Posts from Thomson Reuters

The Hearing podcast; ep.108, John Koufos (Cottage Four, LLC)

Episode 108 of the Hearing is now available. Law school. Supreme Court of New Jersey. Prison. Oval Office of the White House. These are just a few places where this episode’s guest, John Koufos, has spent time. If you haven’t heard John’s story, then prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride. A former criminal defense attorney … Continue reading The Hearing podcast; ep.108, John Koufos (Cottage Four, LLC)

The Hearing podcast: ep.106, King Charles III’s role in British government: how much power does he really have?

Episode 106 of the Hearing is now available. In this episode, Becky explores the unique role the monarch plays in British government, and considers what changes may come now that King Charles III has ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Becky talks to Sir Jonathan Jones KC, a … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.106, King Charles III’s role in British government: how much power does he really have?

The Hearing podcast: ep.105, Ranjit Sond (Society of Asian Lawyers)

Episode 105 of the Hearing is now available. In this episode, Yasmin chats to Ranjit Sond, President of the UK’s Society of Asian Lawyers. Ranjit is a former personal injury lawyer and now works for the Government Legal Department. In this conversation, he talks candidly about his career and the motivations behind the decisions he’s made … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.105, Ranjit Sond (Society of Asian Lawyers)

The Hearing podcast: ep.103, Michelle Last (Keystone Law)

Episode 103 of the Hearing is now available. In this episode, Yasmin sits down with employment law partner (and old university friend) Michelle Last. Michelle’s passion to see those who experience fertility issues of all types treated more fairly at work has informed both her practice and her public advocacy. The pair have a wide-ranging … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.103, Michelle Last (Keystone Law)

The Hearing podcast: ep.101, Mindful lawyering: reducing stress, avoiding burnout & re-humanising the profession

Episode 101 of the Hearing is now available. This episode examines the high prevalence of stress and burnout among lawyers, and what can be done to reduce it. Yasmin talks to Legatics CEO Anthony Seale and Lucy Shurwood from Pinsent Masons, one of the founding members of the Mindful Business Charter. The trio discuss what … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.101, Mindful lawyering: reducing stress, avoiding burnout & re-humanising the profession

The Hearing podcast: ep.100, Becky Annison

Episode 100 of the Hearing is now available. WE’RE 100 EPISODES OLD! To celebrate, we decided to turn the spotlight (mic) on our beloved host, Becky. She had mixed feelings about it, but you’re going to love getting to know her better. Yasmin and Becky talk about where her passion for the law came from, … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.100, Becky Annison

The Hearing podcast: ep.99, Troy Atkin (The Weightlifting Lawyer)

Episode 99 of the Hearing is now available. Yasmin is doing the heavy lifting for this latest episode: interviewing The Weightlifting Lawyer, Troy Atkin, a trainee solicitor at Biscoes in Portsmouth. The pair talk about Troy’s social media brand, his first career in hospitality and the incident that led him to the law. Troy’s route to … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.99, Troy Atkin (The Weightlifting Lawyer)

The Hearing podcast: ep.98, Trust and scepticism for lawyers: getting the balance right

Episode 98 of the Hearing is now available. This episode is a panel discussion where Becky and three guests – Dr. Larry Richard (Founder & Principal Consultant, LawyerBrain), Ann Rainhart (Chief Strategy Officer, Taft) and Michael Callier (Vice President & Global Head of Consulting, Factor) – examine the meaning of trust and how it relates … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.98, Trust and scepticism for lawyers: getting the balance right

The Hearing podcast: ep.97, Dr Charlotte Proudman (Goldsmith Chambers)

Episode 97 of the Hearing is now available. In this episode Yasmin catches up with a previous guest – Charlotte Proudman: feminist, family barrister and agent for change. Charlotte talks about her work fighting for the survivors of sexual violence and what the problems are with our current justice system. The pair also discuss the introduction … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.97, Dr Charlotte Proudman (Goldsmith Chambers)

The Hearing podcast: ep.96, The Model Contract Clauses for Human Rights Project

Episode 96 of the Hearing is now available. Devoted listeners to The Hearing will be familiar with the work of The Chancery Lane Project, which helps lawyers use contracts to fight climate change. This episode is about using a similar concept to tackle modern slavery and other human rights abuses. Becky speaks to Olivia Windham … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.96, The Model Contract Clauses for Human Rights Project

Smarter Working Week: how to make efficiency gains

I recently moderated a discussion as part of The Lawyer’s Smarter Working Week that focused on how lawyers can improve their existing processes to help them work more efficiently. The group were driven by a desire to prove their legal teams as proactive value creators and use technology to provide metrics that demonstrate their value … Continue reading Smarter Working Week: how to make efficiency gains

The Hearing podcast: ep.95, Julie Jaggin (Howard Kennedy)

Episode 95 of the Hearing is now available. Here at Hearing HQ, we love to hear the real life stories of the people who make up the legal industry. And it’s been a pleasure to speak to Julie Jaggin, from Howard Kennedy, about her career and experiences as a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: ep.95, Julie Jaggin (Howard Kennedy)

