Welcome to 'What's the Big Deal?' – a series where I'll be breaking down big deals in the capital markets sphere for rookies like me. If you're interested in capital markets, corporate mergers & acquisitions (M&A), or working for a law firm with a corporate law offering – watch this space!

These days, graduate employers tend to look for commercial 'interest' as much as (if not more than) commercial 'awareness'. You won’t be expected to detail every single commercial, political and economic event that has happened over the past few years, but you will likely be expected to demonstrate an interest in business and the broader commercial factors that are likely to affect the firm and its clients.

Isabelle Agerbak is a qualified barrister at Blackstone Chambers. She combines a public and commercial law practice with a particular interest in public law and judicial review. In this profile, she discusses why the self-employed Bar appealed to her, the value of mini-pupillages, what she learned during pupillage and the rewards and challenges of managing a varied, intellectually demanding practice.

Is the removal of gambling companies from front-of-shirt sponsorship in the Premier League creating a void or sparking opportunity?

Market led mechanisms versus statutory controls - how have tenants been getting more choice and flexibility in commercial lease terms?

In this article, I'll be breaking down this trend – as well as analysing its impacts on the legal industry at large.

Maxwell Myers discusses how a passion for advocacy, problem-solving and variety led him to the commercial chancery Bar, where he works across disputes ranging from shareholder litigation to insolvency and property matters. He also discusses the importance of mini-pupillages, resilience and strong persuasion skills for aspiring barristers.

Is the legal landscape "hand built by robots" or being "rebuilt by humans"?

Following a 2020 pledge by Rishi Sunak, Ron Kalifa OBE’s Kalifa Review of UK Fintech was published earlier this year. The review lays out a vision and execution model for the UK to maintain its leadership in the cutting-edge field of fintech.

Kiran Sidhu’s varied experience at university and beyond led her to data protection and privacy work. As an associate at Bristows LLP, Kiran outlines her role in this area of law, the skills and strengths required to be successful and more in this Meet the Lawyer profile. 

Philippa Wilson explains how Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s vacation scheme is run, outlines the firm’s stance on the use of AI in applications, provides insights into what the firm is looking for from its future lawyers and more in this Meet the Recruiter profile.

Commercial awareness is a term often used by law firms and recruiters, but what does it actually mean? In this video Matt breaks down what commercial awareness, why it's so important, and offers a couple of examples of case studies to think about in a commercial context. 

The family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler has appealed to the government to rethink the proposed reforms of 'no win, no fee' arrangements contained in its Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LAPSO) Bill.

Do you ever wish that you could witness and capture those iconic sporting moments? Or are you someone who would rewatch that goal or the last corner/chicane again and again to relive that one sporting moment?

What are the legal and commercial implications, and risks and rewards, of cloud computing?

Who holds companies to account when risk taking goes wrong?

How important are ESG policies to modern commercial relationships and how does this impact the lawyer/client relationship?

How are developments in ‘fire safety’ impacting the construction industry?

If you've spent any time scrolling through LinkedIn lately, you'll probably have noticed that everyone seems to be predicting the future of the legal profession. Artificial intelligence is replacing lawyers. Traditional practice is dead. Every solicitor will be a coder by 2030. It's easy to get swept up in the headlines, but the reality is far less dramatic and much more interesting.

What are the implications of the new UK Bribery Act for businesses and individuals in Qatar?