Legal Unicorns

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com. Join us as we chat to legal consultant Richard Thompson who has taken a chance on himself and gone the road less travelled! Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com For more legal career insights, listen here - https://mylegalcareer.podia.com/ Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with us - info@thegrmgroup.com! 00:00 Introduction 04:07 Getting into the 'real' world - a bumpy start 08:45 Impact of mental health on decision-making 14:38 Into the working world 22:07 Taking a chance on yourself - starting a consultancy 33:45 The gig economy post COVID 40:45 Impact of Family on your legal career 45:18 Future investments

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com. Join us as we chat to superstar M&A attorney Oliver Kabongo. Born in Congo and raised in South Africa and living in London, Oliver's experience and career has us captured! Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com For more legal career insights, listen here - https://mylegalcareer.podia.com/ Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with Tsitsi (tsitsi@thegrmgroup.com)! 00:00 Introduction 3:00 Growing up Congolese in South Africa 7:35 Post University struggles as a foreigner in South Africa 15:18 Taking his career international 27:19 COVID's impact on career and personal journey 33:50 Diversity and Inclusion is here to stay! 40:32 Technology's impact on legal work 42:30 What's next?

#LegalTech #WomeninTech #Innovation #Malawi #SouthAfrica #techpioneers Join us for an insightful conversation with Ruth Gondwe, a trailblazer in the legal tech industry. Born in Malawi, Ruth's journey took her to South Africa, where she now leads the charge in transforming the legal landscape through technology. In this captivating interview, we'll delve into her remarkable story, exploring the challenges she overcame, the innovative solutions she has championed, and her vision for the future of legal tech. From her humble beginnings to her current position at the forefront of the industry, Ruth's experiences are a testament to the power of determination and the boundless potential of technology to reshape traditional fields. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from a true pioneer in the legal tech world. www.thegrmgroup.com 00:00 Introduction 04:25 Growing up in Malawi, the 'warm heart of Africa' 16:00 A change in pace 24:00 Getting herself through law school! 28:00 Journey into Tech 37:27 Next steps in the journey

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with Tsitsi (tsitsi@thegrmgroup.com)!

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns 00:00 Introduction 5:15 Getting to know John 15:00 The impact of COVID lockdown on John's approach to his career 25:08 Unconventional journey into Law 38:07 Crucial lessons early in your legal career 1:02:30 Calculated risks and familial support 1:12:45 Major changes in the Nigerian Legal Market Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with Tsitsi (tsitsi@thegrmgroup.com)!

Join us for an insightful conversation with Colin Levy, a leading expert in legal technology, as he delves into the transformative impact of LegalTech on the legal industry and explores the evolving landscape of legal jobs. In this engaging interview with Rob Green, host of the Legal Unicorns podcast, Colin Levy shares his perspectives on: The rise of LegalTech and its disruptive potential How LegalTech is redefining traditional legal roles and responsibilities The emergence of new opportunities and skill sets in the LegalTech era Strategies for legal professionals to adapt and thrive in the changing legal landscape Whether you're a seasoned legal professional or just starting your career in law, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the future of the legal profession. Gain valuable insights from Colin Levy's expertise and discover how LegalTech is shaping the future of legal jobs. https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinslevy https://www.amazon.com/Legal-Tech-Ecosystem-Innovation-Advancement/dp/B0CKCZTLWW/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= https://twitter.com/Clevy_Law https://www.legaldive.com/news/ai-promise-precautions-legal-tech-frontier-colin-levy-genai-clm-ediscovery/698649/ 00:00 - Introduction 5:08 - Nurturing a relationship with technology 9:12 - Impactful networking 18:30 - Inspiration strikes - Colin writes a book! 24:35 - Practical implication of Legal Technology 30:40 - The future of Legal Tech is in the hands of legal practitioners 39:01 - What the future holds from Colin’s perspective

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Kerusha Pillay, a dedicated legal professional and Advocate who passionately serves underprivileged women and the Tamil community. Despite her personal battle, which she exclusively discusses at the end of the interview, Kerusha continues to make a significant impact through her extensive charity work. the key aspects of the interview, including Kerusha's work with businesswomen and the Tamil community, and her role as a legal professional. Join us as we delve into her incredible journey, uncovering the resilience and determination that drives her to make a difference in the lives of others. Don't miss this powerful conversation that will leave you motivated and inspired. Want to support? Visit https://www.multiplesclerosis.co.za/ Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with Tsitsi (tsitsi@thegrmgroup.com)!

