Lawsy Originals

Mark Stephens, Partner at Howard Kennedy — On Human Rights, Media Law and Using the Law to Drive Social Change

Mark Stephens, Partner at Howard Kennedy — On Human Rights, Creative Law and Driving Social Change In this episode, Mark Stephens, partner at Howard Kennedy, shares his unconventional journey into law, from growing up around the music industry to founding his own law firm at just 24 years old. Mark explains how his early interest in art, media and culture led him to specialise in areas where law intersects with politics, reputation, freedom of expression and public pressure. He has built a career focused on solving difficult and often unconventional problems. He reflects on setting up Stephens Innocent as a young lawyer, the realities of building a law firm from scratch and why advocacy experience in the magistrates’ courts became foundational to his development as a litigator and strategist. Mark also discusses his approach to legal innovation, including working across multiple practice areas rather than remaining confined to narrow specialisms. He explains why many of the most interesting and impactful legal problems sit between traditional legal disciplines. The episode dives into some of the strategic litigation and human rights cases Mark has worked on throughout his career, including cases involving miners’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights in Botswana, child marriage protections in India and freedom of expression matters involving authoritarian regimes. The conversation also explores Mark’s work in media law, public commentary and television appearances, including how legal communication has changed over the decades and why making the law accessible to the public remains critically important. A major part of the discussion focuses on cultural property and repatriation disputes, including the Parthenon Marbles, Benin Bronzes and other artefacts removed during the colonial era. Mark explains the legal, moral and political arguments surrounding repatriation and why attitudes within major institutions are gradually changing. Mark also discusses modern geopolitical challenges, including authoritarianism, international law, freedom of speech, crypto funding in politics and the risks posed by social media algorithms and AI-driven information systems. Finally, Mark reflects on the future of the rule of law, the responsibilities of lawyers in defending democratic institutions and why intellectual curiosity, adaptability and moral conviction remain essential qualities for the next generation of lawyers. 00:00 Introduction   01:00 How Mark Was “Tricked” Into Law   02:00 Founding a Law Firm at 24   03:00 Art Law, Media and Creative Industries   05:00 Early Advocacy Experience in Court   07:00 Why Young Lawyers Need Broad Experience   08:00 First Court Appearances & Learning Advocacy   10:00 Cookie Cutter Lawyers vs Legal Innovation   12:00 Strategic Litigation & Shaping the Law   15:00 Working with John Mortimer & Media Appearances   18:00 High Profile Cases vs Impact Cases   20:00 Miners’ Rights & Margaret Thatcher Era Litigation   21:00 Human Rights Work in Botswana & India   25:00 Law, Morality and Social Change   27:00 Big Law, Salary Culture & Career Satisfaction   30:00 International Broadcasting & Iran International   32:00 Cross-Border Litigation & International Law   35:00 Working with Courts, Judges & Legal Reform   40:00 Howard Kennedy & Building a Modern Firm   45:00 Cultural Property & The Parthenon Marbles   55:00 Media, LinkedIn & Public Commentary   01:08:00 Crypto, Politics & Influence Campaigns   01:12:00 AI, Algorithms & Critical Thinking   01:14:00 Current Human Rights Cases & Final Reflections

Tim Foden, Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner — On International Arbitration, Crisis Management and Building a Global Legal Career

