The Firm Analyst

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! Today, I've published the second aspiring solicitors knowledge or "ASK" session, focusing on breaking down the Islamic finance sector as a subset of commercial law. Several aspiring solicitors have asked me about the sector, so in this podcast I thought it best to lay out: (1) why law firms often take a sector approach; (2) what Islamic fina...

Welcome back to Season 17, everyone. Today we dive into the Middle East conflict's ripple effects on the global economy—including how the Strait of Hormuz's closure could spike inflation and interest rates. We also unpack a CMA probe into sudden domestic heating oil surges in the UK amid the war, plus its fallout for emerging market bond and Sukuk issuers.

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst, listeners. In this episode, we unpack the fast‑moving fallout from the latest escalation in the Middle East. After US–Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks across the Gulf, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global oil flows. Retaliatory strikes have also hammered regional civilian infrastructure and hit airports beyond the immediate conflict...

For aspiring solicitors interested international finance, this is the episode for you! Today we cover the recent introduction of what are called "you snooze you lose" clauses in the US leveraged finance markets and how they are impacting creditor voting mechanics. We also take a look at how Oracle, Alphabet and Yondr are tapping the global debt capital markets to raise close to $50 billi...

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a law firm's real estate finance department? Well, today we find out by unpacking a real estate finance transaction from start to finish. From typical trainee tasks to deal structure, we take a deep dive into what makes this sector so fascinating. Join me on our very first aspiring solicitors knowledge or "ASK&qu...

Welcome back to  Season 16 of The Firm Analyst ! In this episode, we looked at: why the debt capital markets are in overdrive, EU-UK alignment proposals and a proposed mega merger in the mining sector.  DCM in Overdrive  — US investment grade bond issuers raised an eye-watering $37 billion on the first Monday of 2026 after a record breaking 2025 for the global debt capital markets, and there appea...

🎙 Welcome back to Season 16 of The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we looked at three themes that dominated the headlines this year, including: 🔥 AI Infrastructure Megadeals — McKinsey estimates that $5.2 trillion is required by 2030 to build enough data centres to keep pace with AI demand, leaving everyone wondering: where will this money come from? Among other things, we cover how Meta secured f...

🎙 Welcome back to Season 16 of The Firm Analyst ! In this episode, we explored three major headlines shaking up finance, aviation, and UK fiscal policy: ✈️ Apollo’s $745m ABF Deal with Virgin Atlantic — last month, Apollo provided Virgin Atlantic with $745 million in senior secured financing backed by the airline’s take‑off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport. We unpack why this security package...

After a bit of a season break, I am delighted to welcome you back to The Firm Analyst. We kick off season 16 with a guest appearance from Yusuf Serang, an incoming trainee solicitor at Fieldfisher, who is joining us to talk about the AI boom and how law firms are helping accelerate it. In particular, we discuss what is causing the AI boom, address arguments suggesting that a bubble is forming and...

Welcome back to Season 15 of The Firm Analyst! 🎙 In the final episode of this season, we discussed: 🌍 Why emerging-market bonds and Sukuk are taking off — Kuwait, West African Development Bank, Majid Al Futtaim and other emerging markets issuers rush to raise billions from the international debt capital markets. Tune in to find out why and what's keeping international DCM lawyers busy. 🎮 Ele...

Welcome back to  Season 15 of The Firm Analyst 🎙 !  In this episode, we discussed: 💰  Apollo’s $10bn raise  — using structured-finance techniques to tap insurers with debt backed by its credit fund stakes, spanning direct lending, asset financings, and investment-grade strategies. 🛞  The fall of Tricolor & First Brands  — Tricolor Holdings has filed for Chapter 7 liquidation amid fraud alleg...

🛢 Saudi Aramco raised $3bn through Islamic bonds i.e., Sukuk — attracting over $20bn in orders. We take a deep dive into how lawyers helped to structure the deal under Shariah principles, incorporating both Commodity Murabaha and Ijara elements. 💊 Merck has scrapped its £1bn UK expansion plans, following AstraZeneca’s retreat earlier this year— a blow to UK life sciences. With pricing pressures,...