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Don’t forget to drop a like and comment and SUBSCRIBE for more! Connect with Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Connect with Mpho: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpho-b-khoele/ 00:00 - Introduction 3:46 - Resilience in the face of hard times 7:06 - The power in never giving up on yourself 12:45 - Past life experience and its impact on Mpho’s legal career 22:08 - Technology and healthcare 27:15 - Challenges of business owners 32:04 - Using tech to enhance business practice 36:38 - Law in Africa vs the World 39:20 - The Billable hours debate 47:50 - Growth comes from making mistakes 55:00 - The future Get in touch with Rob regarding your legal career today - rob@thegrmgroup.com Know someone who you think is a legal unicorn? Get in touch with Tsitsi (tsitsi@thegrmgroup.com)!

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Stay up to date with all things Legal Unicorns: https://linktr.ee/legalunicorns Connect with Tebello: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tebello-motshwane-91439a8a/ Instagram - @Bellz_motshwane If you would like to connect with Rob and chat more about your legal career, send through an email - rob@thegrmgroup.com 0:00 Intro 5:17 Changing my Perspective on Imposter Syndrome 7:53 My Journey to Law 10:48 Responsibilities from a young age 12:14 Childhood that shaped me 13:22 Responsibilities in my First Year 14:52 Motherhood 18:59 Limited resources 19:54 Pushing through hard times 20:39 Conversations about racism 22:55 Preparing students for the workplace 26:39 Speak Up 29:34 Finding yourself 31:24 Knowing the direction 33:22 Important not to wallow 33:52 There is room for you 34:32 Fight the good fight 36:00 Concept of representation 43:10 Human nature attracts 50:19 Falling in love with Intelligence Property 51:15 Starting Sister in Law 53:35 Making the law accessible 54:06 Game Changer 56:30 Getting into Law 1:00:57 Bullying in the workplace 1:03:47 Importance of Affirmation

Our sponsors www.stiint-it.com and www.umbiie.com In this episode of the Unicorns podcast, we interview legal tech lawyer and AI expert Deshni Govender. We cover her upbringing, her life and her thoughts on the challenges facing AI in law in the coming years. 0:00 Intro 4:49 What shaped my journey in Law 5:40 Why things are the way they are 7:12 What is fair? 8:49 Journey moving to Johannesburg 12:00 The value of networking 15:59 The value of having a professional circle 18:48 Getting recruited in the Big 5 24:51 Areas that affect people 27:40 Law Firm Culture vs. Law Firm Life 33:54 Your Purpose as a Legal 37:40 Knowing your business 42:11 Starting my Journey in Technology 46:11 Proving yourself from the start 51:59 Good Advice for your career 1:02:14 Empowering Younger Generation 1:07:22 Forward Thinking 1:14:41 Working in the Gender Space 1:20:07 The Benchmark of the norm 1:25:36 Inclusivity and Equality

Thank you to our Sponsors Umbiie, www.umbiie.com and Stiint-IT, www.stiint-it.com Forensics expert Tendai Jangara, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tendai-ba... Tendai has always been brave, believed in herself, had the confidence to try new things in her career, but at the same time, has always been considered and controlled in her career choices (some may say, almost forensic about her choices!!) https://www.cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com/n... 00:00 Intro 01:00 Growing up in Harare to Malawian parents 04:30 Taking control, seeking help 09:00 Struggling at times 11:30 Taking on too much at University nearly derailed it all 15:00 Resilience in abundance 18:00 Met my husband and passed it all!! 21:00 Dad's career influenced me 24:00 Reading is a passion, I want to get into banking 26:00 Teba Bank gave me a chance 34:00 I want Deloitte! 37:30 Stepping out on my own, becoming a parent and working for myself 39:00 Being a working parent is really tough 43:00 What I want next, and how do I get there? 46:00 Some people should stay where they are, but are the firms helping? 48:00 Talk to your people before they start asking "what's out there?" 52:00 Law firms need to embrace change 01:00:00 The Technical Legal professional is coming back!! 01:01:00 Don't stand still 01:02:00 What do you know now, that you wished you'd known then? Fantastic life and career lessons from Tendai If you want to chat about your legal career with Rob, email him on rob@thegrmgroup.com

Thank you to sponsor Umbiie, www.umbiie.com & Stiint-It www.stiint-it.com See the great work CILPA (Center for International Law & Policy) is doing https://cilpa.org/ Clea and Rob share their passion for geopolitics and Africa's development, Clea is utterly fascinating and South Africa's loss was America's gain when she moved there. Connect with her here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/clea-stry... Interested in joining the South African Branch of the International Law Association: email secretarty_sabila@outlook.com Interested in CILPA's work or becoming an intern: email Clea at cstrydom@outlook.com 00:00 Intro 03:45 Who is Clea? 05:30 From a Chef to an Attorney 08:30 Moving to China 11:00 Meeting a husband, Covid in China 12:40 What's it like to move to the US? 15:00 Coming into the US from Trump's "Shithole countries" 18:00 The 90-Day Fiance 24:00 Autonomous AI Weapon Systems in War 30:00 The threat of AI is real and it is now! 32:00 Billionaires are full of BS 34:00 Every country has its problems 34:30 Women's rights 43:00 CILPA, International policies brought to Africa 48:00 Africa should deal with Africa's issues 52:00 The Courts of First Instance and the ICC 54:00 Breaking ground in African law 55:00 Universal jurisdiction 58:20 Intern jobs for African law grads...get in touch with Clea 1:02:00 Reparations for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade 1:07:00 Meatball Ron 1:09:15 History is vital 1:13:00 We cannot be afraid to talk and ask questions

