The most read Non-Billable stories of the year shows a profession evolving.
From an A&O trainee-turned-tech founder to a senior partner calling NQ pay "crazy", they highlight shifting talent economics, new partnership models, intensifying competition for elite lawyers and the ways top firms are rethinking their brands as the market heads into 2026.
1. Trainee to tech founder
This interview with Alexander Kardos-Nyheim tells the story of an A&O trainee who somehow managed to balance a demanding training contract with co-founding Safe Sign Technologies, the legal AI startup later acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2024.
2. 'Crazy' NQ pay
Simmons & Simmons senior partner Julian Taylor offered one of the most quote-worthy critiques of the year on the sustainability of sky-high NQ salaries in London, warning that the rising pay distorts the talent market and frustrates clients.
3. Redefining partnership
This in-depth analysis explored a major, structural trend reshaping partnership models in global Big Law, showing how non-equity tracks have become a key tool in the war for talent and firm economics.
4. The fight for elite dealmakers
A rare and high-profile lateral move saw star US M&A partner Zach Podolsky - one of Big Law's biggest dealmakers - join Latham in New York from Wachtell, underlining how top dealmaking talent is being courted across elite firms.
5. Refreshing a global brand
Clifford Chance’s brand update was one of the major brand evolutions of the year, reflecting how long-established global firms are refreshing their identity and presentation in a competitive landscape.
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