Best Freshfields Podcasts (2025)

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Erik Gerding (Freshfields): Governance, Regulation, and Risk in a Global Business Environment 52:29

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3h ago52:29

52:29

(0:00) Intro (1:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:00) Start of interview (2:36) Erik's origin story (4:14) Discussing Foreign Private Issuers (FPIs): His article "SEC Revisits Foreign Private Issuer Eligibility" (June 2025) (16:45) The Rise of AI and Its Implications. Discussion on "AI Washing" (19:30) Dis…

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Reward(ing) Half Hour - Episode 5 Navigating Employment Claims: Share Plans, Bonuses and Beyond 29:09

4d ago29:09

29:09

Keeping you up to date on executive compensation matters. In this podcast series, the Freshfields People & Reward team discusses key topics in the executive reward space for publicly listed and private companies in 2025, including transatlantic considerations, ways to structure executive incentives and the developing trend for democratising equity …

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Freshfields, Lewis Silkin and the C-word 37:06

18d ago37:06

37:06

Send us a text Lewis Silkin and Freshfields are two very different law firms. But they now have one thing in common – they won one of the two big awards at The Lawyer Awards 2025 last week. Now, The Lawyer Podcast is not typically a podcast to gush and coo. But with Lewis Silkin taking home UK firm of the year this year, and Freshfields winning Tra…

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The runny poop problem is law's next battleground 29:29

4d ago29:29

29:29

Send us a text As the government launches a sweeping review into parental leave, The Lawyer Podcast takes a look at the challenges faced by parents and other carers working in the legal sector. Are firms pulling their weight? Are men? How far have we come and what more can be done? SHOW NOTES The Lawyer's Working Parents Report can be read here. 67…

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Jack Lazar: A Silicon Valley Journey from Finance to the Boardroom 1:02:24

7d ago1:02:24

1:02:24

(0:00) Intro (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:16) Start of interview (3:09) Jack's origin story (4:11) The Accounting Foundation. His time at PriceWaterhouse (1987-1992) (5:45) His Startup/Executive Journey. Electronics for Imaging => Apptitude => NetRatings => Atheros => Qualcomm (12:15) Transitioning…

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No Worse Off #15: UK restructuring plan turns five 24:43

12d ago24:43

24:43

In our latest podcast episode of "No Worse Off," Freshfields partners Lindsay Hingston, Ken Baird, and Emma Gateaud, along with senior associate Emilio Salice, come together for an in-depth discussion as the Restructuring Plan (RP) turns five. Drawing on their extensive experience, our speakers share valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of …

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Walker Newell & Lenin Lopez (Woodruff & Sawyer): Navigating D&O Risk, Delaware Exit, and Boardroom Litigation 1:12:34

14d ago1:12:34

1:12:34

(0:00) Intro to this episode (1:43) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (2:30) Start of interview (3:09) Walker Newell's origin story (6:38) Lenin Lopez' origin story (9:21) Intro to Woodruff Sawyer, and their focus on corporate law and securities litigation. (14:00) The Importance of Corporate Governance (14:38) …

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Celebrating 5 Years of the Boardroom Governance Podcast & Newsletter 4:42

22d ago4:42

4:42

This episode marks the fifth anniversary of the Boardroom Governance Podcast and Newsletter. In this solo edition, I reflect on: The origin of the podcast and newsletter, both launched during the pandemic Key lessons from over 175 episodes with leading voices in corporate governance The Boardroom Governance Summit My role leading the Center for Bus…

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Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets with Freshfields Episode #4: Midseason Proxy Review 38:24

26d ago38:24

38:24

In episode four of the Eureka series, Former SEC Director of CorpFin and Freshfields partner Erik Gerding is joined by partners Leza Bieber, Heather Brookfield and Sarah Ghulamhussain who unpack the trends this Proxy Season, including: What we are seeing in terms of shareholder proposals, management proposals and early voting results including tren…

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Paul Weiss’s growth is just the tip of the iceberg 33:26

