Firmwide Managing Partner, Linklaters LLP
Interview with Paul Lewis, managing partner, Linklaters
In my latest video, I'm reunited with Paul Lewis, who was appointed Linklaters' firmwide managing partner in summer 2021. Paul and I joined the magic circle firm as trainee solicitors in 1997. Watch my exclusive interview with him to learn how the legal industry has changed in that time and why unlike me he decided to pursue a long-term career in law.
About Paul Lewis
In a May 2025 podcast, Paul Lewis discussed his leadership of Linklaters, describing the firm's strategy as global rather than regionally divided. He stated that while profitability is important, "what matters more at that very top end is are you doing the very best work?" Lewis also reflected on his career, noting that he lost his first election for a leadership role and that the job proved "quite different" from his expectations. In a February 2023 interview, Lewis emphasized the importance of persistence, curiosity, and networking for success in city law, saying academic performance alone is insufficient. He also expressed passion for social mobility and said the firm's apprenticeship program "enables a wider access" to the legal profession for those who cannot or do not wish to attend university.
Transcript (30 segments)
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Interviewer0:02
Hi, I'm Hilary Beegan, a career coach and skills trainer. Thank you for joining me on this video interview. I've been joined by a partner from Linklaters called Paul Lewis. Paul and I go back many years – we were in the same trainee intake at Linklaters back in 1997. It's so long I can't actually remember. Anyway, Paul, I'm so excited to be reunited with you. How have you been?
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Paul Lewis0:36
I've been fine. It was a long time ago – 1997, wasn't it? I remember being in Silks, the canteen, and we were on the same table. It doesn't seem that long ago. I think we were the last trainee intake into the old Barrington House building, then we moved to what became the new building, and now we're looking at another building we'll move to in a few years. We definitely straddle a number of Linklaters generations.
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Interviewer1:11
Let's go back to before you arrived at Linklaters. How did you end up in law in the first place? What motivated you, especially as someone who grew up near Swansea in Wales?
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Paul Lewis1:22
I'd love to have a fantastic origin story, but the reality was I was doing English, History, and Economics A-levels. Law seemed like a topic that blended those quite well. My work experience was at a local high street solicitor – the highlight was going to court to watch a GBH charge (not myself). Law just seemed a sensible thing that balanced my different skill sets. There was no magic to it; I didn't know big law existed. All I knew was high street soliciting. So no great origin story – it just seemed interesting and a blend of things I liked.
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Interviewer2:24
Quite well. How did you identify which firms to apply for? We didn't have internet access, so we relied on speaking to employers who came to our universities. Like you, my only knowledge of the sector before university was high street firms. I did a week's work experience at a local firm in the family department. I didn't know city law existed, even though I did economics A-level.
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Paul Lewis3:01
Word of mouth, really. I went to university outside Wales, and people from the year above told me about vacation schemes. They said, 'I did a vacation scheme at Linklaters, it was great.' So I followed the people I trusted. Those sliding-door moments: if any one of those was slightly different, I might have ended up doing something else.
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Interviewer4:05
You've highlighted the importance of talking to people. I cannot stress enough how networking and having those conversations – formal 'informational interviews' – teaches you so much. Talking of information, what do you know about the legal sector now that you wish you'd known as a fresh-faced undergrad?
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Paul Lewis4:34
So many things. The key thing – I saw a version of this on social media – is that at law school you're told if you do well academically, success is yours. But in city law, yes, you need to do well academically, but just as important is networking – not in a grumpy, salesy way, but being a people business. I'm an introvert, but you need to form connections, market yourself, win business. That interpersonal connection-building element gradually dawned on me over my associate career. Machines won't replace that.
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Interviewer6:05
I'm glad you picked up on that. As someone who does skills training, I run sessions on networking and communication. I wish I'd started earlier – I'm an extrovert, but I was terrible because I only talked about myself. So let's talk about your career. I left Linklaters at just shy of three years PQE; you're now managing partner. Was being appointed to the top role more exciting than meeting King Charles? I saw that on your LinkedIn.
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Paul Lewis7:17
Meeting King Charles was pretty exciting – I don't get starstruck often, but that was fun. The Business Community Initiative he serves is really worthwhile. Being managing partner is a huge personal career highlight, but it's just something you do. I think I stayed on because I like challenge and curiosity. Every time I got a little bored, I threw myself into something new – don't wait for someone to come to you. Whether it's products, clients, or internal initiatives, that curiosity has kept me going.
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Interviewer9:12
How are you finding being a leader? We spoke before about my new role on a GP surgery patient participation group, and how challenging it is managing people from different generations with different communication styles and interests.
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Paul Lewis9:32
I don't have all the answers. Every day I try to do a little better. My senior partner, Adrian Markovisky, once said, 'I've never met anyone who comes to work trying to do a bad job.' Lawyers are analytical and see things going wrong, but everyone is trying to do something well. I won't claim great lessons – you're only ever judged by others – but I try to improve daily.
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Interviewer10:33
Going back to sticking with it: did you ever think of trying something different, like I did? Or did you always see yourself as a private practice lawyer working towards partnership and managing partner?
