Podcast
Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers
Hosted by Lateral Link · EN
Step into the intricate world of Biglaw with Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, a Lateral Link podcast that explores the ins and outs of the dynamic legal lateral market through insightful conversations with influential figures across the industry. From in-depth discussions with renowned Biglaw attorneys to strategic insights from experienced general counsels and pioneering visions from innovative legal industry leaders, the show delivers the perspectives of legal elites directly to you.
We navigate beyond mere lateral movements and market trends, offering a valuable blend of insightful analyses, substantive discussions, and expert viewpoints to empower your journey through the global legal landscape. Subscribe and equip yourself with enriched knowledge and understandings from the peak of the legal sector, ensuring you stride with confidence in the competitive realm of Biglaw.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 68: David Lat and Zach Sandberg Analyze the 2024 Vault Rankings
Jun 21, 202400:29:06Tap to summarizeIn this epidose of "Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers," David Lat and Zach Sandberg discuss the newly released 2024 Vault Rankings. How are the Vault rankings formulated? Who moved up? Who dropped down? And why? For the Move of the Week, David discusses Norton Rose's hiring of a 12 attorney team from Bryan Cave, while Zach analyzes Mayer Brown's addition of Gabrielle Levin from Gibson Dunn to co-lead their Employment Litigation & Counseling practice.
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Episode 67: Bridget McCormack, CEO of the American Arbitration Association, on Creating Access to Justice and the Future of Dispute Resolution
Jun 13, 202400:42:51Tap to summarizeThis week, on "Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers," we interview Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack, CEO and President of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Bridget served as the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court before assuming leadership of the AAA. In this episode, we journey through the early stages of Bridget's career as a public interest lawyer and professor, before she made the bold move of entering the election for the Michigan Supreme Court in 2012. Bridget tells us about her decision, after an impressive decade on the bench, to join the AAA, where she has worked to provide more people with access to justice by adopting new technologies in online dispute resolution. She highlights the AAA's recent acquisition of ODR.com and speaks to the significant influence of artificial intelligence in the development of alternative dispute resolution. For the move of the week, David covers Cooley's hiring of federal prosecutor John Bostic, who garnered significant renown during the investigation and trial of Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes. Zach discusses Paul Hastings' recent surge of lateral finance and restructuring partner hiring, which includes a group of eleven private credit and special situations partners that just joined the firm, led by Jennifer Daly.
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Episode 66: Kyle Gann, Winston & Strawn Corporate Partner on the Struggle, Acceptance and Servanthood
May 24, 202400:39:16Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, we go down the rabbit hole with Kyle Gann, corporate partner at Winston & Strawn. Kyle defied his father's advice and became a lawyer anyway, overcoming an injury that nearly snatched his dream of becoming an attorney from his grasp. On the show, our conversation goes in a different direction than we're used to: Kyle opens up and shares vulnerably about his past. If you have a penchant for philosophy, you will enjoy our discussion about how the fear of loss can direct one's course in life. Finally, Kyle sheds light on the main law by which he operates: live with joy. For the Move of the Week, David covers Cahill's opening of a Wilmington office with a group of crypto hires while Zach speaks to Sullivan & Cromwell's addition of a prominent tech M&A group from Skadden.
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Episode 65: David Lat and Zach Sandberg Dissect the 2023 Am Law 200 Law Firm Rankings
May 10, 202400:28:26Tap to summarizeThis week, on Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, our hosts David Lat and Zach Sandberg do a deep dive on the most recent set of the American Lawyer's famed law firm rankings—both the Am Law 100 ranking, which came out last month, and the Second Hundred ranking, which was just released. Who is moving up in the world? Are there firms struggling? What factors are driving the success of the firms that are flourishing? Join our hosts as they run through numerous metrics that measure a firm's financial health and performance in this must-listen episode. For his move of the week, David follows another high-profile acquisition by Paul Weiss, which seems to be on a hiring spree, while Zach breaks down Baker McKenzie's onboarding of a major West Coast transactional team from Munger.
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Episode 64: Melissa Saleh, Co-Founder of FairPlay AI on Career Throughlines, Storytelling, and Disrupting an Industry
Apr 25, 202400:37:53Tap to summarizeThis week, on Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, our hosts speak with Melissa Saleh, whose start-up, FairPlay AI, is introducing AI-powered models that increase fairness and profits for lenders. Melissa and David go back twenty years to the early days of blogging when Melissa shook up the legal industry with her controversial blog, Opinionistas. Melissa would leave the practice of law to go full force into the world of digital journalism, writing for numerous prominent media brands. We talk about career throughlines, and it just so happens that Melissa had a particularly powerful throughline in both her narrative work and career: technology's influence on our lives. It was this current that ultimately pulled her into the dynamic role that she now occupies: that of a tech founder. For the move of the week, David discusses the proposed merger between Troutman Pepper and Locke Lorde, while Zach analyzes a multi-office group hired by Shook, Hardy & Bacon.