1M ago33:26

33:26

Send us a text We have never seen such rapid investment in the London legal market like Paul Weiss’s recruitment spree since 2023. Between 2023 and 2024 alone, the firm's London headcount tripled and its estimated turnover grew by more than 550 per cent. But that was just the start of the story for US firms in London over the last financial year, a…

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Karen Hao: Author of Empire of AI on Why "Scale at All Costs" is Not Leading Us to a Good Place 1:05:17

1M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

(0:00) Intro (1:49) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:36) Introduction by Professor Anat Admati, Stanford Graduate School of Business. Read the event coverage from Stanford's CASI. (4:14) Start of Interview (4:45) What inspired Karen to write this book and how she got started with journalism. (8:00) OpenAI's N…

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Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets from Freshfields Episode #3: What to expect from SEC Enforcement 37:53

1M ago37:53

37:53

In this episode of the Eureka series, partners and former senior SEC officials Melissa Hodgman and Erik Gerding share insider perspectives on what to expect from SEC enforcement, including: Direction of travel for key areas such as crypto, fraud, individual liability, China, ESG and insider trading Insights into personnel and priorities changes at …

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Tax matters: Trump 2.0 - the intersection of US tax and trade policy 29:07

1M ago29:07

29:07

The second Trump administration has made numerous announcements on trade and tariffs, but US tax policy is increasingly woven into the discussion on international trade. This includes the possibility of retaliatory US action against “discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes” imposed by other countries. The US House Budget Reconciliation Bill, offic…

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Michal Lev-Ram: On the Intersecting Worlds of Tech, Culture, and Politics in Silicon Valley 50:10

1M ago50:10

50:10

(0:00) Intro (1:09) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (1:56) Start of interview (2:39) Michal's origin story (5:05) Her start in journalism in Silicon Valley with Business 2.0. magazine and later at Fortune Magazine. (7:45) Her project Operation Firewall (audible original podcast involving cybersecurity) (11:40) …

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Have litigation funders been chasing a busted flush? 27:05

2M ago27:05

27:05

Send us a text On the surface, litigation funding and class actions are booming in the UK. Over the past five years, dozens of class actions have been filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) and just at the start of this month, a new £5bn action was filed against Google. The 60 cases now in the CAT are said to be worth more than £160bn. And …

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Looking Forward: How AI is Transforming Healthcare and MedTech 23:54

2M ago23:54

23:54

Listen to the latest episode of our MedTech podcast featuring host Vinita Kailasanath and guest Alya Sulaiman, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer at Datavant. Vinita and Alya discuss Alya’s unique career path, how AI and machine learning will impact the US’ regulatory landscape, deploying AI in healthcare, and MedTech innovations to watch.…

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Alex Edmans: How Board Members Can Challenge Bias and Think More Critically 1:00:48

2M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

(0:00) Intro (1:37) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:24) Start of interview (3:10) Alex's origin story (5:56) His advisory boards and other board positions. On the importance of the academic practitioner nexus. (7:02) About his book May Contain Lies (2024) (10:07) About confirmation bias, relevant to corporat…

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Essential Antitrust #47: Chat with EC’s Daniele Calisti: More room for procompetitive efficiencies? 33:19

2M ago33:19

33:19

On 8 May 2025, the European Commission launched a public consultation to review the Merger Guidelines. In this episode, our host Jenn Mellott speaks with Daniele Calisti, Head of the Mergers Case Support and Policy Unit at DG Competition, who is leading the consultation process. They are joined by David Foster, Director at Frontier Economics, and f…

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'EUnpacked' Episode #4: The EU’s first Omnibus - simplification or deregulation? 26:40

2M ago26:40

26:40

Tune in to the latest episode of our EUnpacked podcast series in which we try to untangle the famous or rather infamous ‘Omnibus I’ package unveiled by the European Commission on 26 February this year. The proposal aims to simplify ESG reporting and due diligence obligations, responding to new political and geopolitical imperatives pushing a simpli…

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What law firms aren’t telling you about AI 31:19

2M ago31:19

31:19

Send us a text News broke last week that the first ever AI law firm had been given the green light by the SRA. The rush by law firms to adopt Artificial Intelligence has been the standout feature of the past two years. But amongst all the hype, the promises, the bizarre naming of internal chat bots (we’re looking at you, Mishcon de Reya), it’s diff…

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No Worse Off #14: Managing consumer redress liabilities: recent restructuring experience and the motor finance sector 29:00

2M ago29:00

29:00

In our latest podcast episode of "No Worse Off," Freshfields partners Emma Gateaud and Craig Montgomery are joined by two industry experts for an in-depth discussion on motor finance claims and consumer redress restructuring. Drawing on our extensive experience in recent consumer redress restructurings, we consider the potential impact of the upcom…

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Rick Horvath (Dechert): What Corporate Directors Need to Know About Delaware's SB 21 50:39

2M ago50:39

50:39

(0:00) Intro (1:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:01) Start of interview (4:38) His professional background starting with Skadden in Delaware. (5:08) About his corporate governance practice at Dechert LLP (8:10) How Delaware Came to Dominate U.S. Incorporations (13:14) What prompted the pushback against De…

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Securing the Digital Future #4: A Conversation with Athina Tsitsou and June Lowry 39:07

2M ago39:07

39:07

In this episode of our Securing the Digital Future podcast series, Freshfields partner Rachael Annear talks with June Lowry and Athina Tsitsou, from the European Commission, about measures in the EU aimed at children’s online safety as well as broader initiatives around accessibility.By Freshfields

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Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets with Freshfields Episode #2: IPOs and other Routes to Capital and Liquidity: “The Garden of Forking Paths” 29:06

2M ago29:06

29:06

In episode two of the Eureka series, Former Director of CorpFin at the SEC and Freshfields partner Erik Gerding and Freshfields partners Calise Cheng and Jacqueline Marino explore IPOs in the face of uncertainty, including alternative paths to capital and liquidity. They discuss: The state of the market and what the SEC might do to help Alternative…

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Trump v BigLaw, part three: Where's your line in the sand? 54:50

2M ago54:50

54:50

Send us a text Trump’s attacks on some of America’s most famous law firms has set in motion a chain of events that has thrown the world of BigLaw into chaos. In episode three of The Lawyer Podcast's mini-series on Trump v BigLaw, Christian, Catrin and Richard assess what the crisis means for the junior members of the legal profession. The team spea…

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Trump v BigLaw, part two: Deal or no deal? 50:33

3M ago50:33

50:33

Send us a text Trump’s attacks on some of America’s most famous law firms has set in motion a chain of events that has thrown the world of BigLaw into chaos. On this second episode of our podcast mini-series, Catrin, Christian and Richard look at how firm managements are responding to Trump’s targeting. The team speaks to former Ashurst senior part…

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Roy Shapira: Europe’s Corporate Sustainability Directive and Its Impact on U.S. Board Oversight Duties 52:45

3M ago52:45

52:45

(0:00) Intro (1:30) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:17) Start of interview (3:01) Roy's origin story. (6:35) About the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive ("CS3D"). His paper co-authored with Luca Enriques and Matteo Gatti: How the EU Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Could Reshape Corpo…

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Trump v BigLaw, part one: Crisis 1:06:07

3M ago1:06:07

1:06:07

Send us a text Trump’s attacks on some of America’s most famous law firms has set in motion a chain of events that has thrown the world of BigLaw into chaos. Across the course of three episodes, The Lawyer Podcast will be talking to figures across the political and legal spectrum on both sides of the Atlantic, from Trump supporters to liberal acade…

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Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets from Freshfields: Episode #1: Disclosure and Governance During a Trade War 25:55

3M ago25:55

25:55

In this episode of the Eureka series, Former Director of CorpFin at the SEC and Freshfields partner Erik Gerding and Freshfields partners Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber discuss how to think about disclosures and governance during a trade war, including: What to do about guidance and meaningful cautionary language under extreme uncertainty? How …

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Robin Feldman: On the Evolution and Regulation of AI 43:48

3M ago43:48

43:48

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:45) Robin's origin story (3:55) About the AI Law and Innovation Institute. (5:02) On AI governance: "AI is critical for boards, both from a risk management perspective and from a regulatory management perspective." Boards should: 1…

