The Non-Billable Podcast

In this episode, we speak with Simon Levine, former global co-CEO of DLA Piper and now an adviser to Shoosmiths, about leadership, strategy and where Big Law is heading.
Simon recounts the move that brought him to DLA Piper in 2005, when he led a 50-person team across to build a global IP, media and technology practice - at the time, one of the largest lateral hires in the UK market. He went on to join the firm’s executive team and was elected managing partner and global co-CEO in 2014.
A central theme of the conversation is what it takes to run a truly global law firm. Simon reflects on spending much of his time on the road, and why visibility and regular communication were essential in a partnership of that scale. He explains how town halls, open Q&As and firm-wide vlogs became core to his leadership approach.
Looking ahead, Simon shares his view on the current wave of transatlantic mergers, why Europe is being overlooked, and why he believes a gap is opening up in the mid-market - a perspective shaped in part by his current advisory work with Shoosmiths.
The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Legora. To find out more about Legora, visit: https://legora.com/
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
01:20 Journey into Big Law
04:25 The move to DLA Piper and building a global practice
07:18 What it’s really like to run a global law firm
09:38 Why communication mattered more than spreadsheets
13:06 Defining DLA Piper’s strategy and market position
17:17 Why not every firm can chase top-tier private equity
19:06 What DLA Piper was really trying to be
21:49 Sector strategy, brand focus and resisting dilution
26:50 What’s driving the current merger wave
30:48 Why Europe is the missed opportunity for UK firms
38:19 M&A, lateral hires and the limits of external capital
42:07 How AI will change what law firms sell
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

In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Millard, founder of Cambridge Strategy Group and one of the leading thinkers on law firm strategy and mergers. Robert’s route into the legal industry is anything but conventional - from running a national park in Namibia, to advising law firms around the world, to spending time in-house as a business strategist at Linklaters - before completing a PhD on large law firm mergers over the past two decades.
A big focus of the conversation is what “strategy” actually means in a law firm context and why it’s so often misunderstood. Robert argues that strategy is about diagnosing and solving a real problem, not producing glossy five-year plans or chasing league table positions. They discuss why rigid strategy cycles struggle in a fast-changing world, how AI is reshaping client expectations, and why firms need to become much better at listening to clients and adapting in real time.
Robert then unpacks the findings from his doctoral research into 73 major law firm mergers. He explains how he built a data-driven framework to measure success, cutting through the cliché that “most mergers fail” and why roughly three-quarters of the mergers he studied actually delivered real growth. The discussion also covers what makes transatlantic combinations work, why New York still matters, and the risks of merging with firms in decline.
Finally, the episode looks ahead. Robert shares practical advice for firm leaders considering a merger, from spotting red flags in due diligence to avoiding nostalgia for a “golden age” of legal practice. The conversation closes with a clear message: the firms that succeed will be those that stay close to their clients, remain agile, and are willing to rethink how they operate as the market continues to change.
The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Legora. To find out more about Legora, visit: https://legora.com/ 
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
01:20 From conservation to legal strategy
03:09 Why Robert did a PhD on law firm mergers
04:00 What strategy really means in a law firm
06:10 Why traditional strategy cycles no longer work
07:47 Clients, AI and the need for constant adaptation
09:44 The problem with league tables and five-year plans
14:04 When firms are forced to rethink their strategy
19:15 How to measure whether law firm mergers succeed
25:15 What makes transatlantic mergers work and fail
40:22 What law firm leaders should stop doing now
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

In this episode, we sit down with Ria Karnik, who leads the associate recruitment team in London at Major, Lindsey & Africa, to unpack what’s really happening in the City talent market, and why the associate level has become the key battleground. Ria shares a recruiter’s-eye view of how US firms have reshaped hiring in London, where demand is strongest right now, and why mid-level lawyers are more sought after than ever.
We get into which practice areas are driving growth - from private equity, leveraged finance and private credit through to litigation, tax and competition - and how US firms are quietly building out fuller-service London offices. Ria also explains how partner moves are feeding through to associate hiring, and why firms with a clear strategy and specialism are winning the war for talent.
The conversation then turns to pay, progression and pressure points. Ria breaks down the reality behind NQ salary headlines, the growing issue of salary bunching at UK firms, and why transparency around pay, bonuses and career paths has become such a differentiator. She also explores how early US firms are now targeting trainees, and what that means for specialisation, training contracts and junior career decisions.
Finally, Ria shares practical advice for both lawyers and firms. For associates thinking about a move in 2026, she explains why understanding your motivations, and exploring a few well-chosen options, matters more than chasing a single name. For firms, she sets out what it really takes to attract and retain talent today, from culture and mentoring to clarity on progression and long-term vision.
The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Legora. To find out more about Legora, visit: https://legora.com/
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
01:20 Ria’s legal recruitment experience
02:26 Major, Lindsey & Africa and its global reach
04:19 Where demand for associate talent is strongest
05:50 The practice areas driving hiring in London
09:00 Life beyond US firms – opportunities across the City
10:23 US firms targeting trainees earlier than ever
15:59 Salaries, bonuses and the reality behind the numbers
21:12 What associates really want from their careers
26:10 How law firms can attract and retain top talent
38:29 Ria’s advice for lawyers considering a move in 2026
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

