The Firm Analyst
Episodes
S17EP2: Developments in the Middle East - Analysing the Global Impact
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst, listeners. In this episode, we unpack the fast‑moving fallout from the latest escalation in the Middle East. After...
S17EP1: Debtor-Friendly Clauses Creep into US Leveraged Finance Documents and AI Lights Up Global Capital Markets ... Again
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For aspiring solicitors interested international finance, this is the episode for you! Today we cover the recent introduction of what are called "...
ASK Session 1: Real Estate Finance Case Study
25 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a law firm's real estate finance department? Well, today we find out ...
S16EP3: Debt Capital Markets in Overdrive; Post-Brexit EU-UK Relations; and Mining Mega Mergers
11 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 16 of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we looked at: why the debt capital markets are in overdrive, EU-UK alignment proposal...
S16EP2: 2025 Commercial Awareness Review
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🎙 Welcome back to Season 16 of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we looked at three themes that dominated the headlines this year, including:🔥 ...
S16EP1: Apollo’s $745m ABF Deal with Virgin Atlantic; Inside the 2025 Autumn Budget; and Bank of England to Ease Capital Rules
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🎙 Welcome back to Season 16 of The Firm Analyst!In this episode, we explored three major headlines shaking up finance, aviation, and UK fiscal poli...
S16EP1: The AI Boom and How Law Firms Are Helping Accelerate It
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a bit of a season break, I am delighted to welcome you back to The Firm Analyst. We kick off season 16 with a guest appearance from Yusuf Serang...
S15EP4: Emerging Market Bonds and Sukuk Takeoff; EA - The Largest Leveraged Buyout in History; and UBS and Cantor Fitzgerald Renegotiate Hedge Fund Unit Purchase
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 15 of The Firm Analyst! 🎙 In the final episode of this season, we discussed:🌍 Why emerging-market bonds and Sukuk are tak...
S15EP3: Apollo to Raise $10 Billion Using Savvy Structured Finance Techniques; The Fall of Tricolor Holdings and First Brand - Explained; and UK to Rescue Jaguar Land Rover with £1.5bn Loan Guarantee
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 15 of The Firm Analyst🎙 ! In this episode, we discussed:💰 Apollo’s $10bn raise — using structured-finance techniq...
Saudi Aramco Raises $3bn from Islamic Bonds; Pharmaceutical Giant Merck Abandons £1bn UK Investment; and France Credit Rating Downgraded to A+
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🛢 Saudi Aramco raised $3bn through Islamic bonds i.e., Sukuk — attracting over $20bn in orders. We take a deep dive into how lawyers helped to st...
S15EP1: Private Credit Ventures Deeper into Investment Grade; Autumn Agony from Potential Tax Hikes for Banks and Property Owners; and Mastercard Inks $100m/yr F1 Sponsorship Agreement with McLaren
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
📊 Private Credit is pushing into investment grade territory, attracting blue chip debt issuers globally. Can private credit remain competitive and ...
S14EP4: BlackStone's £1.5 Billion Mortgage Backed Securitisation; Lenders Avoid the Worst in Motor Finance Supreme Court Ruling; and Bank of England Split As Base Rate Drops to 4%
10 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the final episode of this season of The Firm Analyst! Today, we discuss the following stories:🏖 Blackstone's £1.5 billion CMBS Dea...
S14EP3: Heathrow to Detail Multibillion Pound Third Runway Plans; Companies Buy Crypto to Boost Valuations; and PE Funds Turn to Continuation Funds to Keep the Liquidity Tap Running
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we discussed the following topics:Heathrow’s Third Runway: With a price tag reported to be pushin...
S14EP2: The Legal Reason for Wimbledon's 11 PM Curfew; Upward Only Rent Reviews to Be Banned; and Unpacking CityFibre's £2.3bn Refinancing Deal
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores three topical legal and commercial developments. We discuss the proposed ban on upward-only rent review clauses in commercial le...
S14EP1: EDF Taps Apollo for £4.5bn Hinkley Point C Loan Facility; Law Firms Look to Private Equity Sponsors for Investment; and Domestic Equities Lose Ground with UK Pension Funds
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Firm Analyst, we examine Apollo’s £4.5bn loan to support the Hinkley Point C nuclear project and its significance for privat...
S13EP4: Trade Deals - Hope around the Corner?
