Legally Speaking Podcast

“There’s a very different skill set in leading people remotely.”  - Adrian Bell

On today’s Legally Speaking Podcast, sponsored by Clio, I’m delighted to be joined by Adrian Bell. Adrian joined CMS in 2002, building a career spanning international disputes, business development and law firm leadership. Before becoming Managing Partner, he was Co-Head of CMS’s Infrastructure, Construction and Energy Disputes Group and Managing Director for Asia and the Middle East.

During his leadership of the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, CMS expanded its international presence, opening offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. In April 2026, Adrian began his 4-year term as Managing Partner at CMS, overseeing the UK, Middle East, Asia, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Today, we will explore Adrian’s journey from practising lawyer to Managing Partner, leading an international law firm, the challenges of balancing commercial success, and his vision for the future of CMS. 

So why should you be listening in? 

You can hear Rob and Adrian discussing:

- From Lawyer To Managing Partner: Adrian Bell’s Journey Leading CMS

- The Business Of Law: Driving Growth and Building Client Relationships

- Leading Through People: Attracting Talent and Building Strong Teams

- The Future of Law: Embracing AI, Technology and Innovation

- Building a Legacy: Leadership, Confidence and Learning From Failure.

Connect with Adrian Bell here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/adrianjamesbell

We are excited to be back in Boston for Clio Con Clips 2026! The Legally Speaking Podcast™ returns as an official media partner, bringing you exclusive interviews, fresh insights and behind-the-scenes conversations from one of the world’s leading legal technology conferences. Our Clio Con Clips series features Clio’s leadership, legal tech pioneers, Reisman Award winners and industry changemakers exploring the latest developments in AI, legal innovation, access to justice and the future of the legal profession.

In the third minisode of Clio Con Clips 2026, we get to speak with returning guest, John Foreman, the Chief Product Officer of Clio. In our conversation, John discusses how AI can automate routine law-firm work, adapt software to lawyers and connect workflows across a secure, unified platform. He also shares how Clio prioritises product ideas and hopes to reduce the spreadsheets and follow-ups that burden growing firms to this day.

So why should you be listening in?

You can hear Rob and John discussing:

- How Software Should Adapt To Lawyers

- AI Absorbing Complexity for Users

- Unifying Data, Users, Roles and Permissions

- Automating Full End-To-End Workflows

- Safe AI Obeying Privilege Permissions

Connect with John Foreman here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwforeman

We are excited to be back in Boston for Clio Con Clips 2026! The Legally Speaking Podcast™ returns as an official media partner, bringing you exclusive interviews, fresh insights and behind-the-scenes conversations from one of the world’s leading legal technology conferences. Our Clio Con Clips series features Clio’s leadership, legal tech pioneers, Reisman Award winners and industry changemakers exploring the latest developments in AI, legal innovation, access to justice and the future of the legal profession.

In our second minisode, returning Clion Reagan Attle is Chief Marketing Officer at Clio. She joined in 2017 and shares her experience with the company and how Jack Newton, Clio's CEO, hired her to lead marketing during a pivotal moment in her life. This is her second appearance on the Legally Speaking podcast. Our conversation also covered the connected AI experience Clio announced this year, including Vincent, Projects and Clio Phones. Reagan said the point is a single platform that gives AI the context it needs, so lawyers do better work and clients get better outcomes. 

So why should you be listening in? 

You can hear Rob and Reagan discussing:

- Customers Driving Company Evolution, But Clio Also Building Ahead of Them

- Trustworthy AI Depending on Context

- Clio’s Rebrand Reflecting What It Has Grown Into

- Acquisitions Being Deliberate and Culture Being Part of the Plan 

- How Transparency is What Clients Want About AI.

Connect with Reagan Attle here - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/reaganattle

On today’s Legally Speaking Podcast, sponsored by Clio, I’m delighted to be joined by David Jackson. David is a commercial, outsourcing and technology lawyer who joined Shoosmiths in 2006. Leading Shoosmiths’ national Commercial Group for more than a decade, he helped the firm develop its technology and launched its connected services business, Shoosmiths EIGHT. David took on the role of Chief Executive in 2022. Under David’s leadership, Shoosmiths has continued investing in people, technology and infrastructure. The firm has experimented with new approaches to legal technology and AI, connected services and initiatives.Today, we will explore David’s journey from commercial lawyer to CEO, what it means to run a modern law firm, how the role of a CEO differs from that of a Managing Partner, and the strategy behind Shoosmiths' transformation

So why should you be listening in?

