In this episode of The Future Is Bright podcast, Howard Rosenberg, head of Talent Intelligence + Acquisitions at Baretz+Brunelle, and his co-host Chris Batz welcome Roger Bull, managing partner of Burges Salmon, a UK-focused independent law firm headquartered in Bristol, with offices in London and Edinburgh. Roger joined the firm in the mid-1990s, Roger led the employment team starting in 2011 and stepped into the managing partner role in 2018.
The conversation centers on the five-year strategy Roger’s firm launched in May, built on 25 listening sessions with roughly 1,500 people, which informed the partnership’s final direction. Roger explains why staying UK-focused and independent looks like an advantage at a moment when larger international firms are distracted by questions about U.S. mergers and office footprint, and discusses the governance behind this plan. He also revisits a client meeting early in his career that reshaped how he thinks about advisory relationships, and explains why he sees AI less as a productivity tool and more as pressure to rethink how firms bill for advice.
Episode Highlights
The Case for Staying Independent
While large international firms wrestle with decisions about U.S. mergers and office footholds, this conversation lays out a different bet on staying UK-focused and independently run.
Building a Strategy From 1,500 Conversations
Long before the plan was announced, the firm’s leadership sat down for 25 listening sessions with roughly 1,500 people across the firm. What came out of those conversations is what actually shaped the final strategy.
Rethinking Billing in the Age of AI
Roger explains why he sees artificial intelligence less as an efficiency tool and more as a forcing function, one that pushes firms away from time-and-materials billing toward a harder question about where advice actually creates value.
The Real Bottleneck Wasn’t Ideas
During that same listening tour, once leadership removed any limit on ambition, ideas came pouring in from across the firm. What followed wasn’t a shortage of creativity—it was a discussion over which ideas to prioritize first.
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About the Podcast:
On The Future Is Bright, Howard Rosenberg and Chris Batz engage with thought-provoking C-suite executives and leaders from corporations, professional service firms, and the global legal industry. Each episode uncovers insights on leadership, innovation, and the evolving dynamics of the modern professional landscape.
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