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode of this season I invited Yusuf Serang, an incoming trainee solicitor at Fieldfisher, to the podcast to discuss all things trade. ...
S13EP3: M&S Suffers Cyberattack; Investors Flee to Swiss Franc; Plans for 29-Storey Battersea Tower Rejected
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! In this episode, we looked at cyberattacks, macroeconomic shifts and the complex world of property developm...
S13EP2: US Tariffs - The Markets Can Take Pain, But Not Uncertainty
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To say these last few weeks have been volatile is a gross understatement. Donald Trump recently unleashed a wave of tariffs which have sent the global...
S13EP1: Legal Reflections on the Heathrow Shutdown; Barclays' "Caterpillar" Strategy; and Challenges for Sustainable Finance & Investment
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone! We are officially back from our season break and we welcome you to Season 13 of The Firm Analyst. In this episode, we discussed: (1) the ...
S12EP4 - Say Goodbye to Skype...; UK Small Companies Trading at Global Discounts; and Stamp Duty Changes Trigger Deal Rush
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst as we dive into a range of stories in this early release episode! Today we discussed: (1) Skype's unfortunate dem...
S12EP3: Activist Investor Builds £3.8bn Stake in BP; Competitive Leisure Market Faces Oversupply; and Creditors Face Off in Thames Water Restructuring
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for tuning into this episode of The Firm Analyst. Today we'll be discussing a range of stories affecting the market and how they impact the...
S12EP2 - How DeepSeek and Tariffs Are Shaking up the Markets... and More
02 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
$600bn...that's the estimated value NVIDIA is said to have lost as markets struggled to comprehend a new company's arrival onto the AI scene. ...
S12EP1: 2025 - Year of Volatility? UK Outlook, TikTok Ban & More
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! Super glad to be kicking this year off to a start with a discussion on what 2025 holds for the UK economy (...
S11EP4: A Review of Market Reactions to the US Elections
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! In this episode, we reviewed market reactions to one of the most significant events of this year: the US el...
S11EP3: Autumn Budget - As Bad As We Thought?; Zilch Expands Consumer Loan Securitisation Facility to £150mn; BlackRock Bets on Private Credit with HPS Approach
03 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Firm Analyst! We have a range of stories to cover this week, including: the Labour government's autumn budget and what this means ...
S11EP2: UK Puts Rare Minerals in Focus; Schroders to Launch First of A Kind UK Fund; Monzo Millionaires - How Startups Keep Investors and Employees Happy
27 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone! Today, we discussed the following topics in what was a more reflective episode: a new UK Export Finance programme aiming to gra...
S11EP1: Labour Budget Unpacked; 76 Storey Tower to Dominate Manchester Skyline; and Space X's "Catch" - A New Era for Space Law?
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! I'm very excited to be kicking off season 11 with a discussion on the following topics: firstly, we unpacked the Lab...
S10EP4: Unique Tools for Researching Law Firms (Part 2) - Government Work, Book Recommendations & General Tips
06 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone! Welcome to the final episode of this season of The Firm Analyst. Today we discussed: the importance of being curious as well as reflecti...
S10EP3: REA Makes Fourth Offer for RightMove; Why Do Firms Rebrand?; and Standard Chartered Takes on Investors in Test Case
29 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In this episode we discussed: how REA Group's £6.2bn offer for Righmove could result in a hostile takeover of the ...
S10EP2: HSBC Faces Property Loan Defaults in HongKong; Investment Platforms Unite to Form Trade Association; and Next Could Pay £30m in Damages in Equal Pay Case
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In today's episode we discussed a range of stories affecting the markets including: HSBC dealing with a number o...
S10EP1: CMA Casts Doubt on Vodafone x Three Merger; Notting Hill Home Sells for £21m; and How Low Can You Go? - Reviewing Rate Cuts and the UK's October Budget
15 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In the first episode of Season 10, we dive into a range of key stories hitting the papers this week. (2:00) First o...
S9EP4: Unique Tools for Researching Law Firms (Part 1) - M&A/PE and Debt Finance
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone, after a brief hiatus due to exams and a city move, we are back with the final episode of The Firm Analyst this season! In this episode,...
S9EP3: Mayhem Unfolds in the Global Equities Markets; Seven Law Firms Advise on £5.4bn Takeover Bid for Hargreaves Lansdown; and Saudi Arabia to Introduce New Investment Laws to Attract Investors
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this week's episode of The Firm Analyst! In today's episode, we discussed the following: (2:05) the sharp stock sell off that...
