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'The reality is very different': KPMG legal chief Stuart Bedford on what people get wrong about the Big Four's legal ambitions

September 2, 2025
'The reality is very different': KPMG legal chief Stuart Bedford on what people get wrong about the Big Four's legal ambitions
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What role do the Big Four really play in the legal market, and how different are they from traditional firms? In this episode, we sit down with Stuart Bedford, global head of legal at KPMG, to get a first-hand view of how one of the world’s largest professional services organisations is approaching the delivery of legal services.

Stuart reflects on his own career journey, qualifying at Linklaters, building one of the City’s leading corporate practices, and eventually stepping into leadership at KPMG. He explains how his experience across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions shaped his perspective on what clients truly need from their lawyers.

We dig into what sets KPMG Law apart - why they’re not chasing the mega M&A deals that grab headlines, but instead focusing on areas where law, technology, and multidisciplinary teams intersect. From entity management and post-merger integration, to regulatory compliance and legal managed services at scale, Stuart outlines a model that looks very different to Big Law.

Finally, Stuart discusses KPMG’s expansion into the US via an Arizona ABS licence, the firm’s Legal Reimagined programme, and the opportunities created by technology, data and global delivery. If you’ve ever wondered how a Big Four legal arm competes without playing the traditional law firm game, this conversation offers a look inside.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction
01:15 Introduction & Stuart’s Early Career Path
03:18 Changing Specialisation in Law Firms
05:35 Why Stuart Moved to KPMG
08:32 Rethinking the Big Four’s Legal Offering
13:14 Post-Merger Integration & Entity Management
16:38 Technology, Data & Legal Reimagined
21:17 Delivering Managed Legal Services at Scale
25:39 Talent, Culture & Multidisciplinary Teams
29:18 Embedding Legal Within the Wider KPMG Business
31:40 Have the Big Four’s Legal Dreams Materialised?
33:31 US Expansion & the Arizona ABS Licence
38:02 Looking Ahead: The Future of KPMG Law