In this episode, Tim Foden, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner in London, shares his unconventional journey from a blue-collar upbringing in Philadelphia to becoming a leading international arbitration lawyer working on high-stakes disputes around the world. Tim discusses his early career experiences, including working in the mailroom at Sullivan & Cromwell while at university, gaining exposure to law firm life before even qualifying, and later developing hands-on advocacy skills as an insurance defence litigator arguing cases in US courts almost immediately after being called to the bar. He reflects on the challenges of breaking into Big Law after initially pursuing public interest law, and how roles in the US federal courts helped him build core skills in legal writing, advocacy and international disputes. He now practises at Boies Schiller Flexner, a disputes-only firm founded by David Boies, Jonathan Schiller and Donald Flexner, where he focuses on international arbitration and investor-state disputes. Tim’s practice centres on representing companies whose investments have been interfered with by foreign governments, often involving disputes under bilateral investment treaties and proceedings before World Bank arbitration bodies. His work spans regions including Africa, the Americas, Australia and Central Europe, often involving politically sensitive and high-risk situations. A significant part of the conversation focuses on career development — from mastering the fundamentals of drafting and legal analysis to building long-term client relationships. Tim shares candid insights into business development, emphasising that trust, authenticity and consistency matter far more than superficial networking. He also discusses the importance of autonomy in legal careers, how building a personal client base can transform both professional and personal life and why adaptability is essential in a rapidly changing global legal landscape. Finally, Tim offers practical advice for junior lawyers: focus on mastering your craft, develop genuine relationships early in your career and understand that long-term success in law requires a combination of technical excellence, commercial awareness and human skills. 00:00 Introduction   00:20 Meet Tim Foden: Career Overview   02:00 Qualifying in the US & Move to London   03:30 Early Career: Mailroom at Sullivan & Cromwell   07:30 First Legal Roles & Courtroom Experience   10:00 Public Interest Law & Career Pivot   13:00 Federal Court Experience & Legal Writing   14:30 Joining Crowell & Moring   16:00 Moving into International Arbitration   17:30 Move to London & Allen & Overy   20:00 Training, Structure & Learning English Law   23:30 Move to Quinn Emanuel   25:00 Business Development & Client Relationships   26:30 Launching LALIVE London Office   27:30 Joining Boies Schiller Flexner   29:00 Disputes-Only Model & Trial Strategy   32:00 What is Investor-State Arbitration?   34:00 Global Practice & Client Base   36:00 Arbitration vs Litigation & Transparency   38:30 Enforcement of Awards Against States   41:00 Geopolitics & Natural Resource Disputes   44:00 Crisis Management in Practice   46:30 Business Development Philosophy   50:00 Building Long-Term Relationships   52:30 Advice for Junior Lawyers   56:00 Autonomy, Career Progression & Lifestyle   59:00 Final Reflections & What’s Next

Mark Hunting, Partner at Bracewell — On White Collar Crime, In-House vs Private Practice and the Future of AI in Law

In this episode, Mark Hunting, partner at Bracewell in London, shares his journey from training at Hogan Lovells to building a career spanning private practice, in-house at bp and back into private practice. Mark specialises in white collar crime, investigations and regulatory compliance, working on matters including bribery, corruption, fraud, money laundering and sanctions, with a particular focus on the energy sector. He reflects on his early career in disputes, the value of hands-on advocacy experience and why being in the office plays a critical role in developing junior lawyers through exposure, mentorship and informal learning. The conversation explores his move to Ropes & Gray, where he joined a small and entrepreneurial London team, gaining early responsibility in business development and client relationships. Mark then shares insights from his time in-house at bp, including the increased responsibility, decision-making exposure and commercial impact that comes with working inside a global organisation, as well as the differences in career progression compared to private practice. The episode dives into his return to private practice at Bracewell, where he is building a white collar crime and investigations practice in London within a highly specialised energy-focused firm. Mark also provides a detailed look into his practice area, including internal investigations, dealing with regulators such as the Serious Fraud Office and Department of Justice, and the increasing complexity of sanctions and global compliance. The conversation explores major trends shaping the legal landscape, including geopolitical tensions, supply chain risk, sanctions enforcement and the growing challenges of operating across multiple jurisdictions. Mark also shares insights into the energy sector, including innovation in oil and gas, the rise of renewables and the increasing risk of fraud in areas such as carbon credits and sustainability-linked projects. A significant part of the discussion focuses on AI and legal tech, where Mark explains how he uses AI in practice, from document review and investigations to coding in Excel and improving efficiency, while cautioning against over-reliance on AI for core legal reasoning and advocacy. Finally, Mark offers practical advice for junior lawyers, including the importance of mastering detail, gaining broad experience early in your career and investing in long-term relationships both inside and outside the firm. 00:00 Introduction   00:20 Meet Mark Hunting: Career Overview   01:00 Training at Hogan Lovells & Early Career   03:00 Life as a Trainee & Importance of Office Culture   05:00 Moving to Ropes & Gray   06:30 Working in a Small, Entrepreneurial Team   08:00 Moving In-House to bp   10:00 Responsibility, Decision-Making & Meritocracy   12:00 In-House vs Private Practice   13:00 Returning to Private Practice at Bracewell   14:00 What Bracewell Does & Energy Focus   15:30 Overview of White Collar Crime & Investigations   17:00 Global Work: Africa, Middle East & Energy Sector   18:00 Role as a Magistrate & Early Responsibility   20:00 Geopolitics, Sanctions & Global Compliance   23:00 Supply Chains, Regulation & Risk   26:00 Energy Transition, Renewables & Fraud Risks   30:00 Innovation in Oil & Gas   33:00 AI in Legal Practice: Use Cases & Limitations   38:00 AI, Efficiency & Investigations   43:00 Training Lawyers in an AI-Driven World   48:00 Pricing, Billing & Law Firm Economics   54:00 Advice for Junior Lawyers   58:00 Building Relationships & Career Development   01:00:00 Final Reflections & What’s Next