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Episode 63: Katherine Allen, CEO and Co-Founder of Flo Recruit on Innovating Firm Recruitment
Apr 11, 202400:29:21Tap to summarizeThis week on Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, we sit down with Katherine Allen, CEO and Co-Founder of Flo Recruit, a company making waves in the way both law schools and law firms orchestrate their recruitment processes. Katherine tells us the story of how she started innovating in the legal industry before graduating from college. We then discuss how the company strives to tackle some of the more complex operational challenges faced by law firms in their never-ending efforts to recruit the top talent. For his move of the week, Zach covers Javad Asghari's move to Simpson Thacher, while David dives into a string of recent high-profile antitrust hires.
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Episode 62 - Colin Levy, Evangelist and Director of Legal at Malbek on Legal Tech
Mar 29, 202400:28:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers, we tackle all things legal technology with Colin Levy, a thought leader in the field. In his current role as Evangelist and Director of Legal at Malbek, Colin acts as a luminary for those not yet accustomed to rapidly-evolving technology and the increasingly important role it plays in attorneys' lives. Join us for this wide-ranging discussion, covering topics from the ability of AI to augment performance to a candid conversation with Colin about his own mental health journey. For the move of the week, Zach covers Barnes & Thornburg's recent acquisition on a restructuring team in Atlanta, while David takes a look at McDermott's hiring of a white collar group from Orrick, led by Guy Singer.
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Episode 61 - Pierre Gentin, Chief Legal Officer at McKinsey & Co, on Passion and Professionalism
Mar 14, 202400:38:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we have a deep, thoughtful conversation with Pierre Gentin, McKinsey's Chief Legal Officer and the first non-consultant elected a senior partner in the firm's almost 100-year history. Pierre defines the elements of excellence to which attorneys can aspire while waxing philosophical about how people can find meaning in their work. As Pierre so eloquently puts it, "There are arrows of inspiration flying over us all the time, but do we reach up and grab them?" The conversation lends a fresh perspective to the work that we do day in and day out, while also digging into the dynamics of an esteemed organization, like McKinsey, as it expands globally.
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Episode 60: Breaking Barriers - Husch Blackwell's Emily Logan Stedman on Navigating Partnership, Mental Health Advocacy, and Female Leadership in Law
Feb 14, 202400:31:42Tap to summarizeJoin David Lat and Zach Sandberg on Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers as they chat with Emily Logan Stedman, newly appointed partner at Husch Blackwell and advocate for lawyer well-being. Emily shares her journey to partnership, her commitment to mental health in the legal community, and how she balances leadership with personal well-being. She discusses the evolving role of women in law, mentoring, and her strategies for personal branding and business development. Emily also offers advice to junior associates and law students, including the use of the billable hour as a time-management tool. In Moves of the Week, we spotlight Kimberly Branscome's move to Paul, Weiss in Los Angeles, King & Spalding welcoming longtime Hollingsworth litigator Greg Chernack in DC, and Hogan Lovells hiring 23 M&A lawyers from Orrick in Italy. Tune in for insights on legal career growth, mental health advocacy, and the importance of personal branding. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share with your network!
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Episode 59: Exploring Finance and Mentorship - A Conversation with DLA Piper's Matt Schwartz
Feb 1, 202400:34:09Tap to summarizeJoin David Lat and Zach Sandberg on Movers, Shakers & Rainmakers as they chat with Matt Schwartz, Practice Group Leader and Chair of the US Finance Group at DLA Piper. Matt shares his journey from starting at DLA Piper to running finance transactions to leading the US practice group. He also talks about the evolution and current state of the finance industry, as well as what he expects in the finance world in 2024. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the value of mentorship, for mentors as well as mentees, plus practical advice from Matt about time management. In Moves of the Week, we spotlight one Cravath partner joining Davis Polk, a second going to Freshfields, and Debevoise welcoming Rick Sofield as partner, enhancing its national security offerings. Tune in for a comprehensive look at legal excellence and leadership. Ad don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share with your network!
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