Counsel Culture - Private Equity in Legal, European Alliances Unravel, and Faster Merger Clearances

Counsel Culture – Private Equity in Legal, European Alliances Unravel, and Faster Merger Clearances

Counsel Culture – Private Equity in Legal, European Alliances Unravel, and Faster Merger Clearances https://byfieldconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AT-57.png 1200 630 Sean Cullen Sean Cullen https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c8f835b6ff0d5c3cf8d7e82f9ce6b9da91bfc94720ebfd1b34c66dec0e2e98ff?s=96&d=mm&r=g January 23, 2026 January 23, 2026

This week’s episode of Counsel Culture is now available to download and stream!

Linzi and Ben explore the growing role of private equity investment within the legal sector and what it could mean for the future shape and ownership of law firms. They also examine the unraveling of a decade-long alliance between four leading European firms, Gide Loyrette Nouel, Chiomenti, Gleiss Lutz and Cuatrecasas, spanning 27 offices and around 2,000 lawyers across the continent.

The pair also discuss how the UK’s merger clearance process is being sped up with government backing and what it means for deal scrutiny, after the CMA blocked no mergers last year. Finally, they look at how some general counsel are being drawn into succession planning conversations, including the question of whether GCs should play a role in hiring their own successors, before turning to Osborne Clarke’s data-driven approach to sustainability and decarbonisation planning.