James Hacking and Mike Estill from Kindleworth join the show to unpack one of the more salient shifts in Big Law right now: senior partners leaving large firms to launch specialist practices - and why the market is suddenly making that move feel much more doable.
They explain Kindleworth’s model: helping partners with client followings set up boutique or specialist firms “of their design”, then running the day-to-day operational backbone once the doors are open. The conversation digs into some of the best-known projects they’ve been involved in, including Pallas and the rapid Rosenblatt spin-out, and what those launches reveal about how quickly new firms can be stood up when the right pieces are in place.
A big theme is friction, and how to remove it. Hacking and Estill argue that better access to capital, dramatically improved tech, and a growing pool of partners who don’t fit neatly inside the strategic priorities of ever-bigger global firms. They talk about conflicts in the broad sense - not just classic conflicts of interest, but conflicts of strategy, pricing and business model - and why that opens space for focused firms built around a portable book of business and a clear vision.
The episode also looks ahead: why Burford Capital invested in Kindleworth, what a US expansion could look like, and how technology and outside capital could enable a new breed of “scale specialist” firms. The practical takeaway is simple: if you’ve got the itch to go it alone, don’t be scared of exploring it - because the fastest way to get clarity is to start having the right conversations.
To find out more about Legora, visit: https://legora.com/
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
01:20 Kindleworth Origins & Founder Backgrounds
02:20 What Kindleworth Does & Who It’s For
03:56 High-Profile Launches & the Rosenblatt Rescue
05:17 Burford Capital & Funding Law Firm Spin-Outs
08:08 Why Kindleworth Is Taking the Model to the US
12:11 Why Starting Fresh Beats Fixing Big Law
14:13 Which Practice Areas Are Ripe for Breakaways
18:18 Advice for Partners Thinking of Leaving
26:03 Pricing Pressure, AI & New Firm Economics
38:53 The Upside: Freedom, Ownership & Building Legacy
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

John Quinn is one of the most influential figures in modern Big Law. In this episode, he reflects on how Quinn Emanuel grew from a four-lawyer spin-out in Los Angeles into the world’s leading litigation-only firm - which is constantly rated as the the “most feared” firm.
Quinn explains that the disputes-only model wasn’t fully formed on day one, but became a powerful differentiator once the firm realised that “we do one thing and we think we’re the best at that,” rather than trying to be everything to everybody.
A central theme of the conversation is why specialisation - particularly being willing to act against the world’s largest commercial banks - created an “unmet need in the marketplace” that full-service firms couldn’t fill because of conflicts. Quinn also discusses how that focus helped build internal cohesion: “we’re all litigators,” he says, which avoids the fragmentation he sees inside large full-service partnerships.
Quinn offers a candid comparison between litigation in the US and the UK, from the power of depositions and jury trials to the cost structures and role of regulators like the DOJ. He also shares his perspective on the evolution of Big Law, including rising concentration at the top end, the erosion of lockstep, the growth of non-equity partnerships, and why he thinks the business of law itself “hasn’t changed much,” despite constant talk of transformation.
The episode closes with Quinn’s views on AI, private equity investment in law firms, and what actually makes a great lawyer.
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
00:55 On launching Law Disrupted and staying busy
03:38 Founding Quinn Emanuel and the early years
05:02 Why Quinn Emanuel became a litigation only firm
08:14 Suing the banks and finding an unmet market niche
09:40 Opening London before the financial crisis
10:07 Building the world’s largest patent litigation practice
11:51 US vs UK litigation and the power of depositions
16:04 Costs, risk and why US litigation works differently
20:52 How Big Law has changed and why the strongest firms win
22:23 Why law is a “stupid business” structurally
24:26 Lockstep, partner pay and the rise of superstar compensation
33:14 Private equity, external capital and law firm ownership
35:11 Why AI won’t replace litigators anytime soon
40:26 What makes a great lawyer and why judgment matters most
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