Insights Thought Leaders Shine in These 4 On the Merits Podcasts

In my first full year hosting the On the Merits podcast, I found the best guests were often the thought leaders who generously shared their expertise for our Insights articles. Here are a few highlights from when our writers appeared on air.

Data Center Explosion Hands Big Law Cross-Practice Opportunities: Latham & Watkins real estate partner Mike Rechtin talked about the unique skill set that made him the perfect fit for the niche pursuit of data center deals, and Steptoe’s Michelle Kallen discussed the rapidly evolving regulatory challenges that a robust infrastructure practice faces. This episode ran in September. Listen

Trump’s War on Law Firms Puts In-House Counsel in Tough Spot: Sara Kropf, partner at the firm Kropf Moseley Schmitt, discussed which types of companies are most likely to want to switch firms based on their reactions to President Donald Trump’s aggression and why switching is much harder than it seems. This episode ran in May. Listen

Some Summer Associates Are Unforgettable—But Not in a Good Way: Kate Reder Sheikh, a partner in the associate practice group at Major, Lindsey & Africa, talked about the pitfalls that summer associates can fall into—from over-imbibing at company functions to trying too hard to get face time with a partner. In the legal world, “there probably are such things as stupid questions,” especially when they’re being asked of a busy partner with a high billing rate, Sheikh said. This episode ran in May. Listen

King & Spalding 2,400 Hour Rule Is Just the Norm, Recruiter Says: A memo from law firm King & Spalding to its associates saying they need to log 2,400 “productive hours” a year surprised some in the legal world. But Jessica Chin Somers, managing director at Kinney Recruiting, said it shouldn’t have. This episode ran in September. Listen

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