S9EP2: Is an AI Bubble Forming?; HSBC, Barclays & Shell Announce Share Buybacks; and Rachel Reeves Set to Raise Tax Rates to Plug £22bn Fiscal Hole
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this episode of The Firm Analyst! Today we discussed: (02:00) Elliot Management's letter to investors, which suggests that an eco...
S9EP1: Labour Announces £7.3bn National Wealth Fund; Revolut Taps Linklaters for Banking License Approval; and BDB Pitmans to Rebrand to International Powerhouse: 'Broadfield'
28 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In today's episode, the first of season 9, we discussed: the recently elected Labour government's plans to...
S8EP4: A Revival of the UK's IPO Market?; Carpetright to File for Administration; and Metro Bank Eyes Mortgage Portfolio Sale to Boost Profitability
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone! It has been a very eventful few weeks and I am glad to be bringing this final episode of this season to you today where we discussed: ...
S8EP3: Paul Weiss Is Not Testing the Waters...It Is Laying Down the Roots: A Brief Introduction for Aspiring Solicitors
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hi network! I hope you enjoy this special edition of The Firm Analyst. We have seen a lot about Paul Weiss in the papers recently and many aspiring so...
S8EP2: The Age of $20m Partner Pay Packages; Is the £100m+ City of London RE Market Dead?; and Light at the End of the Tunnel for PE
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this episode of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we discussed: $20m partner pay packages and what they tell us about the direction...
S8EP1: Market Temperature Check: Systemic Risk in PE? And What Election Year Means for Clients
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I am super excited to be back with this new episode of The Firm Analyst and I hope that you are all ready to engage with some of the topics we will be...
S7EP4: 48 Laws of Restructuring & Insolvency
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone to The Firm Analyst! I was really excited to release this episode, where we will be discussing how international law applies to ...
S7EP3: FCA Calls Out "Finfluencers"; A&O and Others Reappointed to Santander Panel and Trowers to Open Office in Singapore
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! This is probably one of the most detailed podcasts I've done, so I hope you all enjoy it. We discussed the follo...
S7EP2: Thames Water Going Under Water? Why Gold Hit a Recent High, and the 'Great Maturity Wall'
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone to this episode of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we discussed: Thames Water's financial struggles and its parent com...
S7EP1: The 21st Century Law Firm: Navigating AI and Culture (Slaughter and May Innovation Competition)
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I tackled the following question as part of my submission for Slaughter and May's Innovation Competition: What are the cultural ...
S6EP4: Sorry...Who's SONIA? Dissecting A Facility Agreement
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we looked briefly at some of the main stories and deals happening this week, including Nationwide's bid for Virgin Money. Follo...
S5EP3: M&S Taps Dentons in Planning Dispute, M&A Disputes to Increase, Says BRG and How Mischon is Teaming Up with NVIDIA to Help Start-ups
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This was a really analytical episode and I hope that you are as excited to listen as I am excited to publish this episode. We covered the following st...
S6EP2: "Everything Went to Plan"- A Chat with an Islamic Finance Solicitor, Aziz Deen
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we were graced with the presence of Aziz Deen: an Islamic finance and commercial property solicitor at Foot Anstey LLP. After recount...
S6EP1: Currys Rejects Takeover Bid, UK Falls into Recession and TUI to Delist from London Stock Exchange
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone! It seems unreal saying it but we have successfully reached our sixth season of The Firm Analyst. Thank you so much for your sup...
S5EP4: An Introduction to International Loan Finance
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome everyone to this deep dive episode of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, alongside taking stock of major stories to do with Meta's earning...
S5EP3: It's the CMA...Again, BlackRock Bets on Infrastructure and What's the 'Beef' Stalling UK-Canada Trade Talks?
28 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hello everyone! Welcome back to The Firm Analyst. This week, we bring you in-depth analysis on a range of important stories including: the CMA open...
S5EP2: Labour–UK Is Open for Business, Consumer Spending Takes A Worrying Decline & Will Incoming Legislation Save Litigation Funding?
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this week's episode, I hope all of your applications are going well! Today we discussed: Labour's plans to take the UK'...
