Inside $1.8bn Legora: Alex Fortescue-Webb on the legal AI platform race
Alongside Harvey, Legora has quickly become a frontrunner in the legal AI platform race, offering lawyers a suite of productivity tools for contract review, drafting, legal research and large-scale document analysis. Its rise has been startlingly fast. Founded just two years ago, Legora hit a $1.8 billion valuation in its October funding round and has signed a wave of major UK firms this year alone.Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Alex Fortescue-Webb, Legora’s head of UK and Ireland and head of legal engineering. Alex began his career as an M&A lawyer at CMS before moving into legal operations and managed services roles at BCG, Axiom, Thomson Reuters and EY.Alex breaks down what Legora actually does: reviewing and comparing documents in seconds, handling heavy diligence exercises, and assisting with drafting directly inside Word. He also talks through the current limits of legal AI - especially the challenge of missing context - and why complex tasks still need to be broken down into smaller steps.The conversation also covers Legora’s new Portal product, which lets firms expose richer, AI-powered work product to clients and offer controlled self-serve tools built on their own IP. Alex argues this shift will make knowledge management even more critical as delivery becomes more productised. Finally, Alex discusses Legora’s rapid momentum with leading firms, the company’s US push and recent funding round, and how he views the competitive landscape. His focus: not beating rivals, but driving real adoption so AI becomes embedded in how lawyers actually work.Chapters00:01 Introduction01:00 Welcome and Alex’s Role at Legora01:13 Inside Legal Engineering: Ex-Lawyers as the Bridge to AI03:20 What Legora Actually Does for Lawyers05:41 SPA vs Term Sheet: A Practical Legora Use Case07:48 Who’s Using Legora Most (And How Usage Varies)09:10 Where Firms See the Biggest Time Savings11:12 The Limits of Legal AI Today: Context and Zero Data Retention13:13 Solving the Context Problem and Future Integrations14:25 Portal: Rethinking Law Firm-Client Collaboration19:01 Productising Know-How and the Future of Knowledge Management22:20 Legora’s Growth Story and Adoption Playbook25:45 Funding, US Expansion, Harvey - And the Legal AI Platform RaceAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk
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How a 245-year-old City firm stays ahead: Wedlake Bell’s Camilla Wallace on external capital, culture and what juniors want today
In this episode, we sit down with Camilla Wallace, senior partner of Wedlake Bell. A private client specialist who has spent 18 years at the firm, Camilla talks through Wedlake Bell’s evolution from a sub-20 partner outfit to a headcount of more than 350, why it has stayed a single-office City firm, and how it balances its 245-year heritage with a “1780 but contemporary” mindset.Camilla explains how she defines the senior partner role today - part chair, part ambassador, part counsellor - and why that structure works alongside managing partner Martin Arnold. She also discusses the firm’s measured stance on international expansion and external capital, and how culture underpins many of those decisions.A major theme of the conversation is mental health in the legal industry. Camilla shares the data she’s seeing through her work with LawCare, the pressures on junior lawyers, and the initiatives Wedlake Bell has launched, including anonymous learning reviews aimed at building psychological safety across teams.Finally, Camilla turns to the ‘millionaire exodus’ and what’s driving high-net-worth clients out of the UK. She outlines the broader economic impact, her concerns about policy uncertainty, and her own surprisingly simple idea for tax reform.Chapters00:01 Introduction01:10 Camilla’s Background01:46 WedLake Bell's Growth and Market Position04:41 Balancing Heritage and Innovation in Law08:06 The Role of Technology and AI in Law10:58 Growth Plans and Market Positioning12:55 The Senior Partner Role in Modern Law Firms15:46 Challenges in Leading a Modern Law Firm19:29 Mental Health in the Legal Industry24:27 The Changing Expectations of Junior Lawyers27:28 The Impact of Wealth Migration from the UK32:15 Taxation and Its Effects on the Legal SectorAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk
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Why private equity wants a piece of Big Law: Former A&O boss David Morley on what's really happening
Private equity is closing in on the legal industry, and few people have a better vantage point than David Morley, former managing and senior partner at Allen & Overy. After steering A&O through the 2008 financial crisis, Morley moved into the investment world, chairing a private equity firm and heading up Europe for one of the world’s biggest pension funds. Earlier this year, he teamed up with fellow A&O alum Wim Dejonghe to launch a consultancy advising law firms and investors on the surge of capital eyeing the profession.In this episode, David explains why investor sentiment toward law firms has flipped “gradually, then suddenly.” He says private equity’s move into legal mirrors what happened in accountancy a decade ago - starting small before rapidly scaling once investors see proven success. “There’s a level of investor interest we’ve never seen before in the legal sector,” he says.We talk about what this means for firms of all sizes - from smaller players under pressure to consolidate, to elite firms exploring capital as a growth tool. Morley breaks down how deals are structured, where money would actually go, and why capital brings more than funding.He also reflects on the limits of the partnership model in funding innovation - and why looming tax and structural changes could accelerate a shift towards more corporate-style models. His message for firm leaders: whether or not you plan to take investment, you need to understand the forces driving it. Chapters00:01 Introduction01:30 Introduction to David 03:06 Navigating the Financial Crisis07:14 Lessons from Crisis Management10:07 The Rise of External Investment in Legal12:50 Changing Perceptions of Legal Investments17:00 Market Dynamics and Future Trends in Legal Investments23:23 The Competitive Landscape of Law Firms24:19 Investment Opportunities in Legal Sector25:25 The Role of Private Equity in Law Firms29:43 Innovative Business Models in Legal Services33:54 Understanding Private Equity Investments37:34 Strategic Use of Capital in Law Firms39:44 Private Equity vs. Traditional Financing42:35 Future Trends in Legal About Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk
