Leading Lawyers Interviews | Insights from Top Legal Minds

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SJ Interview: Julian Taylor

Julian Taylor, Senior Partner of Simmons & Simmons, joined the firm in 1999 from the Bar and became a partner in 2003. A specialist in employment and incentives law, he has advised many of the firm’s key clients on complex workplace and governance issues. Before being elected Senior Partner, he led both the global and UK employment practices, helping to shape the firm’s reputation for innovation and people-focused leadership. In this interview, Julian discusses leadership, AI’s impact on the profession, the future of law firm culture and how adaptability will define success in the decade ahead.

SJ Interview: Jonathan Moss

Jonathan Moss is Managing Partner of DWF’s London office. He has more than three decades of experience advising clients across shipping, trade, and insurance, and is also a visiting lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. In this interview, he discusses the evolution of insurance and shipping, the impact of geopolitical disruption, the effect of ESG regulation, and how technology and adaptability are reshaping the profession.

SJ Interview: Lilian Edwards

For the October 2025 volume, Lilian Edwards speaks to the Solicitors Journal

SJ Interview: James Palmer CBE

James Palmer CBE, Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, has long been recognised as one of the UK’s most influential corporate lawyers and policy voices. Awarded a CBE in 2025 for his services to business and law, he has combined a high-profile career in M&A with decades of work on legal reform. In this interview, he discusses the challenges of legislative inflation and corporate advice, access to justice, and the future role of technology.

SJ Interview: Mark Sansom

The Solicitors Journal speaks to Mark Sansom, London and Dublin Managing Partner at Freshfields.

SJ Interview: Gary Gallen

The Solicitors Journal speaks to the Founder and CEO of rradar

SJ Interview: Jinal Shah

For the June 2025 volume Jinal Shah of BCLP speaks to the Solicitors Journal

SJ Interview: Harriet Wistrich

For the May 2025 volume, Harriet Wistrich speaks to the Solicitors Journal about her book 'Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men', which has been nominated for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction