The last iteration of The Lawyer’s UK 200 began by noting that hopes for a period of greater stability and calm would descend after the Covid-19 pandemic were soon dashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The period of time covered by this year’s report encompasses the brief premiership of Liz Truss. Suffice it to say that the business community has become accustomed to operating against a background of permacrisis. As Irwin Mitchell group chief commercial officer Vicky Brackett puts it: “We’ve had so many headwinds. We’ve had Covid, we’ve had Brexit, we’ve had all that has happened with the economy, and now we’ve got AI disrupting us.”

Despite those varied headwinds, the top end of the legal profession has remained resilient. Examining The Lawyer’s revenue thermometer, which shows how many firms grew or shrank in a given year, one can see that the performance of the Top 100 as a group in 2022/23 was very similar to the year before, with the same number of firms increasing their revenue, even if double-digit increases were slightly rarer.

The Horizon Live series marries The Lawyer’s market-leading data, analysis and insights and delivers it direct to you in a pithy, personalised and distilled format.

The 2023/24 programme includes an exclusive series of tailor-made webinars, roundtable discussions and small group dinners aimed at and for senior legal market figures. The events will also include specially invited guest speakers and subject matter experts to help augment The Lawyer’s proprietary data and research.

The Horizon Live series begins this November with a UK 200-focused webinar in which The Lawyer’s director of insight Matt Byrne and research and insight manager Nikhil Raj Aggarwal will highlight several of this year’s key financial trends, discussing issues such as rising debt, the role of the office and the likely impact of Generative AI.

*Horizon Live memberships are only available for firms that have an active subscription to The Lawyer’s Signal.

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Presenters:

Nikhil Raj Aggarwal, Research & Insight Manager, The Lawyer

Nikhil Raj Aggarwal is the Research & Insight Manager at The Lawyer and is responsible for delivering data-rich insight for the legal market in the UK and internationally. He leads the day-to-day management of The Lawyer’s key market insight products such as Signal, Litigation Tracker, and Practice Analysis. Nikhil has several years of experience in the implementation of large-scale research programs and monitoring and evaluation of existing research programmes. Prior to working at The Lawyer Nikhil worked in the FinTech industry, where he led research for setting up MicroPensions in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Matt Byrne, Director of Insight, The Lawyer

Matt Byrne is The Lawyer’s director of insight. He joined The Lawyer in 2003 as features editor and became deputy editor in 2014. Between 2007 and 2009 he launched and ran The Lawyer’s New York office. He has written on a wide range of topics related to the business of law and management of legal services organisations. In particular, Matt leads the editorial teams for major market reports and events such as the UK 200, the US Top 50 and the Marketing Leadership Summit.

Lesley O’Leary, COO, Charles Russell Speechlys

Working in partnership with the Managing Partner and Senior Partner, Lesley provides executive oversight and leadership of the firm’s operational professionals to help Charles Russell Speechlys implement its plans for increased profitability, innovative working practices and processes in alignment with the firm’s strategy, aspirations, brand and values. Initially joining the firm to lead its Business Development & Marketing function, Lesley has more than 25 years of experience enabling partnerships to provide creative solutions for clients. Lesley is passionate about helping clients and colleagues achieve their ambitions. She helps drive change and long-term growth through building teams grounded in empathy and commercial acumen. She brings a client-centric mindset to operational priorities. Prior to joining Charles Russell Speechlys, she held roles at Herbert Smith Freehills, Travers Smith and Cushman & Wakefield.

Robert Shooter, Managing Partner, Fieldfisher

Robert Shooter is the Managing Partner of European law firm, Fieldfisher, a role he has proudly held for 18 months. Prior to this he led Fieldfisher’s Technology, Outsourcing and Privacy Group, doubling its size over a 10-year period. As Managing Partner, Rob is committed to implementing the Firm’s strategy that revolves around three pillars: greater collaboration, building a European powerhouse, and focusing on ESG and sustainability. Rob is also on a mission to promote and highlight ‘menschiness’ within the Firm – the concept of doing the right thing by people and acting with integrity.

Lee Ranson, CEO, Eversheds Sutherland (International)

Based in London, Lee is Chief Executive Officer of Eversheds Sutherland and member of the Global Executive and Global Board. From 2009 Lee was the firm’s Managing Partner with responsibility for the day to day operations of the business and practice groups across Eversheds Sutherland’s offices in the UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Prior to this Lee took up the leadership of the Real Estate and Real Estate Litigation Group in 2006. In terms of his own practice, Lee joined the firm in 1990 as a commercial litigator handling a wide range of complex disputes for HSBC, Lloyds and TSB. Cases that he was directly involved in include Blue Arrow, Barlow Clowes and the “phantom withdrawal” ATM cases.