The Non-Billable Podcast

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

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

01:40 What PwC’s survey says about the UK legal market

04:13 Why the top ten are pulling away

06:18 The problem facing the squeezed middle

11:19 Why more law firm mergers are inevitable

13:51 AI adoption versus AI monetisation

16:26 How AI could change law firm pricing

24:44 Partner funding, private equity and Big Law

32:21 Why cyber risk is back at the top of the agenda

About Non-Billable

Non-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

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

01:40 Why London matters to King & Spalding

03:33 Revenue growth and the London practice mix

09:48 Not going full-service

13:12 Fund finance and making major team hires work

19:53 The WilmerHale raid and the changing arbitration market

23:36 How international disputes lawyers win clients

27:44 Superstar partners, pay and retention

32:51 The modern partner, AI and what comes next

About Non-Billable

Non-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

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

01:35 Record growth and Jeanette’s path to leadership

05:13 Evolution, innovation and leading the firm

07:33 Walker Morris’ position in the market

09:13 The advantages of a single office in Leeds

16:01 How far can the model scale?

18:51 AI, talent and the future law firm pyramid

28:13 Why private equity is not right for Walker Morris

33:02 What comes after Ambition 27?

About Non-Billable

Non-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.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:55 Leading through constant disruption

03:08 From legal aid work to City law

04:59 Inside the Charles Russell Speechlys merger

09:18 Why Simon became managing partner

11:18 Building the firm around private capital

17:09 Why CRS finally entered the US

23:15 Following private capital into Milan and Singapore

26:23 Funding growth, private equity and the impact of AI

About Non-Billable

Non-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.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

01:02 Christian’s journey from tech partner to CEO

02:51 Taking over after David Kerr’s 26-year tenure

04:59 Building a five-year strategy with the partnership

07:29 Bird & Bird’s sector focus and competitive edge

12:15 The €1bn revenue target and why growth isn’t the strategy

17:43 International expansion, Saudi Arabia and India

20:34 Big Law consolidation, US mergers and external capital

27:11 AI, the law firm pyramid and why generic firms could struggle

About Non-Billable

Non-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.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:50 Jo’s journey to Lewis Silkin and managing partner

03:46 What makes Lewis Silkin different

08:06 Social mobility and opening up routes into law

10:02 Why Jo never planned to become managing partner

12:25 The case for joint managing partners

16:37 What Harvard taught Jo about leadership

22:47 The strategy behind Lewis Silkin’s rapid growth

30:34 AI, Harvey and the future of the law firm model

About Non-Billable

Non-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.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:50 Building Knights into the UK's largest regional legal business

05:47 Why people and cash matter more than fee targets

15:44 Rainmakers, culture and leading a collaborative law firm

21:34 Why Knights has no ambition to open in London

24:03 The acquisition playbook behind nearly 30 deals

33:58 Lessons from private equity and taking Knights public

38:42 Why more law firms won't follow Knights onto the stock market

42:44 The future of external capital in the legal industry

About Non-Billable

Non-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

Dom Griffiths, London managing partner of Mayer Brown, joins the podcast to discuss the strategy behind one of the firm's strongest years in London.

He explains why Mayer Brown has invested so heavily in private capital, how targeted lateral hiring is reshaping the practice and where he believes the firm can differentiate in an increasingly competitive transatlantic market.

Dom also reflects on more than two decades at Mayer Brown, his journey from structured finance partner to London managing partner, and what he's learned about leading a large international partnership.

He shares why consensus-building matters, how he approaches recruitment and why culture and client relationships remain at the heart of sustainable growth.

The conversation also explores the changing shape of the legal market, from AI and private capital to transatlantic competition and law firm mergers.

Dom explains why he believes technology will enhance, rather than replace, trusted advisers, and shares his views on what will separate the most successful firms over the next decade

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:59 From structured finance partner to London managing partner

05:18 Mayer Brown's place in the global legal market

11:53 Building a private capital powerhouse in London

18:46 The firm's approach to lateral hiring and growth

22:11 Leading a global law firm partnership

30:21 Transatlantic mergers and Mayer Brown's strategy

33:21 AI, private capital and the future of Big Law

About Non-Billable

Non-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

Richard Medd, managing partner of Browne Jacobson, joins the podcast to discuss how the firm has doubled revenue over the past six years - revenue for the most recent financial year came in at a record £149m - and the strategy behind its recent growth.

He explains why Browne Jacobson has invested heavily across its UK and Ireland network, the thinking behind its expanding London presence, and why he believes firms can be both ambitious and culture-driven.

The conversation explores the firm's approach to lateral hiring, its growing private equity, technology and real estate practices, and why Medd sees London as an increasingly important part of the firm's long-term strategy rather than simply a shop window for clients. He also discusses Browne Jacobson's expansion into Ireland and how the firm thinks about international growth.

We also discuss AI and legal technology, including the firm's rollout of Legora, how AI is changing the delivery of legal services, and why judgment and commercial context will remain critical skills for lawyers.

Finally, Medd shares his views on external investment in law firms, why private capital is unlikely to transform the upper end of the UK legal market overnight, and what the next phase of growth looks like for Browne Jacobson.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:40 Richard Medd's journey to managing Browne Jacobson

01:26 The strategy behind Browne Jacobson's rapid growth

06:33 Why London has become central to the firm's ambitions

15:01 Expanding into Ireland and what's next for the firm

18:55 Rolling out AI across Browne Jacobson

21:43 How AI will change legal services and lawyer training

24:59 External investment and private capital in law firms

28:13 Will a top UK law firm take external capital?

About Non-Billable

Non-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

Rebecca Anderson, Microsoft's head of legal for EMEA, joins the podcast to discuss how the in-house function at one of the world's biggest tech companies is adapting to the AI era.

She explains why Microsoft has overhauled its legal operating model, how AI is changing the role of lawyers, and why the function is increasingly becoming a strategic partner to the business rather than simply a legal adviser.

The conversation explores how Microsoft is deploying AI across its own legal department, from AI-powered legal triage to contract drafting and decision-making tools. Anderson also shares how the company thinks about legal tech, why the operating model matters as much as the tools themselves, and how Microsoft's lawyers are using AI to move away from repetitive work towards higher-value strategic advice.

We also discuss what Microsoft now expects from its external law firms in the age of AI, why AI fluency has become a baseline requirement, and how firms can differentiate themselves beyond simply adopting new technology.

Finally, Anderson shares her thoughts on the future of the profession, the new legal roles emerging alongside AI, and the skills lawyers will need to thrive over the next decade.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction

00:45 From private practice to leading Microsoft's EMEA legal team

03:55 Rebuilding Microsoft's legal operating model for the AI era

09:40 How Microsoft is using AI inside its own legal department

18:00 Microsoft's legal tech strategy and the future of contract review

19:40 What Microsoft now expects from its external law firms

29:30 The changing role of the in-house lawyer

35:25 What Microsoft looks for when hiring lawyers

36:30 The future of legal work in the age of AI

About Non-Billable

Non-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