LB100 2026: the firms that stand out from the crowd

Latham’s Oliver Felsenstein on The Godfather, client call car crashes and becoming a PE lawyer by accident

Germany private equity heavyweight Oliver Felsenstein reflects on decades of dealmaking, from dreams of becoming Don Corleone's consigliere to his retirement plans for a champagne bar

‘Law should be full of mavericks’ – Addleshaws’ Simon Kamstra on ego, a secret DJ career, and the right time to retire

After more than 30 years at Addleshaws, former global disputes head Simon Kamstra looks back on doing deals on Black Monday, his secret DJing sideline and building a career while keeping space for life outside the law

Sidley leader Yvette Ostolaza on role models, ambition and private investment in law

Firm management committee chair talks LB through a lifetime of firsts

Life During Law: former A&O chief Wim Dejonghe

Dejonghe, who was recently named Management Partner of the Year at the LB Awards, on mergers, money and his future plans

A&O’s Wim Dejonghe on mergers, money and his plans for life after law

Ahead of the A&O Shearman merger, outgoing A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe sat down with <em>LB</em> to discuss lessons from previous merger talks, his plans for the future and his views on the 'unhealthy' levels of money in law

Life During Law: Georgia Dawson

'The industry is evolving rapidly. Even before the pandemic you could see change coming through the profession.'

The Client Profile: Arm legal chief Spencer Collins on humble starts and career successes

Tech giant's CLO on gaining the trust of SoftBank's CEO, the stalled $40bn sale to Nvidia and what he's learned about building a successful in-house career

Life During Law: Nick Vamos

Life During Law – Simon Levine

"Running a law firm is a lot like running a mafia crew — without the killing."

Life During Law: Freshfields’ London head Mark Sansom

Freshfields' Mark Sansom on motorsports, email gaffes and competing on the global stage

‘Full-service firms all say the same thing – but we’ve been opportunistic’ – John Quinn on AI, funding and suing banks

Quinn Emanuel founder John Quinn on starting his own firm, picking your adversaries, investment in law and how he almost joined the navy

‘I’m sure I made a ton of mistakes’ – McDermott’s Coleman on fresh thinking, leadership lessons and why scale matters

McDermott Will & Schulte chair Ira Coleman on his life during law, from leading the 'the little engine that could' Miami office to overseeing a $3bn merger

Pinsents elects new managing partner in latest leadership change

Appointment comes two months after firm announced new senior partner

‘A mark of where we want to go’ – Latham sets out growth plan for new City HQ

Ahead of the firm's move to a new HQ, City chief Ed Barnett discusses lateral priorities and what's next for the $1bn London operation

Clifford Chance hikes PEP as firm aims to ‘unlock’ its brand in the US

Firm posts rising profits and revenue as it closes in on California launch

‘We needed more flexibility’ – Georgia Dawson on reshaping Freshfields for the future

From partner pay reform to US expansion, AI and overhauling the firm's business services function, Freshfields senior partner Georgia Dawson has been busy. She spoke to LB about her first five years in the role

‘We are not going to be left behind’ – Willkie’s leaders set their sights on London, private capital and the top tier

Having crossed $2bn in revenue, Willkie Farr's leaders believe the next phase of growth will be defined not just by scale but by building a top-tier global platform — with London at the centre of that ambition

‘Fresh perspectives’ – Gibson Dunn’s new London co-heads set out City plans

Gibson Dunn's new London co-heads Rob Carr and Osma Hudda tell LB about their leadership plans

‘You have to keep swinging’ – Paul Hastings leaders on building London and cracking the global elite

Paul Hastings leaders Frank Lopez and Sherrese Smith on running the firm like an asset manager and why they're front and centre of the firm's ambitious recruitment drive

‘A defining moment’ – Winston Taylor targets $2bn as transatlantic merger goes live

Newly merged firm sets out ambitions with rapid revenue growth, AI and upper mid-market corporate work on the agenda

‘Unlocking the full power of our offering’ ­­- Pinsents senior partner on sharpening the firm’s competitive edge

Andrew Masraf on searching for the levers of growth and the value of competition

Dentons CEO sets out plan to take the firm from ‘pre-teen’ to ‘young adult’

CEO Kate Barton on her ambitious strategy for the firm

‘We want to be there for the issues that keep our clients up at night’ – De Brauw co-head talks strategy

Co-managing partner Dennis Horeman on how focus, consistency and an ability to take tough decisions has kept the firm in position in the European elite

Kennedys managing partner on the law firm of the future: specialised, financially focused, global and AI-transformed

As the pace of change in the legal sector accelerates, Kennedys managing partner Meg Catalano considers how law firms are adapting to new technological and economic realities. She argues that greater lawyer specialisation, financial rigour, global reach and the effective use of AI will be essential for firms seeking to stay on top in a market defined by flux