You can hear Rob and David discussing:

- Leadership Being About Influence and Followership

- Building a Clear Strategy and Being Able to Make Difficult Decisions

- Embracing AI and Tech to Transform Legal Service Delivery

- Putting People, Culture and Clients at the Heart of Growth

- The Importance of Being Ambitious, Resilient and Kind.

Connect with David Jackson here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-jackson-16ab9b8

We are excited to be back in Boston for Clio Con Clips 2026! The Legally Speaking Podcast™ returns as an official media partner, bringing you exclusive interviews, fresh insights and behind-the-scenes conversations from one of the world’s leading legal technology conferences. Our ClioCon Clips series features Clio’s leadership, legal tech pioneers, Reisman Award winners and industry changemakers exploring the latest developments in AI, legal innovation, access to justice and the future of the legal profession.

In the first episode of this miniseries, we meet again with Ronnie Gurion, who is now president of Clio. He and Rob talk about his first year in the role and how it has changed as the company has grown from 500 to over 2,500 people. Ronnie credits Clio's growth to hiring exceptional leaders, especially for the new enterprise business under Scott Gibbs. He explains how Clio keeps its simple, customer-focused experience while moving up to large firms. He also describes combining acquisitions such as vLex into one integrated organisation and product suite. Clio is expanding into the judiciary and government sector, and Clio Work, now used by 10,000 firms, is expected to be its biggest growth driver. Ronnie says firms must adopt AI and avoid becoming irrelevant, and that success means happy customers. 

So why should you be listening in? 

You can hear Rob and Ronnie discussing:

- Scaling Clio Through Exceptional Talent

- Building Enterprises Alongside Small Firms

- Integrating Acquisitions Into One Experience

- Expanding Into Judiciary and Government Spheres

- Driving Growth with Clio Work

Connect with Ronnie Gurion here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgurion

"The people who are guaranteed to win are the lawyers. The people who are guaranteed to lose, you and me." - Quentin Solt

On today’s Legally Speaking Podcast, sponsored by Clio, I’m delighted to be joined by Quentin Solt. Quentin is a veteran UK corporate and technology lawyer. He trained at Pinsent Masons, moved to a London firm where he ran an insolvency group, and became an early internet and legal-tech adopter. He now writes widely on LinkedIn about how AI will reshape law. In our conversation today, he lays out his main ideas.

Quentin believes that AI only has to be "good enough": reliable, quick, cheap and safe enough for a client to decide. He backs this with a story of an AI tool matching or beating several legal-AI products and his own review of a £6.5m credit facility. Second, his "consumption paradox": legal work will be consumed far more as it gets cheap, but fewer humans will be needed to supply it, and law may eventually be sold like a utility.

He sees the traditional law-firm pyramid as unsustainable and expects the junior and trainee role to disappear, though the timing is uncertain and the change may arrive suddenly, like a tsunami. He argues that lawyers' "judgment" is largely sophisticated pattern-matching. What stays valuable is being a trusted adviser who walks the whole transaction with the client. He also predicts the billable hour will unwind quickly, and he describes "living contracts": ongoing, renegotiated agreements built on trust and accountability.

So why should you be listening in?

You can hear Rob and Quentin discussing:

- What Makes AI Good Enough

- Expanding Legal Consumption

- Disrupting the Law Firm Pyramid

- Replacing the Billable Hour

- Successfully Building Client Relationships

Connect with Quentin Solt here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/quentin-solt

Welcome back to our 2026 edition of the Professional Training miniseries. We have a brand new regional edition continuing on from the last conference we attended, but packed with even more highlights and insights. Filmed at Manchester Hall, these minisodes explore high performance leadership, career growth, innovation and what it takes to thrive in today’s legal world.