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Ethan Klingsberg Explores the Global Secondaries Trend with Ivet Bell 34:44

3M ago34:44

34:44

As part of his predictions for 2025, Ethan Klingsberg focused on the expected dominance of the fund secondaries market. Listen in as he speaks with Private Funds and Secondaries partner Ivet Bell about the phenomenal rise of these transactions—including market drivers, key terms, impact on the market, and where secondaries growth may be headed in b…

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Amy Rojik (BDO Center for Corporate Governance): From Audit Quality to Governance Strategy 52:08

3M ago52:08

52:08

(0:00) Intro (1:13) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:00) Start of interview (2:45) Amy's origin story (3:25) Her start in corporate governance (5:02) About the implosion of Arthur Andersen (she worked there from 1993 to 2002) (7:00) Her time at BDO USA for the past 21 years and founding the BDO Center for Cor…

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Your firm may not be interested in private equity, but private equity is interested in your firm 27:21

3M ago27:21

27:21

Send us a text Law firm listings are out of fashion, but private equity interest in firms has never been higher. With more deals already struck this year, The Lawyer Podcast crew sets out the state of PE investment in firms, debates the benefits and challenges of PE involvement, explores the experience of DWF, and ponders what the future will bring…

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Essential Antitrust #46: UK’s DMCCA consumer protection reforms: Key changes and how to prepare 20:02

3M ago20:02

20:02

On 6 April 2025, key consumer protection provisions set out in the landmark UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) entered into force. In addition to introducing some significant substantive changes to the law, the DMCCA provides the CMA with powers to directly enforce consumer protection law for the first time, and the ability t…

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No Worse Off #13: Spotlight on the Middle East 25:59

3M ago25:59

25:59

In our latest "No Worse Off" podcast episode, Freshfields partner Lindsay Hingston and Tabasam Faqir, Head of Restructuring and Capital Solutions for MENA, welcome special guest Naveen Sabharwal, Managing Director at Davidson Kempner. Together, they explore the key themes shaping the restructuring landscape in the Middle East. Drawing on their exte…

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Well-Caffeinated: Playing the Long Game: A Conversation with Val Jacob 21:24

4M ago21:24

21:24

Join Nathalie Kupfer and Rosie Jiang as they sit down with Val Jacob to explore her remarkable career in the legal industry. With decades of experience in Big Law, Val has navigated the complexities of the legal world and emerged as a respected leader. In this episode, Val will share her journey, from her early days as a young attorney to her rise …

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Emily Melton: Mechanics of Venture Investing, the Age of AI, and Implications for Boards 1:00:23

4M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

(0:00) Intro (1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:02) Start of interview (2:45) Emily's origin story (8:27) Her start in venture capital through DFJ with Tim Draper in 2000. (11:56) About the history and evolution of VC (13:42) Investing thesis (founding principle) at her firm Threshold Ventures. (19:21) T…

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Could you hack it as a startup GC? 26:30

4M ago26:30

26:30

Send us a text Dynamic. Modern. Exciting. From Revolut to Bloom & Wild, Darktrace to Fever, startups are increasingly the place to be in the UK - and that is the case for lawyers too. So as the potential avenues for a career in law grow and grow, Catrin Griffiths and Christian Smith are joined on The Lawyer Podcast by Tech Editor Lucie Cruz – and s…

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Joe Hurd: Governance in Times of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) 59:07

4M ago59:07

59:07

(0:00) Intro (1:26) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:13) Start of interview (2:45) Joe's origin story (4:07) His early career starting in London, with law firm Linklaters. (6:43) His move to Friendster in Silicon Valley. (8:00) His time at Videoegg. (9:24) His time at the International Trade Administration in…

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Does Linklaters’ exit spell the end for the Magic Circle in Eastern Europe? 22:00

4M ago22:00

22:00

Send us a text Poland’s GDP per capita could surpass Japan’s next year and may exceed the UK’s by the end of the decade. Such statistics help explain why the Eastern European nation is seeing an influx of international business - and legal work. Addleshaw Goddard is to take over Linklaters’ office in Warsaw in April, Clyde & Co is keenly poaching f…

