The Non-Billable Podcast
The Non-Billable Podcast
Podcast Description
The Non-Billable Podcast takes UK legal professionals beyond the billable hour, bringing you interviews with top lawyers, law firm leaders, industry experts and legal tech innovators to uncover actionable insights on the business of law, career growth and the future of the industry.
Hosted by Oliver Attinger, a former finance lawyer at a leading City law firm with in-house experience at an investment bank - now asking the questions he wished he had when he was practising.
Brought to you by Non-Billable, the go-to newsletter for City lawyers, in-house counsel, and legal professionals.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
This podcast focuses on themes related to the business of law, career development, and legal innovation. Episodes delve into topics such as the evolving dynamics of the legal market, personal stories of entrepreneurial lawyers, and insights into legal tech advancements. For instance, episodes have highlighted journeys of individuals like Alexander Kardos-Nyheim, who successfully balanced a legal training contract with launching a legal tech startup, exploring challenges and strategies for success in a competitive field.
The Non-Billable Podcast takes UK legal professionals beyond the billable hour, bringing you interviews with top lawyers, law firm leaders, industry experts and legal tech innovators to uncover actionable insights on the business of law, career growth and the future of the industry.
Hosted by Oliver Attinger, a former finance lawyer at a leading City law firm, and brought to you by Non-Billable, the legal media platform for City lawyers, in-house counsel, and legal professionals.
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
Disclaimer
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