‘M&A is back with a bang’ – global elite dominate deal rankings in best-ever H1

‘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

‘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

Freshfields’ Charles Hayes on emotional intelligence, Formula One deals, sheep and daring to press the button

Charlie Hayes, the global co-head of the private capital group at Freshfields, on everything from delivering lambs and making tables from trees to the importance of clarity in client communications

Life During Law: Nick Vamos

Life During Law: Robbie McLaren

Life During Law: Karen Seward

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: Paul Dolman

I certainly didn't have a burning desire to be a lawyer from the age of five years old.

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

Life During Law: Scott Hopkins

Life During Law: Freshfields’ London head Mark Sansom

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

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

Bakers’ outgoing London chief on why the firm is doubling down on transactions in the City

Bakers London managing partner Ed Poulton on the firm's corporate hiring spree in London and why the firm isn't skipping leg day when it comes to laterals

‘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

Addleshaws leader on corporate ambitions, key clients and why a US merger isn’t part of the £1bn 2030 strategy

Addleshaw Goddard managing partner Andrew Johnston talks about international expansion, sticking to the strategy and the firm's new London office

‘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

‘We are not an outpost’ – Mayer Brown City head on the firm’s plans for London

London managing partner Dominic Griffiths talks strategy as the office crosses $250m

‘For us, it all came together’ – how Proskauer built a London high yield offering in 12 months

European capital markets head Jake Keaveny on the first phase of Proskauer's ambitious finance buildout

Goodwin COO: ‘I want to disrupt not just scale a law firm’

Mary O'Carroll on bringing California's 'move fast and break things' ethos to law

‘Private credit are the new banks’: Proskauer’s A&O and Cahill hires on the US firm’s ambitious finance push

Proskauer has recently made waves in London with a quartet of big-name laterals from A&O and Cahill Gordon - part of an ambitious play to build a full-coverage finance practice in the City. LB spoke to the team to find out more

‘It’s always best to avoid death by a thousand cuts’ – what GCs think about the Brad Karp-Epstein firestorm

General counsel weigh in on Brad Karp's resignation as Paul Weiss chair and how they expect law firms to react when crisis hits

‘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

‘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