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Securing the Digital Future #3: Balancing Act: Regulatory Approaches to Privacy in Content Moderation 27:43

4M ago27:43

27:43

In this episode of our Securing the Digital Future podcast series, partner Rachael Annear is joined by Lorna Christie from the UK’s data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), to discuss how the ICO is collaborating with Ofcom to ensure a coherent approach to regulation where online safety and data protection intersect.…

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No Worse Off #12: Meet Paul, Mark and Nick: our new London private credit and capital solutions trio 21:33

4M ago21:33

21:33

As you may already know, our three new London Private Credit and Capital Solutions partners joined us last month. We are very excited to introduce you to them in the latest episode of our “No Worse Off” Podcast series! Paul, Mark and Nick tell us about their practice, what Private Credit and Capital Solutions really means, as well as revealing a fe…

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Equitable Ownership: XXIV Old Buildings Lecture 2025 58:20

4M ago58:20

58:20

On 28 February 2025 The Rt. Hon. Lord Briggs of Westbourne delivered the 2025 XXIV Old Buildings Lecture entitled "Equitable Ownership". Michael Townley Featherstone Briggs, Lord Briggs of Westbourne became a Justice of the Supreme Court in October 2017. Lord Briggs grew up around Portsmouth and Plymouth, following his naval officer father between …

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Jorge Titinger: Leadership, Governance, and the Erosion of Trust 1:01:34

4M ago1:01:34

1:01:34

(0:00) Intro (1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:02) Start of interview (2:48) Jorge's origin story (6:03) His executive career in Silicon Valley (including computer and semiconductor industries) (9:00) On his board experience (he has served in ~20 boards) (11:32) Distinctions between serving on different…

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Absolute scenes: Freshfields, Willkie and how Merricks v Mastercard bankrolled the litigation market 29:34

5M ago29:34

29:34

Send us a text £20m is a number most recently associated with top private equity partners, but that’s the amount a team from Willkie Farr & Gallagher has been paid for its work on the iconic Merricks v Mastercard litigation. Now as the case wraps up, Catrin and Christian are joined by deputy litigation editor Annabel Tinson to discuss the story beh…

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Managing Risk in Asia #10: Powering the change in Asia’s energy transition 37:55

5M ago37:55

37:55

As the world intensifies its efforts toward Net Zero, Asia stands at the forefront of the global energy transition, representing half of global energy demand and emissions. With heavy dependence on fossil fuels across most large Asian economies, the path to Net Zero will be both challenging and full of opportunities for forward-thinking companies. …

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David Chun (CEO, Equilar): The Boardroom Diversity Backlash—A Shifting Pendulum 48:10

5M ago48:10

48:10

(0:00) Intro (1:38) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:25) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Dave (E25 from Dec 2020) (3:30) Equilar's current focus. New: Equilar Research Intelligence Copilot ERIC (7:49) The current status of boardroom diversity. Latest (Q3 2024) Equilar Gender Diversity Ind…

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Securing the Digital Future #2: Navigating the UK’s Approach to Online Safety 26:01

5M ago26:01

26:01

In our latest podcast episode of Securing the Digital Future, Freshfields partner Rachael Annear is joined by Suzanne Cater and Amy Jordan from the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, for an in-depth look at how online safety legislation is being applied in the UK and what businesses and organizations need to know.…

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Rick Alexander: On the Rise of PBCs in the AI Industry and Firm-Specific vs. Diversified Investor Duties 55:08

5M ago55:08

55:08

(0:00) Intro. (1:33) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel (2:20) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Rick (E14 from Aug 2020) (3:32) Update on Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) from prior episode (2020) (6:00) Surge of VC investments in PBCs driven by AI startups. *Reference to E159 with David Berg…

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Law firm sustainability in the age of Trump 32:43

5M ago32:43

32:43

Send us a text As Donald Trump and his allies put corporate ESG on both sides of the Atlantic in their crosshairs, is now the time for law firms to stand up and prove that their sustainability programmes are not just all for lip service? To mark the launch of The Lawyer’s Sustainability Hub, the podcast team discuss the future of law firm sustainab…