David Savage, Head of Construction at Charles Russell Speechlys — On Building a Practice, Law Firm Growth and the Future of Legal Careers

In this episode, David Savage, Head of Construction at Charles Russell Speechlys, shares his journey from construction chambers to building and leading a top-tier construction practice within an international law firm. From working at Shell before university to training at one of London’s leading construction chambers, David explains how early exposure to business and industry shaped his approach to law and client relationships. He reflects on his transition into private practice, including the realities of pupillage, competition for tenancy and the decision to move into a fast-growing law firm environment. David shares insights from his time helping to scale a construction team and what it takes to build, lead and grow high-performing legal teams. The conversation explores his move to Charles Russell Speechlys, where he effectively built a construction team from scratch, navigating the challenges of starting without an existing client base and developing a practice through entrepreneurial thinking and business development. David also discusses law firm mergers, including the strategic, cultural and operational considerations behind combining firms and scaling internationally. The episode covers the evolving role of AI in legal practice, how firms are training lawyers in prompt engineering and why the human elements of law — trust, judgement and client relationships — remain critical. David shares practical insights into construction law, including how lawyers balance black letter law with commercial realities and why understanding the business context is essential to delivering value to clients. The conversation also dives into personal branding, LinkedIn and modern business development — including why authentic content can outperform traditional law firm marketing. Finally, David offers advice for junior lawyers on developing commercial awareness, embracing AI, building relationships and taking advantage of opportunities both online and in person. 00:00 Introduction   00:20 Meet David Savage: Career Overview   01:00 Working Before University & Early Experience   04:30 Life at the Construction Bar   08:00 Moving from Chambers to Law Firms   10:00 Building a High-Growth Construction Team   12:00 Learning from Entrepreneurial Partners   14:00 Business Development & Building a Network   16:00 Moving to Charles Russell Speechlys   19:00 Building a Team from Scratch   21:00 Growth, Leadership and Scaling a Practice   23:00 Law Firm Mergers: Strategy and Challenges   27:00 AI in Law and Legal Tech Adoption   30:00 Training Lawyers in Prompt Engineering   33:00 The Impact of AI on Legal Careers   37:00 Overview of Charles Russell Speechlys   41:00 What Construction Lawyers Actually Do   45:00 Commercial Awareness vs Black Letter Law   48:00 Business Development and Personal Branding   52:00 LinkedIn, Authenticity and Building a Brand   56:00 Advice for Junior Lawyers   01:00:00 Career Reflections and What’s Next

Tom Platts, Head of Corporate at Stephenson Harwood — On Building Out a Niche From Challenging Emerging Markets

In this episode, Tom Platts, an international M&A partner at Stevenson Harwood, shares his journey through the legal industry, working across London, Singapore and emerging markets over a 20+ year career. From training at Herbert Smith to leading cross-border transactions across Asia, Tom explains how he built an international practice and why keeping an open mind early in your career is critical to long-term success.  He discusses the realities of trainee life, choosing a practice area and why many junior lawyers struggle with the decision of what to specialise in. Tom also shares insights into working across jurisdictions, including his experience opening an office in Myanmar and advising on complex transactions in developing markets.  The conversation explores how the role of a lawyer evolves over time—from technical legal work to becoming a commercial advisor, managing clients and building a book of business. Tom also reflects on the changing culture of law firms, the importance of business development, and how AI is beginning to reshape the legal industry.  Finally, he shares his Walk-to-Talk.com initiative, a global project focused on mental health and raising funds for dementia support.  00:00 Introduction 00:30 Tom Platts’ Career Journey 03:00 Life as a Trainee Lawyer 07:00 Choosing a Practice Area 12:00 Moving to Singapore & International Work 18:00 Building a Career in Emerging Markets 25:00 Myanmar & Cross-Border Legal Work 32:00 Work Culture in Law Firms 38:00 Business Development & Making Partner 45:00 AI in the Legal Industry 52:00 Walk to Talk & Mental Health Initiative 58:00 Career Advice for Junior Lawyers