Goodwin chair Anthony McCusker on AI, superstar partners and Big Law’s next era

Goodwin is pursuing a focused growth strategy focused on six industries: private equity, investment funds, technology, life sciences, healthcare and real estate. Chair Anthony McCusker joins the podcast to explain why the firm wants its lawyers to understand clients’ businesses as deeply as their legal problems, and how that approach sits at the centre of its Goodwin 2033 strategy.

McCusker also takes us inside the firm’s AI push. Goodwin is investing $25 million a year in technology, developing its Regina operating system and pointing the tech at common workflows through an initiative known as GAIN. The conversation also covers how Goodwin funds that investment, why external capital is not under consideration and the role of London in the firm’s future.

Chapters

00:01 From Silicon Valley lawyer to Goodwin chair
03:55 Leading Goodwin and the role of firm chair
08:24 Why Goodwin is betting on industries over practices
13:52 Building an AI-native law firm
20:04 How AI could change legal delivery and pricing
24:50 Superstar partners in the AI era
28:18 Goodwin’s $25m-a-year AI investment
30:42 Why London is vital to Goodwin’s strategy