BCLP senior partner Segun Osuntokun on growth, mergers and weekend emails

Segun Osuntokun, senior partner at BCLP, joins the podcast to discuss leadership, firm strategy and what it takes to run a global law firm while continuing to practise as a partner. Having held senior leadership roles at the firm for more than seven years, he reflects on BCLP's recent return to growth and the long-term strategy behind it.The conversation explores the lessons learned from the merger between Berwin Leighton Paisner and Bryan Cave, why Osuntokun believes successful integrations must start with clients rather than firm economics, and his views on the current wave of transatlantic law firm combinations reshaping the market.We also discuss mental health, sustainable leadership and the demands of modern legal practice. Osuntokun shares his perspective on resilience, the importance of wellbeing in a people business, and the comments that sparked debate across the profession about sending non-urgent emails at weekends.The Non-Billable Podcast is sponsored by Legora. To find out more about Legora, visit: https://legora.com/ Chapters00:01 Introduction01:36 From Nigeria to City law and becoming BCLP senior partner04:26 BCLP's return to growth and the strategy behind it07:35 How BCLP positions itself in the transatlantic legal market09:12 Lessons from the Bryan Cave and BLP merger13:34 US versus UK law firm culture: more similar than different?15:47 Life as senior partner and balancing leadership with client work18:19 Weekend emails, mental health and sustainable leadership24:01 The future of Big Law, scale and BCLP's growth plansAbout 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