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Paul Lewis10:51
I always thought being a partner would fit me. I did a psychometric test and the feedback said my skill set was well suited to what I was doing. My family joke I'm only good at one thing and lucky I found it. I've always told mentees to have multiple career routes mapped out. You should be honest about whether partnership is right – statistically most people who join a big law firm go on to do other brilliant things. So think about your options, build your personal brand, and keep your network.
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Interviewer13:04
Thank you. You're absolutely right about having more than one plan. Firms need to have grown-up discussions about career progression – partnership isn't always the right route. When I was a lawyer, going in-house was sometimes seen as plan B, but it shouldn't be. Let's go back to the junior end. It's National Apprenticeship Week today. Can you tell us about the Linklaters apprenticeship schemes?
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Paul Lewis13:52
Yes, we'll have our first intake soon. It's something I've been passionate about, and a fantastic team including Patrick McGann and Malcolm Horton got it off the ground. Social mobility is important to me. The apprenticeship program enables wider access to the legal profession – not everyone wants to spend three years at university. We'll start small and build up. I'm really proud of this initiative; it gives access to a much broader range of people.
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Interviewer14:56
A much-needed initiative. While we're on new entrants, what advice would you give to students or junior lawyers who are struggling, feeling like law isn't for them or can't get their foot in the door?
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Paul Lewis16:28
Keep trying. Persistence is key. When you get to the interview stage, I look for someone with a spark, determination, and curiosity. Your academics will be decent at that point, so show those extra personal characteristics. I had a waiter at a partners' function approach one of our partners because he wanted to be a lawyer – he had the courage to ask. I put him in touch with our grad team. It's about having the courage to connect, even on LinkedIn.
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Interviewer18:56
As a youngster, I was terrified of lawyers because I had no access to them. Now, thanks to social media, lawyers feel more human. It's about being brave and connecting.
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Paul Lewis19:43
Absolutely. If you've had a thriving career, you should love what you do. So when people ask for advice, it's like a pilot talking about flying – we enjoy it. If you don't get a response, that's fine. Don't fear rejection. Have confidence and try again. Resilience builds better lawyers.
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Interviewer21:14
Let's talk about the economy. We're not in recession – just announced on February 10th that the economy is flatlining. Does that economic uncertainty keep you up at night?
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Paul Lewis21:45
No. We pay attention, but top law firms' markets were less busy last year than the year before, which was one of the busiest ever. There's still plenty of work. Law firm business doesn't directly track whether a country is in recession because work is cyclical and we're diversified globally. I don't worry overly about UK indicators; we track work demand. It's a more uncertain time than a decade ago – post-financial crisis we've had COVID, Brexit, regulatory change – but law firms navigate it well. We just need to be sensible and prudent. The hiring frenzy of 18 months ago has tailed off to a more prudent setup.
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Interviewer23:56
It definitely feels different from the financial crisis. What about opportunities? You previously co-headed innovation. What role is tech playing in how law firms deliver services, and how much should aspiring lawyers know about it?
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Paul Lewis25:19
Tech is playing an evolving role – augmenting what lawyers do, not radically transforming the landscape yet. At the moment it enables us to do things better. Remember manual blacklining and faxing documents? Technology has transformed for the better. We have an internal team, Create IQ, that designs and sells technology products alongside our legal services. But we are a top law firm working on complex matters, so tech supports that core offering. ChatGPT is interesting – I asked it to draft a sale and purchase agreement and it gave a reasonably good one, but you wouldn't rely on it. It shows what might be feasible. But I think the old adage applies: we overestimate change in five years and underestimate it in ten.
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Interviewer29:02
When we talk to students about skills law firms value – people skills, time management, organisation – what additional skills do lawyers need to be fit for practice in the 21st century?
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Paul Lewis29:30
All those are still critical. When I was head of innovation, we trained people in coding – that was fun and interesting. Lawyers think logically like programmers. But more important is the ability to see what's possible. You don't need to be the one to deliver a solution; you need to recognise that a VBA macro in Excel could solve a problem. Understand legal tech, basic tools, and have a wide awareness. You don't have to be deep in everything. For example, being good at Excel has helped me hugely. It's not about a silver bullet – it's about broader core skills and knowing how to find the right person.
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Interviewer31:46
The lesson is that you don't need to know the answer, you need to know how to find it or the person who can give it. I'm conscious of time. To wrap up, can you share one final word of wisdom or a phrase that sums up your career and advice for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
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Paul Lewis32:49
Be hungry, keep trying. Be curious. Things will come. If you want to be a lawyer, you really need to want it – you may have to make compromises. It's not meant to be an easy job. A partner used the Roger Federer analogy: everyone sees his effortless craft, but he put in the effort in Cincinnati in the Autumn, practicing away from his family. To get to the top, you have to put that effort in.
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Interviewer34:17
That's a fantastic way to end. Paul, it's been wonderful catching up. Let's do it again in 20 years – hopefully you won't still be managing partner. Thank you.
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Paul Lewis34:28
Thank you.