LSE On The Case

LSE On The Case

By LSESU Law Society Podcasting TeamEducation
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LSE On The Case episodes

  • 42: McDermott Managing Partner Aymen Mahmoud on Private Credit, the London Merger and Standing out as a Trainee

    In this episode, Shanaya Kapoor speaks with Aymen Mahmoud, Managing Partner of McDermott Will & Schulte's London office.

    Aymen begins with how his foray into commercial law, and what clients actually want from their lawyers. He talks about finance as a practice area, the range of clients his team acts for, and how understanding a client's commercial objectives are paramount.

    He provides a primer on private credit: what it is, how it now sits alongside syndicated bank lending, the misconceptions he thinks dominate the debate, and what has driven the market's growth over the last decade.

    The conversation then turns to McDermott's London office a year on from the merger with Schulte, how he judges whether an integration has worked, and what continued growth looks like. He closes with candid advice for students and trainees on succeeding in a commercial law environment.

    41 min
  • 41: Inside Leveraged Finance: Lenders, Sponsors and the Deal in Between
    In this episode, we are joined by Hadrien Servais, partner and head of European private credit at Simpson Thacher. Hadrien traces his path from a chance start in banking to leading a practice, breaks down the financing of a private equity deal and the roles of sponsors and lenders, and shares candid advice to law students on building a career in commercial law.
    47 min
  • 40: The May 2025 Letter: Why are states pushing back against the European Court Of Human Rights?

    In this episode, Mahnoor Khalid hosts Veronika Fikfak, who is a Professor of Human Rights and International Law at UCL, judge ad hoc at the European Court of Human Rights, and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

    We discuss the May 2025 letter, in which nine European states pushed back against the European Court of Human Rights. The letter placed renewed scrutiny on the Court's role in migration cases and reignited debate over its "living instrument" approach to interpreting the Convention. Veronika unpacks what the letter actually says, why these states are speaking out now and what this means for the future of international human rights in Europe.

    Beyond our podcast, interested audience members may watch Veronika's public lecture on this topic. Link below:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik4jQokLP_I

    39 min
  • 38: How to Save the World: The Geopolitics of Energy Transition with Munir Hassan
    In this episode, we host our esteemed guest, Munir Hassan, Partner and Head of Energy and Climate Change at CMS, as he shares his insights into the rapidly evolving clean energy sector. He discusses navigating complex commercial and regulatory landscapes, and reflects on his work across global markets including the UK, Europe, Asia, MENA, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.
    Munir provides valuable expertise on M&A transactions, project financing, and disputes within the renewable energy space. In particular, the conversation explores carbon credits, the global shift toward clean energy, a project CMS has been working on, and how renewable energy fits into today’s political climate. While the episode was recorded last year, many of the themes discussed remain highly relevant.
    Students interested in climate change and renewable energy, especially law students considering a career in this field, will gain meaningful insights from this conversation.
    37 min
  • 37: Institutional Blindspots: Why 55.6% of CEOs Lose Their Companies - Jonathan Bloom

    In this episode, Oliver Lipscombe hosts Jonathan Bloom - former law firm partner who became a founder, now Business Development Director at Perkins Coie London.

    We discuss institutional blindspots, what business schools don't teach about venture capital, and how to protect yourself as a founder or advisor.

    Jonathan's new book Blindspots launches February 11th - both a protection manual and survival story documenting the systematic patterns that destroy ventures.

    Pre-order at www.oraclehousepress.com

    49 min
  • 36: From Silicon Valley to London: How Lawyers Help Startups Scale Globally

    “We’re running science experiments - some will fail, but the wins make up for everything.”

    That mindset captures the U.S. approach to startups and sets the tone for our next episode, dropping next week. 

    In this episode, Anastasia hosts Daniel Glazer, founding partner of the London office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the Silicon Valley-headquartered law firm. Mr. Glazer advises UK and European tech and life sciences companies on raising capital in the US, UK, and Europe, and on expanding their businesses across the Atlantic.
    For LSE law students, the conversation breaks down what startup lawyers actually do, how cross-border deals work in practice, and the skills needed to succeed in high-growth environments.

    40 min
  • 35: Dr Ann Olivarius: female sexuality, sex discrimination and the law
    In this episode, Madi hosts our esteemed guest Dr. Ann Olivarius as she speaks on a range of topics from female sexuality over time, to the current legal sphere of sexual discrimination, to current discrimination issues.

    Dr. Ann Olivarius studied an undergraduate BA Political Science from a feminist perspective at Yale before achieving a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford. She then completed a rigorous 5-year-joint JD/MBA in 3 years with highest honours. She then move into the corporate legal sphere and set up her own firm, McAllister Olivarius, where she has advised the likes of Margaret Thatcher to Bill Gates. In 2022, she was awarded honorary King’s Council and the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year’s Honours List  to recognise her services to Justice, Women and Equality.

    Ann provides various anecdotes of her work and what she has seen across her career. Ann is an extremely influential, compassionate, and dedicated woman. She works hard in
    everything she does and has dedicated her entire life to supporting and uplifting women.

    LSE students, especially those with an interest in feminism and gender discrimination in the law, have a listen to gain insights on this extremely influential figures approach to legal feminism.
    45 min
  • 34: The Impacts of Decriminalising Sex Work
    In this episode, Pascale hosts Eric Neumayer and Madeleine Rees to discuss the possible legalisation of sex work in the UK and the impacts it would have.

    Eric Neumayer is an economist by training, he is the author, co-author or co-editor of numerous articles and publications on economics, sustainability and social issues, including a research paper on whether legalised prostitution increases human trafficking.

    Madeleine Rees is a British human rights lawyer who has brought cases to the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court in Luxembourg. Madeleine served as Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to human rights.

    To explore this topic of decriminalising sex work, first the economic implications are considered and then the legal and social implications that decriminalisation, legalisation and criminalisation have on the industry. Part 1 will focus on the economics and how the market for sex work overlaps with the market for human trafficking, and thus how changing legalisation and demand affects both industries. Part 2 looks at the legal implications of decriminalisation, the social message it sends, the actual consequences of stricter or more relaxed laws, and the ethics behind sex work.
    1 hr 7 min
  • 33: An Interview with Lord Elliott: Let Me Never be Confounded
    In this episode, Anastasia hosts our esteemed guest, Lord Matthew Elliott as he speaks on the importance of perseverance in campaigning and his experience as a Member of the House of Lords. Specifically, he focuses on the idea that people in the campaigning world should not be confounded by the many problems encountered and instead persist.

    The BBC described Matthew Elliott as "...one of the most successful political campaigners in Westminster today." He was also the founder or leader of 7 different groups and most notably chief executive of Vote Leave, the official organisation advocating for a leave in the 2016 referendum. Another notable position includes being the Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which is one the UK’s most high profile campaign groups. Additionally, Elliott is an LSE alumni who graduated in the year 2000.

    LSE students have a listen to gain insights from a successful LSE alumnus about how to pursue your initiative and advocate for your ideas!

    You can find the episode at the link in our bio now ⬆️

    47 min

About LSE On The Case

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The official podcast of the LSESU Law Society, bringing you episodes on legal careers, law school, and other exciting topics of law.