In the final minisode of the regional edition, we talk to Simon Price. He is the Learning and Development Manager for Kennedys and he argues that high-performing legal teams are built less on output metrics alone than on a culture of learning, reflection, feedback, and knowledge-sharing. Simon tells us about hybrid leadership requiring intentional inclusion through regular opportunities to connect and collaborate, while psychological safety means people can ask for help, admit uncertainty, take considered risks and learn from mistakes without lowering standards. He also stresses that lawyers and business-services teams should work as one around the client problem, that resilience includes recognising when to pause rather than simply enduring pressure and that a curiosity mindset helps people reframe challenges and keep on improving.

You can Hear Rob and Simon talking about:

- Building learning into everyday work

- Creating connection across hybrid teams

- Encouraging speaking up and learning

- Solving client problems across teams

- Recognising limits and restoring resilience.

Connect with Simon Price - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonpricecoach

"AI will not replace lawyers, but lawyers that use AI will replace lawyers who don't."

On today’s Legally Speaking Podcast, sponsored by Clio, I’m delighted to be joined by Michael McCready. Michael is the founder and managing partner of McCready Law, an experienced trial lawyer and a strong advocate for legal technology and innovation. In our discussion today, he explores how AI can support jury research, personalise courtroom arguments, simulate mock juries and improve trial preparation. However, he also warns of significant risks involving bias, juror privacy, confidentiality and AI-generated misinformation, emphasising the need for clear policies, staff training and human oversight. He also highlights AI’s potential to improve access to justice by helping smaller firms and under-resourced lawyers compete more effectively.

So why should you be listening in?

You can hear Rob and Michael discussing:

- Personalising courtroom arguments using AI

- Protecting juror privacy during AI research

- Identifying and reducing bias in jury selection

- Ensuring human oversight and accountability

- Improving trial preparation through AI.

Connect with Michael McCready here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mccready/

Welcome back to our 2026 edition of the Professional Training miniseries. We have a brand new regional edition continuing on from the last conference we attended, but packed with even more highlights and insights. Filmed at Manchester Hall, these minisodes explore high performance leadership, career growth, innovation and what it takes to thrive in today’s legal world.

In this minisode, we talk to Sally Hulston, an employment lawyer and head of Lewis Silkin’s Manchester office. She shares a people-first view of high performance in legal teams. Sally argues that success goes beyond traditional metrics, relying on clarity of role, deliberate leadership visibility, psychological safety, and accountability that gives people room to take ownership. Sally also highlights the importance of bringing lawyers and business services together from the outset, building resilience through the ability to reset after setbacks, and creating more open one-to-one conversations that focus on how people are doing—not just their output.

You can Hear Rob and Sally talking about:

- Performance Needing Purpose, Not Just Metrics

- Collaboration Growing Through Deliberate Visibility

- Psychological Safety: Speaking Up Early

- Accountability Giving People Ownership

- Resilience Being All About Recovery, Not Endurance.

Connect with Sally Hulston -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-hulston-55668419/

“The road less traveled is so much more interesting than that very traditional linear path that people lay out for you.” - Samuel McGinty

On today’s Legally Speaking Podcast, sponsored by Clio, I’m delighted to be speaking with Samuel McGinty. Samuel is the Director of Legal Services at the University of Nottingham, he shares a candid account of building a fulfilling, non-linear legal career across private practice, local government and higher education. He also argues that the right workplace culture and values alignment matter more than prestige or salary alone, highlighting the breadth, purpose and development opportunities available in public-sector and in-house roles. 

Today, our discussion explores leadership, psychological safety, mentorship, professional community, parenthood and mental health, alongside the need to make alternative legal career paths more visible. Samuel reflects on AI’s potential to improve legal work while stressing the importance of securing learning opportunities for junior lawyers.

So why should you be listening in? 

You can hear Rob and Samuel discussing:

- Your Environment Mattering More Than Your Job Title

- Life Beyond Private Practice

- Your Legal Career Not Needing to Be Linear

- Building a Culture of Psychological Safety and Authenticity

- Prioritising Wellbeing, Relationships and Life Beyond Work.

Connect with Samuel McGinty here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/samuelmcginty