boutiques are gaining traction worldwide. It is a thoughtful, candid conversation aimed at law firm leaders navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. If your firm is eyeing growth beyond borders, you will not want to miss this one.

Featured Quotes:

• Gerard Tanja: "We will see in the future—a kind of global elite type of 10 to 15 firms consisting mainly of and dominated by U.S. firms."
• Rob Bata: "What we are seeing is that disputes generally—litigation, arbitration, mediation—are becoming global. This is why litigation boutiques are becoming more international."

Main Topics Discussed:

• The big mergers that have garnered significant attention: Allen & Overy teaming up with Shearman & Sterling, and the pending Herbert Smith Freehills-Kramer Levin combination.
• How U.S. and U.K. firms are positioning themselves for European expansion—and why they are choosing certain markets over others.
• The increasing presence of Chinese and Japanese firms in Europe and what that means for regulatory dynamics.
• The rise of specialized litigation boutiques and their shift toward a global footprint.
• Why the Nordic and Benelux regions are becoming hot spots for law firm growth.
• What law firm leaders should expect in the next few years—more transatlantic mergers, aggressive European expansions, and a reshaping of the mid-market landscape.

Call to Action:

Make sure to subscribe to GMT and catch Part 2 of this conversation, where Rob and Gerard dive even deeper into what is ahead for 2025 and beyond. You can find us on all major podcast platforms—Apple Podcasts, Spotify—wherever you get your podcasts. And if you like what you hear, share it with your colleagues and leave us a review!

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

Welcome to part two of GMT’s season opener.  Murray and Rob are joined by media pro and founder of Byfield, Gus Sellitto.

In this insightful episode, we explore the intricate balance global firms must strike as they navigate the challenging role of maintaining a global voice within diverse local markets.

Key points discussed include:

• Collaboration with Internal Teams: Gus explores how external consultants complement in-house PR by offering specialized insights and a broad market perspective, particularly useful in crisis and reputation management.
• Harmonizing Global and Local Values:  We discuss how a law firm’s global values, such as respecting diversity and upholding certain ethical standards, can coexist harmoniously with the local laws and customs of the places where they have offices.
• Challenges of Balancing Acts: Finally, we look at the gray areas in balancing global firm values with local laws. And we conclude that although challenging, it is possible to successfully navigate without compromising on either front.

Please stay tuned for the next edition of GMT: The Podcast for Globally Minded Law Firm Leaders. 

For more information contact:
Gus Sellitto
Rob Bata
Murray Coffey

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

Welcome to Season Two of GMT! A heartfelt thank you to all of our listeners. We're excited to announce that we have a jam-packed lineup of episodes coming your way in 2024. Kicking off our new season, we're thrilled to have Gus Sellitto, Founder of Byfield Consultancy, join us. Gus and his firm specialize in proactive reputation counsel for law firm leaders worldwide. In today's episode, you'll discover why a firm's reputation needs to be guarded, promoted, and protected all at once. Given our current media landscape, managing a firm's reputation is more crucial and challenging than ever. Controlling the narrative is increasingly seen as a vital part of law firms' strategic planning. Gus will highlight the major challenges law firms face in managing their reputation globally. In Part Two, we'll delve deeper into geopolitics' role and how the global marketplace influences firms' perceptions both externally and internally.

For more information contact:
Gus Sellitto
Rob Bata
Murray Coffey

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

Rob and Murray are joined by Gerard Tanja, founder of Venturis Consulting Group. Gerard is the EU's leading expert in global law firm mergers. Join us for a brisk and content rich discussion covering Gerard's unique approach to consulting with clients seeking cross border mergers. Hear about Gerard's thoughts on the next hot spots in Europe for global expansion and Rob shares his insights on why Hong Kong continues to be a location of choice for the largest firms in the world. We also discuss the impact of the A&O Sherman merger and its implications for competition across Europe's legal sector. (Hint: Buckle up.) And of course you do not want to miss the last chapter in "Bata's Best Bets" for 2024. Please contact Murray ([email protected]) or Rob ([email protected]) with any thoughts, questions or ideas on who we can improve GMT. 

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

This is part II of GMT's in depth discussion with ⁠Bill Schroeder⁠ principal and founder of Clarity Group Consulting, the premier professional services brand advisory. In this episode we talk through how firms, especially those with global components, can approach the brand elements of the merged firm. Best in class firms think though the implications of the soon to be merged new entity far earlier in the process than we have seen historically. Listen to Bill discuss the ways firms can approach this effort while both maximizing the efforts of management while also allowing for strong input from both partners and clients. 

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

In this episode of GMT (and the next) Rob and Murray are joined by Bill Schroeder principal and founder of Clarity Group Consulting, the premier professional services brand advisory. Bill and the Clarity team have worked with some of the most notable names in global law. In his trademark down to earth style Bill shares Clarity’s simple yet profoundly actionable definition of brand. We cover a multitude of brand and culture issues relevant to the modern law firm, especially those merging or considering a merger. Please make sure to listen to part two in which we take a deep dive into brand and cross-border mergers.

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

In this episode Rob and Murray are joined by Zulon Begum, oneof the world’s leading law firm merger and governance experts, and partner at UK powerhouse CM Murray for a conversation that spans the globe in about 30 minutes. Zulon, Rob and Murray provide their take on the pitch perfect communications around the putative Allen and Overy and Shearman and Sterling merger. Hear Zulon and Rob dissect the somewhat halting march towards liberalization in the Indian legal services market. And Rob tells us about a novel way for some firms to improve their Chambers rankings (hint, be bought out by the same PE fund that owns Chambers.) A big thanks to Zulon Begum for joiningus and sharing her prescient insights. We will definitely invite Zulon backsoon.

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

GMT proudly presents Part II of our conversation with the irrepressible and always thoughtful David Kaufman, Director of Global Strategies at Nixon Peabody LLP. In this episode David and Rob dig into global growth strategy or, to put a finer point on it, strategies. Both David and Rob know of what they speak as both are globally recognized leaders in growth across just about every border imaginable. Murray peppers in a bit but he really went to school listening to these two incredibly down-to-earth professionals share their knowledge. This is a treat. Please subscribe and, as always, let us know how we can make this podcast better for you and, if there is a subject, we should consider covering in the GMT podcast.

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]

GMT welcomes our very special guest David Kaufman, Director of Global Strategies at Nixon Peabody LLP, for a wide-ranging discussion of all things business development, marketing, and global reach. We very quickly steered clear of higher math and had what can only be described as an epic chat with one of the sector's leading thinkers and doers. The conversation was so engaging we made it a two-part series.  Episode one drops now, and we will drop episode two in the next few weeks.  Make sure to subscribe so you do not miss a minute of David, Rob and Murray mixing it up. We are hitting our stride!

Contact Rob and Murray:
Robert C. Bata, Founder and Principal, WarwickPlace Legal
Email: [email protected]

Murray M. Coffey, Founder and Principal, M Coffey
Email: [email protected]