📊 Private Credit is pushing into investment grade territory, attracting blue chip debt issuers globally. Can private credit remain competitive and how will the public debt capital markets fare? (3:00) 🍂 Autumn tax pain? The government’s £20bn budget hole has sparked talk of new levies on banks’ reserves, landlords, and HNWI home sales — knocking billions off major banks’ valuations and raising f...

Welcome to the final episode of this season of The Firm Analyst! Today, we discuss the following stories: 🏖 Blackstone's £1.5 billion CMBS Deal (2:35) - this is the largest transaction of its kind in the UK since the 2008 crisis and is being structured to refinance debt used by Blackstone to purchase 39 Haven holiday parks across the country. Listen in to find out more about how securitisation...

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst! In this episode, we discussed the following topics: Heathrow’s Third Runway : With a price tag reported to be pushing £50bn and the M25 potentially in its path, we unpack the legal complexities of building one of the UK’s most ambitious infrastructure projects — from project financing and land purchases to government concessions and risk allocation. Crypto on the...

This episode explores three topical legal and commercial developments. We discuss the proposed ban on upward-only rent review clauses in commercial leases in an attempt to help revive the High Street, its impact on landlords, tenants, and investors. We then cover CityFibre’s £2.3bn refinancing deal, the role of conditions precedent in facility agreements, and implications for lenders. Finally, we...

In this episode of The Firm Analyst , we examine Apollo’s £4.5bn loan to support the Hinkley Point C nuclear project and its significance for private credit in large-scale infrastructure. We also explore the growing interest in external investment within the legal sector, as firms consider private equity funding to support strategic growth and innovation. Lastly, we reflect on the continued declin...

In our final episode of this season I invited Yusuf Serang, an incoming trainee solicitor at Fieldfisher, to the podcast to discuss all things trade. Recently, the UK announced two major trade deals with the US and India while other countries headed to the negotiating tables. Yusuf and I asked ourselves: what does this mean for the markets at large and commercial law firms? Tune in to find out. Li...

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! In this episode, we looked at cyberattacks, macroeconomic shifts and the complex world of property development. Covering key stories and concepts along the way, we delved even deeper into the world of business through the lens of a commercial lawyer. I hope you enjoy this episode! Link to access: https://linktr.ee/thefirmanalyst

To say these last few weeks have been volatile is a gross understatement. Donald Trump recently unleashed a wave of tariffs which have sent the global markets into flux. In this episode, we try to unpack the unfolding mayhem and assess how the markets are reacting by looking at US/UK government bond yields, the S&P 500, the FTSE100, the US Dollar index and the price of gold in the last two wee...

Hi everyone! We are officially back from our season break and we welcome you to Season 13 of The Firm Analyst. In this episode, we discussed: (1) the recent shutdown at Heathrow Airport and some of the potential legal consequences arising as a result; (2) Barclays' "Caterpillar" strategy and how UK banks use derivatives to protect income while weathering fluctuations in interest rate...

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst as we dive into a range of stories in this early release episode! Today we discussed: (1) Skype's unfortunate demise and what role lawyers play in reorganising businesses; (2) how UK small cap companies have been perceived by international investors in light of the UK's dampened growth; and (3) how changes to the SDLT thresholds in April are convincing home...

Thanks for tuning into this episode of The Firm Analyst. Today we'll be discussing a range of stories affecting the market and how they impact the wider practice of commercial law. I hope you find benefit in the stories discussed and feel free to reach out for more information or a general discussion!

$600bn...that's the estimated value NVIDIA is said to have lost as markets struggled to comprehend a new company's arrival onto the AI scene. Here at The Firm Analyst, we discuss how DeepSeek's AI model is set to affect the wider data infrastructure and legal markets (2:15). In this week's episode, we also discussed how the US' recently introduced tariffs are set to cause chall...

Welcome back to The Firm Analyst everyone! Super glad to be kicking this year off to a start with a discussion on what 2025 holds for the UK economy (2:30) and the world at large as the political climate grows ever more uncertain (20:00) . Listen in as we also break down how the TikTok ban illustrates what sorts of challenges multinational corporations and clients will be expected to face this yea...