Christian Bartsch is the CEO of Bird & Bird, the international law firm built around technology, IP and regulation. He joined the firm in 2007, became CEO in 2022 and was recently re-elected for a second term.
In this episode, Bartsch explains how he followed a leader who had run the firm for 26 years and why he involved the wider partnership in shaping Bird & Bird’s first five-year strategy.
He discusses the firm’s target of reaching €1bn in revenue by 2029, its recent expansion into Tokyo, Riyadh and Lisbon, and why India remains a market he watches closely. He also addresses law firm consolidation, external capital and the circumstances in which Bird & Bird might consider a merger.
The conversation then turns to AI, why Bartsch believes generic firms are vulnerable, how the traditional law firm pyramid may change and why training partners matters just as much as giving associates new tools.
Chapters
00:01 Introduction
01:02 Christian’s journey from tech partner to CEO
02:51 Taking over after David Kerr’s 26-year tenure
04:59 Building a five-year strategy with the partnership
07:29 Bird & Bird’s sector focus and competitive edge
12:15 The €1bn revenue target and why growth isn’t the strategy
17:43 International expansion, Saudi Arabia and India
20:34 Big Law consolidation, US mergers and external capital
27:11 AI, the law firm pyramid and why generic firms could struggle
