A&O Shearman global insights

Voices for change season 2 - episode 5: Jodi Norman, from foster care and shifts at McDonald’s, to leading partner and lawyer (video)

Growing up in the U.K. foster care system and working night shifts at McDonald’s had a huge impact on Jodi Norman and her journey to become a lawyer and partner.

In the latest episode of Voices for Change, Justin Farrance, A&O Shearman’s global DE&I ambassador, sits down with Jodi, META Inclusion partner and regional head of financial regulatory, filmed in our Abu Dhabi office.

Discover Jodi's incredible journey – a story of resilience, authenticity, and the transformative power of support. Jodi reflects on her childhood and background, her hopes in sharing her personal story, and how she is contributing to a culture where everyone belongs. 

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman builds a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our global DE&I ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes every month.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 4: SoundCloud’s General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer Antonious Porch

In episode 4, Justin is joined by General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer at SoundCloud, Antonious Porch. Antonious shares his story growing up in Chicago and the influence of radio and community in his early years, the importance of company culture through to his take on building inclusive strategies alongside c-suite. 

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman builds a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes every month.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 4: SoundCloud’s General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer Antonious Porch (video)

In episode 4, Justin is joined by General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer at SoundCloud, Antonious Porch. Antonious shares his story growing up in Chicago and the influence of radio and community in his early years, the importance of company culture through to his take on building inclusive strategies alongside c-suite. 

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman builds a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes every month.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 2: MD and Global Head of Cyber Operations at Barclays, Becky Pinkard

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman is back, with season two building a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes announced every month.

In episode 2, Justin is joined by MD and Global Head of Cyber Operations at Barclays, Becky Pinkard. Becky shares her journey into cybersecurity, her take on inclusive leadership and wellbeing, and the importance of having diverse voices participating and shaping the AI tools we all use and develop.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 2: MD and Global Head of Cyber Operations at Barclays, Becky Pinkard (video)

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman is back, with season two building a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes announced every month.

In episode 2, Justin is joined by MD and Global Head of Cyber Operations at Barclays, Becky Pinkard. Becky shares her journey into cybersecurity, her take on inclusive leadership and wellbeing, and the importance of having diverse voices participating and shaping the AI tools we all use and develop.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 1: U.S. co-managing partner Doreen Lilienfeld

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman is back, with season two building a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes announced every month.

To launch season two, Justin is joined by U.S. co-managing partner and executive committee member, Doreen Lilienfeld.

Doreen shares her personal experiences and career journey, the importance of advocating for women and why ‘everyone matters’.

Tag and share your thoughts with us on social media.

Voices for change season 2 - episode 1: U.S. co-managing partner Doreen Lilienfeld (video)

Voices for Change by A&O Shearman is back, with season two building a community of inclusive thinkers and thought leaders. Join Justin Farrance, our Global DE&I Ambassador, as he interviews colleagues and clients about their personal stories, commitment to inclusion and advice for others to learn from. Stay up to date with new episodes announced every month.

To launch season two, Justin is joined by U.S. co-managing partner and executive committee member, Doreen Lilienfeld.

Doreen shares her personal experiences and career journey, the importance of advocating for women and why ‘everyone matters’.

Tag and share your thoughts with us on social media.

The Trump sessions: a new era for crypto: what U.S. policy developments mean for the market

In his first week in office, President Trump signed an executive order designed to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital financial technology. In doing so, he ushered in the most crypto-friendly administration in history.  

In our latest Trump session – a series of regular briefings exploring the impact of U.S. policy shifts on global business - our U.S. crypto partners examine the latest developments and what they mean for the market. In this session, they discuss:   

The opportunities emerging for domestic and international crypto players in the U.S. 

The legal and practical implications of the President’s executive order. 

How the U.S. enforcement landscape is changing. 

The international ramifications of the President’s focus on digital assets.  

The Fuse Podcast: AI

The latest episode of The Fuse Podcast is an insightful exploration of the challenges facing organisations who are at the vanguard of AI adoption.

AI has the potential to automate processes, enhance decision-making, and introduce efficiencies across various sectors. However, it also brings new risks and amplifies existing ones, such as discrimination, IP infringement, and cyber business interruption. Understanding, mitigating and managing these risks is crucial for safe and responsible AI adoption – but how do you do that?

On this edition of The Fuse Podcast by A&O Shearman, we are joined by:

• Dr Michael Berger, the head of Munich Re's Insure AI team, which focuses on structuring insurance solutions for AI risks, including the risk of incorrect predictions and discrimination.
• Mark Titmarch, the CPO and co-founder and head of insurance of Testudo, one of Fuse’s cohort companies. Testudo is creating new AI insurance products to enable institutions to adopt AI safely and responsibly.

In our conversation, we delve into the intricacies of AI, exploring both its potential and limitations, as well as key considerations from a legal and regulatory perspective. We discuss how different industries can use or plan to use AI in their operations in a safe way, the role of insurance in mitigating AI-related risks, and the key trends and predictions for the coming year in the AI sector.

This is a rich dialogue on the current state and future potential of AI, offering valuable perspectives for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

The Trump sessions: tariffs, trade, CFIUS, sanctions and M&A

President Trump has begun his second term in office with a flurry of executive orders that signal a significant change of direction for the U.S. both domestically and internationally.

With new opportunities and risks emerging at speed, we are hosting a series of regular podcasts where our experts will analyze the key developments and provide practical guidance on how to respond.

In the first of these sessions, we explored:

• Strategies to navigate the increasingly volatile tariff landscape
• Prospects for inbound and outbound M&A
• What we can expect from CFIUS over the next four years
• How domestic dealmakers are responding to the new administration