The Freshfields Podcast

No Worse Off #14: Managing consumer redress liabilities: recent restructuring experience and the motor finance sector

In our latest podcast episode of "No Worse Off," Freshfields partners Emma Gateaud and Craig Montgomery are joined by two industry experts for an in-depth discussion on motor finance claims and consumer redress restructuring.

Drawing on our extensive experience in recent consumer redress restructurings, we consider the potential impact of the upcoming Supreme Court Judgment on motor finance commissions. Our guests, Sheraz Afzal (Chief Legal Risk & Compliance Officer at Quint Group Ltd) and Jamie Drummond-Smith (Independent director, adjudicator and creditor representative), share their frontline experience in these restructurings, offering valuable insights from recent cases in the consumer finance sector.

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of restructuring in 2025, and thank you for listening to "No Worse Off"

Securing the Digital Future #4: A Conversation with Athina Tsitsou and June Lowry

In this episode of our Securing the Digital Future podcast series, Freshfields partner Rachael Annear talks with June Lowry and Athina Tsitsou, from the European Commission, about measures in the EU aimed at children’s online safety as well as broader initiatives around accessibility.

Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets with Freshfields Episode #2: IPOs and other Routes to Capital and Liquidity: “The Garden of Forking Paths”

In episode two of the Eureka series, Former Director of CorpFin at the SEC and Freshfields partner Erik Gerding and Freshfields partners Calise Cheng and Jacqueline Marino explore IPOs in the face of uncertainty, including alternative paths to capital and liquidity. They discuss:

• The state of the market and what the SEC might do to help
• Alternative paths for companies seeking capital and liquidity
• What to do with your registration statement if you have already confidentially submitted
• How to get ready for an IPO when the goalpost has moved

Eureka: Fresh Takes on Capital Markets from Freshfields: Episode #1: Disclosure and Governance During a Trade War

In this episode of the Eureka series, Former Director of CorpFin at the SEC and Freshfields partner Erik Gerding and Freshfields partners Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber discuss how to think about disclosures and governance during a trade war, including:

• What to do about guidance and meaningful cautionary language under extreme uncertainty?
• How is this situation similar to COVID and the Russia/Ukraine war and how are they different?
• How should Boards be thinking about and responding?
• The importance of having a good process and making decisions aligned with your strategic vision

Ethan Klingsberg Explores the Global Secondaries Trend with Ivet Bell

As part of his predictions for 2025, Ethan Klingsberg focused on the expected dominance of the fund secondaries market. Listen in as he speaks with Private Funds and Secondaries partner Ivet Bell about the phenomenal rise of these transactions—including market drivers, key terms, impact on the market, and where secondaries growth may be headed in both up and down markets.  

Essential Antitrust #46: UK’s DMCCA consumer protection reforms: Key changes and how to prepare

On 6 April 2025, key consumer protection provisions set out in the landmark UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) entered into force.

In addition to introducing some significant substantive changes to the law, the DMCCA provides the CMA with powers to directly enforce consumer protection law for the first time, and the ability to fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover for infringements.

In this edition of the Essential Antitrust podcast, host Jenn Mellott is joined by consumer protection law partner Andrew Austin, antitrust partner Rikki Haria and disputes senior associate Kate Collister to discuss these changes, the CMA’s enforcement priorities, and what businesses should be doing now and over the months ahead.

For more detail, you can read our recent blogs on the new provisions and the CMA’s enforcement priorities.

You can also subscribe to our DMCCA client toolkit for further insights and information, updated on a rolling basis to ensure you have the most current and relevant information to navigate the new regulatory landscape.  

No Worse Off #13: Spotlight on the Middle East

In our latest "No Worse Off" podcast episode, Freshfields partner Lindsay Hingston and Tabasam Faqir, Head of Restructuring and Capital Solutions for MENA, welcome special guest Naveen Sabharwal, Managing Director at Davidson Kempner. Together, they explore the key themes shaping the restructuring landscape in the Middle East.

Drawing on their extensive market experience, they examine the evolving legal regime and market landscape in the region, including landmark court processes, private credit opportunities and the emergence of non-performing loan portfolio sales.

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of restructuring in 2025, and thank you for listening to "No Worse Off.

Well-Caffeinated: Playing the Long Game: A Conversation with Val Jacob

Join Nathalie Kupfer and Rosie Jiang as they sit down with Val Jacob to explore her remarkable career in the legal industry. With decades of experience in Big Law, Val has navigated the complexities of the legal world and emerged as a respected leader. In this episode, Val will share her journey, from her early days as a young attorney to her rise through the ranks.

Securing the Digital Future #3: Balancing Act: Regulatory Approaches to Privacy in Content Moderation

In this episode of our Securing the Digital Future podcast series, partner Rachael Annear is joined by Lorna Christie from the UK’s data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), to discuss how the ICO is collaborating with Ofcom to ensure a coherent approach to regulation where online safety and data protection intersect.

No Worse Off #12: Meet Paul, Mark and Nick: our new London private credit and capital solutions trio

As you may already know, our three new London Private Credit and Capital Solutions partners joined us last month.  We are very excited to introduce you to them in the latest episode of our “No Worse Off” Podcast series!

Paul, Mark and Nick tell us about their practice, what Private Credit and Capital Solutions really means, as well as revealing a few interesting facts about themselves!

Listen now