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The $20m law firm partner: Headhunter Siobhán Lewington on the battle for Big Law talent
In this episode, Siobhán Lewington, partner at leading legal headhunter Macrae, joins us to unpack what’s driving the lateral partner market in London. A former Allen & Overy and Arthur Cox lawyer, Siobhán has more than two decades advising firms on partner hires and team moves giving her a unique view into how City law has changed.She explains how the market has evolved from the “gentlemen’s agreement” era - when Magic Circle firms avoided poaching from one another - to today’s fiercely competitive landscape dominated by US players. We explore why private capital remains the engine of London’s growth, and what makes a truly competitive platform: from tax and competition support to leverage finance and associate bench strength.Siobhán also breaks down the New York-London axis, the growing wave of transatlantic mergers, and how firms are positioning themselves in the race to join the global elite. She shares why money alone doesn’t move partners, the real purpose behind multi-year guarantees, and how firms can better integrate lateral hires for long-term success.Finally, Siobhán offers advice for partners weighing a move - from identifying push and pull factors to finding a genuine sponsor at any prospective firm. Packed with insight on talent strategy and firm identity, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the current state of the London market.Find out more about Macrae at their website: https://www.macrae.com/Chapters00:01 Introduction01:00 Introduction to Siobhan and Macrae02:05 Transition from Law to Recruitment03:23 Evolution of the London Recruitment Market07:03 Current State of the London Private Equity Market11:00 Concentration Risks in Private Equity13:52 The Changing Landscape of Law Firms16:26 Growth Areas Beyond Private Capital19:48 Litigation Market Dynamics21:53 The New York-London Axis22:15 Mergers and the New York-London Axis28:34 The Mechanics of Partner Moves40:09 Advice for Partners Considering a Move43:28 Strategies for Firms to Attract TalentAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk
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Harvey: Inside the $5bn legal AI startup taking over Big Law with chief business officer John Haddock
Harvey has become the poster child of the legal AI boom - used by over half of the top 100 US law firms and backed by more than $700 million in funding. But what does the startup actually do for lawyers day to day, and how is it turning hype into genuine impact inside Big Law firms?In this episode, John Haddock, Harvey’s chief business officer and a former Stripe exec, takes us inside the company’s rapid scale-up. He explains how a 50-person team of ex-Big Law lawyers works directly with firms to embed AI into real workflows, turning the platform into what he calls “a port of first call” for legal teams.Haddock also lifts the lid on Harvey’s Advanced Legal Researchers - a team of former Big Law lawyers who benchmark and fine-tune every new model release through what the company calls its Big Law Bench. He shares why data, not hype, is the biggest constraint in AI performance, and how Harvey’s partnership with LexisNexis is helping to close that gap.We also talk about Harvey’s recent investment from European private equity firm EQT, what the company’s expansion into Europe means for the legal market, and why Haddock saw a viral Reddit thread questioning Harvey’s adoption as a positive sign. “It’s proof we’ve crossed into the mainstream,” he says.Chapters00:01 Introduction01:00 Background on John03:30 Understanding Harvey's Product and Customer Engagement06:12 The Role of Chief Business Officer at Harvey09:02 How Harvey Empowers Lawyers12:11 Partnership with LexisNexis 17:54 Fine-Tuning AI Models for Legal 21:38 The Buy vs. Build Debate in Legal Tech24:20 EQT Investment and European Market Expansion26:37 Competition in the Legal AI Landscape28:28 Scaling Operations and Talent Acquisition31:39 Onboarding and Change Management in Legal AI32:41 Contextualising Legal AI for Enhanced Productivity36:12 The Future of Integrated Legal Workspaces38:36 The Reddit Thread and Building Trust in AI42:24 Challenges of Scaling and Hiring in a Growing CompanyAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is the media company for modern legal professionals across private practice, in-house and legal tech.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk
The Non-Billable Podcast takes UK legal professionals beyond the billable hour, bringing you interviews with top lawyers, law firm leaders, industry experts and legal tech innovators to uncover actionable insights on the business of law, career growth and the future of the industry.
Hosted by Oliver Attinger, a former finance lawyer at a leading City law firm with in-house experience at an investment bank - now asking the questions he wished he had when he was practising.
Brought to you by Non-Billable, the go-to newsletter for City lawyers, in-house counsel, and legal professionals.
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