Byfield

The December edition of Byfield Bytes, brought to you by Joint Managing Director Ben Girdlestone, is now available to read! In this month's edition we cover the legal industry trends in 2024, high profile mergers, the lateral hiring market, office closures and restructures, the impact of the US, UK and France elections, the ongoing Post Office enquiry and more. You'll also find our Lawyer Quote of the Month and Post of the Month sections, plus an update on Byfield’s latest activities. If you're interested in receiving the newsletter directly into your email inbox each month, click this link and fill out a registration form 👉: https://lnkd.in/eP8tmcAb

Wishing our clients and friends a joyful Holiday season and a Happy New Year! ✨🎄   This year, Byfield is proud to support Cancer Research UK (CRUK) with a donation to help the charity further its vital work in preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer.   Every contribution, big or small, makes a meaningful difference in advancing research, treatment, and support for those impacted by cancer. 🎗️   To find out more information about Cancer Research and the work it does, visit: https://lnkd.in/dYCMrZq

Senior Account Manager Jessica Hancock shares her insights on potential mergers in 2025, focusing on mid-sized law firms and the factors driving these decisions. She highlights challenges such as the ongoing struggle with organic growth and the need to find solutions for delivering cross-border mandates. “Amidst these challenges, mid-tier firms must grapple with differentiation. Being “a bit of everything to everyone” is rarely enough to sustain consistent growth in a congested market. Many firms are expanding beyond their traditional turf to emerging legal hubs like Bristol or Leeds, challenging the traditional powerhouses of those cities - but even this approach has limits. Strategic acquisitions—whether to enhance capabilities, secure footholds in new markets, or achieve scale—remain an attractive route to scale up quickly.” To read the full piece, visit: https://lnkd.in/ebZT3kz4 #mergers #midmarket

🎄✨ Last week, we celebrated the festive season with our annual Christmas party.   We started the afternoon with some fun and games at the arcade, followed by a delicious three-course meal, and wrapped up the evening with a lively quiz put together by Oliver Beard.   It was a fantastic way to come together, share some laughs and reflect on another successful year!   Here’s to an even brighter 2025! 🎅

The latest episode of Counsel Culture is here! 🎙️ This week Meg is joined by Joint Managing Directors Ben Girdlestone and Michael Evans. They discuss why climate protestors are targeting A&O Shearman, lateral partner retention, US firms dragging their feet on training contracts and how US firm are getting closer to acquiring Kramer Levin’s Paris office. 📰 https://lnkd.in/euG8QcCu Listen below to hear Michael's thoughts on trainee retention rates. 🎧 The podcast is available to download and stream from your platform of choice. Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eiFT-SzR Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ehgfTTRD YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eEN2DJJA

🥂 The evolution of the Christmas party from a risk perspective: as we enter peak Christmas party season, interesting new data shows that Employment Tribunals stemming from company Christmas parties have fallen by half (54%) in three years. In the wake of the new duty to prevent sexual harassment taking effect in October, it will be interesting to see whether this trend continues, and how employers’ approach to risk management evolves in response to the new legislation. I predict we will see an acceleration of the existing trend away from events where alcohol is central. Alongside the increasing focus on wellbeing in the sector, the legal industry has in many ways led the way among professional services in expanding the experience of the traditional office party. Firms are increasingly hosting more experiential, activity-based and inclusive alternatives, including organising more alcohol-free events. Any drive to find inclusive, fun ways to bring colleagues together at this time of year is to be welcomed – and with that in mind – I am looking forward to a fun afternoon with my Byfield colleagues later, playing vintage arcade games! 🕹️ 🎄 https://lnkd.in/e2UtJV_w

 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for last week’s Legal PR and Journo Christmas drinks, hosted in collaboration with Giselle Daverat. 🥂 It was a fantastic evening and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate another amazing year with our clients, colleagues, and friends. We hope to see you all again at next year’s gathering! ❄️ 

The Disputes & Investigations Team's recent article recapping the webinar on effectively managing reputations in high-profile disputes has been featured in the latest edition of the ThoughtLeaders4 Disputes | TL4D Year In Review Magazine.❄️ A big thank you to Maximus McCabe-Abel from TL4 for organising and the panellists, Adam Cannon, Jess Alden and Nicholas Bortman who joined Gus and Dina for the webinar.   👇Click below to read the full piece, or visit the link to access it on the TL4 website:https://lnkd.in/eA7-VxnC   #ReputationManagement #TL4  #Disputes

This week's episode of Counsel Culture is now available to download and stream! 🎙️ Joining Meg and Dina is Sean McGuiness, Investment Manager and Senior Legal Counsel at Omni Bridgeway. They discuss how the PACCAR decision is impacting the market and what to expect from this government in the legislation tackling it (when it comes through), controversies around litigation funding such as fees the funders charge, why funding is so important for litigation and the upcoming market trends to watch out for. https://lnkd.in/enBcNpH3 The podcast is available to download and stream from your platform of choice. 🖥️ Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ePVVYKz6 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eBiecwuh YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eUasavnS

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Byfield! 🦃 We’re thankful for our US clients, colleagues, and friends, and we wish you all a joyful and meaningful holiday season! #Thanksgiving #Gratitude