S5EP1: Linklaters Swipes Shearman's Global Head, Post Office Compensation and Corporation Tax Questions and How International Businesses Manage Unforeseen Risk
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's already been a very busy start to the year across the globe and The Firm Analyst is no exception. This week we delved into the following topi...
S4EP4:A Year in Review–The Future of Law Firms in The UK
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode aimed to address some of the main shifts we have seen in the legal market over the course of the year. Some of the biggest stories covere...
S4EP4: A Year in Review–ESG & Regulation Edition
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2023 was indeed a mixed bag for ESG. Some reports indicated a reduced return on ESG investments while there have also been significant strides in inte...
S4EP4: A Year in Review–Competition & Corporate Edition
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year has seen some of the most significant M&A transactions, from the merger between Vodafone and Three, to the massive combination of Micros...
S4EP4: A Year in Review–Banking & Finance Edition
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As crazy as it sounds, this is the final episode of The Firm Analyst this year. I was joined by Waheed Kalungi, a contracts paralegal at UserTesting I...
S4EP3: UK Stock Market Revival; London Metal Exchange Faces The Court of Appeal and Whether Safer Banks Means A Weaker Climate
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second last episode of this year! I hope you've enjoyed the podcast this far and thank you immensely for helping us reach more than...
S4EP2: KPMG UK Swiss Merger, Microsoft v CMA – Round Two & Private Credit Catches BoE's Eye
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Firm Analyst, we will be covering a range of exciting new stories including: discussions of a possible merger between KPMG...
S4EP1: Employment Law Special with Kevin Poulter: Employment Partner - Freeths
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we switched things up. We brought on Kevin Poulter, a partner in Freeths' employment team to di...
S3EP4: AI: Reinventing The Law Firm as We Know It
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello everyone! Welcome to this episode of The Firm Analyst where we do a deep dive into what the development of AI means for law firms today, what ri...
S3EP3: Kirkland Raids Linklaters and Simpson Thacher, Britishvolt On The Brink and FCA To Crack Down On Greenwashing
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the latest episode of The Firm Analyst after a brief pause due to me falling ill. Today we discussed: Kirkland & Ellis making a range...
S3EP2: Redundancy Contagion Spreads, PIF Issues Inaugural Islamic Bond and M&G To Close £585m UK Fund
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello network! Welcome to this episode where we discussed: How an economic slowdown has caused mass redundancies across the Big Four accountancy fi...
S3EP1: the war for ESG talent, FCA warns against 146+ Crypto firms & Wagamama's parent company receives Apollo bid
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to kick off this season of The Firm Analyst. In this episode, we discussed: Travers and K&E losing top ES...
S2EP4: Should Law Firms List On A Stock Exchange? A Deep Dive into DWF and Ince Group
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the podcast! In the last episode of this season we look deeper into the business of law firms in today's markets. Here are some of...
S2EP3: DWF vs BCLP on Tesco's Legal Panel, NAV Loans—The PE Deal Paramedic and Chelsea Taps Ares in $500 mn Raise
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Good evening listeners! Welcome back to The Firm Analyst. In this week's episode we discussed: DWF's appointment to Tesco's real estate...
S2EP2: Banks Take A Dip Into Private Credit, Oil Prices Edge Up and UK Offshore Wind Programmes At Risk of Stalling.
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi listeners! I hope you're excited for the newest episode of The Firm Analyst. In today's episode we discussed: how banks are responding to...
S2EP1: Property Prices Dip, CMS Considers Redundancies and US-China Tensions Rise
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone I hope you all enjoyed our very first season of The Firm Analyst and that you are excited for Season 2. Today we will be discussing how in...
Episode 4: Battle For The USA–A&O Shearman Merger Case Study
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our first deep-dive into a commercial awareness topic. In this episode, I discuss: why many UK-based and international firms are interest...
Episode 3: Paul Weiss swipes four from Kirkland, IPOs begin to slow and more.
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone! The third episode of The Firm Analyst is officially out. So far we have nearly reached 100 listens across all episodes, so thank you to e...
Episode 2: Dentons splits from its China arm, Wilko goes into administration and more
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this week's episode where we will be focusing on a range of topics, namely: Dentons splitting from its China arm (1:52); AG's re...
Episode 1: The "End" of Litigation Funding, Flexible Working Reforms and More.
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of The Firm Analyst! In this episode I discuss the recent PACCAR & Ors v CAT & Ors case and its effects on the li...