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

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Christian Bartsch on Bird & Bird’s path to €1bn

The Non-Billable Podcast

Christian Bartsch on Bird & Bird’s path to €1bn