The Hearing: ep.92, Law Firm Antiracism Alliance

Episode 92 of the Hearing is now available. February was US Black History Month and to celebrate we have a special episode featuring the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA). Our guest host, Thomson Reuters’ Chief Legal Officer, Thomas Kim sits down with the LFAA’s co-founders, Brenna DeVaney and Kiisha Morrow. As you will hear, Brenna … Continue reading The Hearing: ep.92, Law Firm Antiracism Alliance

The Hearing: ep.91, Jo-Anne Pugh (BPP University Law School)

Episode 91 of the Hearing is now available. In this episode, Yasmin goes back to school to meet the dean of BPP University Law School, Jo-Anne Pugh. They discuss what legal education is like for students who are at the beginning of their careers, and how the learning is evolving to fit (and indeed informing) … Continue reading The Hearing: ep.91, Jo-Anne Pugh (BPP University Law School)

What does it take to be an ‘influential’ in-house lawyer?

Yesterday I met with Jenny Block (General Counsel at Ofwat) and Chris Fowler (General Counsel Technology at BT Group plc) ahead of a Centre for Legal Leadership webinar on 23 February 2022. Chris and Jenny plan to discuss how the in-house lawyer can ensure that they are involved in the most legally significant areas of their … Continue reading What does it take to be an ‘influential’ in-house lawyer?

The Hearing: ep.90, Mark van Baal (Follow This)

Episode 90 of the Hearing is now available. During the last week of May 2021, significant gains were made in the battle against climate change. In this episode, Becky Annison talks to Mark van Baal, the founder of the international pressure group Follow This, about what happened. Was this the beginning of a sea-change that … Continue reading The Hearing: ep.90, Mark van Baal (Follow This)

13th annual cost of compliance survey

Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence has launched its 13th annual survey on the cost of compliance for regulated firms in the financial services industry. All information will be treated in the strictest of confidence and results will be displayed anonymously. The results will form part of a special report on the cost of compliance, which will be … Continue reading 13th annual cost of compliance survey

Join us for a live briefing on Practical Law’s EU and Europe materials

Need to keep on top of EU law developments as they unfold? Need information on the best business vehicle to use in the Netherlands? Want to know how to set up a partnership or acquire a business in a France or Spain? Verify the execution requirements for your counterparty in Ireland or find out where … Continue reading Join us for a live briefing on Practical Law’s EU and Europe materials

Year-in-review discussion with your Practical Law editors

Join me on 14 December 2021 for a live webinar. I’ll be talking to selected experts from across Practical Law’s editorial team as they look back on 2021 and ahead to 2022. We’ll be talking about key developments in ESG, data privacy, employment and compliance and what to look out for on the horizon. Meet the … Continue reading Year-in-review discussion with your Practical Law editors

To mitigate threats, GCs need to focus on corruption risk as offices reopen

It can be easy for corruption risk to be put on a back burner as workplaces reopen and organisations get back to business at least partially onsite. A year of slow, or no, growth can pressure everyone from the top down of an organisation to focus purely on accounts receivable. But a wise General Counsel … Continue reading To mitigate threats, GCs need to focus on corruption risk as offices reopen

The Hearing podcast: Ep.78, Stevie Ghiassi (Legaler)

Episode 78 of the Hearing is now available. Question: What do the Iranian national football team, NFTs, Hotel Rwanda and Andy Murray have in common? Answer: Stevie Ghiassi, Co-founder of Legaler and Legaler Aid. And Joe’s guest this week! In this episode, Stevie chats to Joe about his unlikely journey from running a chain of … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: Ep.78, Stevie Ghiassi (Legaler)

The Hearing podcast: Episode 77, The impact of AI and algorithms on the fairness of our justice systems

Episode 77 of the Hearing is now available. We, along with the rest of the legal industry, have talked at length about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our profession. But this time we concern ourselves not with the efficiencies of machine learning and automation, but instead with potential injustice and the need for vigilance … Continue reading The Hearing podcast: Episode 77, The impact of AI and algorithms on the fairness of our justice systems

The Hearing podcast: Episode 76, Laura Bates (Everyday Sexism Project)

Episode 76 of the Hearing is now available. Yasmin’s guest this week hardly needs introduction – we’re speaking to feminist icon Laura Bates. Laura is founder of The Everyday Sexism Project, a catalogue of day-to-day instances of sexism and gender inequality.

Playbooks facilitate change in a changing world

A useful analogy can be drawn between the negotiation and execution of a contract, where the output is an executed contract, and the manufacture of an object, such as a car, where the output is a finished product. In a contract negotiation, the other party stands in the place of the customer for the finished … Continue reading Playbooks facilitate change in a changing world

Who needs a playbook anyway?

The word “playbook” is a relatively recent addition to the contract drafting lawyers’ lexicon. It stands twitching nervously in the crowded room, wondering if it belongs, gazing reverently at established members like “representations” and “liability” or long-standing, if exotic, old-timers like “mutatis mutandis”. Relative newbies like “process” and “technology” are asserting themselves but “playbooks” are … Continue reading Who needs a playbook anyway?