Daniel Winterfeldt, General Counsel for EMEA and Asia at Jefferies, shares his powerful journey from Wall Street to London and from capital markets partner to in-house legal leader and diversity champion.

In this candid conversation, Daniel opens up about his early experiences as an openly gay lawyer navigating the stark culture shock of moving from New York to London in the early 2000s — a time when being out in the legal profession was far from the norm. This culture gap eventually led him to found the Interlaw Diversity Forum, a not-for-profit organisation driving inclusion, equity, and culture change in the legal sector for the past 17 years.

Daniel’s lessons are deeply human and widely applicable: the importance of putting people first in any legal function; how knowing what you don’t know is just as important as what you do; and why every problem has a solution — even if it’s not the one you expected.

This episode is packed with insight for anyone navigating leadership, career growth, or the structural challenges of the legal industry. Daniel also shares details of Interlaw’s Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit — a free, open-source guide every hiring manager should read — and some great podcast recommendations to expand your thinking.

Guest Recommendations:

• The Rest is Politics: US — Behind-the-scenes takes on US politics with Anthony Scaramucci & Katty Kay
• Blow Up — A behind-the-scenes deep dive into 90s fashion magazine culture
• Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell — Thought-provoking takes on overlooked stories and misunderstood moments

About Heriot Brown:

 At Heriot Brown, we help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers. Beyond recruitment, we foster a thriving community of in-house legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth opportunities.

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