Firstly, if there is anyone out there that can give Rob isiXhosa lessons, please message him at r.green@grmsearch.com - he has to improve his language skills!!! Secondly, thank you so much to the incredible Xhanti Mtulu. Listen to his life, his story, his management style, his tips for young lawyers and much more. His YouTube channels are @SuperXhanti and @themtulus Please subscribe, watch and like his content. Thanks to our sponsors www.stiint-it.com and www.umbiie.com Head to https://legalunicorns.locals.com for additional Supporter questions and more footage. Please support the Legal Unicorns Podcast for $3+ and get the chance to watch the shows AD FREE. Click here, https://legalunicorns.buzzsprout.com Additionally, get behind-the-scenes footage from the Legal Unicorns Podcast, ask your questions to all our guests and see exclusive footage. Sign up here: https://legalunicorns.locals.com Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify/Google Podcasts.

Check out our sponsors www.stiint-it.com and www.umbiie.com In this episode of the Unicorns pod, we interview HR guru, Lynn Roux, we cover her upbringing, her life and her thoughts on the challenges facing HR in the coming years. Follow her via https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnroux/ Email at lynn.roux@landerson.co.za Lynn's passion for people and process improvement is unrivalled. Lynn was born and raised in Johannesburg. Her father was an artisan, and her mother was a schoolteacher. She has a sister who is 18 months older. She has two boys and they all live with her dad. She used to ride a motorbike and has now replaced this with a 4X4 so that she can do the trails with her boys. She started working part-time after completing secondary school and whilst she was studying, she worked as a teller at one of the big banks. She was permanently employed when she started her honours part-time and was fortunate enough to be transferred to the employee relations team to gain work experience in her field of study. She moved from the bank to one of the Big 4 accounting and audit firms and stayed there for 15 years. During her tenure, they kept her interested by creating opportunities and giving me exposure to different aspects of HR. She started out with responsibility for policies and procedures and employee relations. This morphed into being a functional owner of HR systems, setting up an HR centre of expertise and shared service centre. By popular vote of the team, she was appointed to lead the HR generalist team, the HR shared service centre and centres of expertise for reward, employee relations, HR systems and HR projects. In September 2015 she joined the first law firm as the Head of HR. She spent seven years in the legal industry with two of the big law firms in South Africa. Coming from a professional services environment she expected this to be an easy transition – how different can it be? Both charge for their time. She was in for a BIG surprise. Partners leaving with teams, egos and arrogance, entrenched hierarchy, fear at junior levels, credibility and relevance determined by how successful you are as a lawyer and the divide between lawyers and business services staff were an eye opener. Could law firms really be 8–10 years behind professional services in terms of culture and soft skills development? Towards the end of 2022, she decided to leave corporate and started her own HR consulting business. This was the birth of LAnderson Management Consulting (Pty) Ltd. Her focus areas include creating a culture of belonging and inclusion; employee wellness, considering the ISO standard that has been published for wellness and optimising HR systems and business processes. Remember to: - Like, subscribe and share all the episodes of Legal Unicorns Visit us on Twitter, Rob on @globallawcareer and @legalunicorns Subscribe to GRM's newsletter at globallegalmarket.substack.com

Karien is the Co-CEO of agritech start-up, AgriRevolution. She is also an experienced legal and commercial advisor. I wanted her on the Legal Unicorns pod because she epitomises what we are looking for across Africa, lawyers who are brave, lawyers who are doing things differently - to inspire the next generation. After completing B.Comm and LLB degrees at the University of Stellenbosch, Karien moved to London and started her career working for tech start-ups TotallyLegal.com and later EnergyQuote. She returned to South Africa in 2006 to start her articles at Intellectual Property firm, Kisch in Sandton. After qualifying as a trade mark practitioner, Karien moved to Deneys Reitz (now Norton Rose) before joining FNB as IP Legal Advisor. She was then drawn to the world of start-ups again and joined Clickatell as a group legal advisor in 2010 where she obtained invaluable global experience in technology, communications and commercial law. This experience stood her in good stead when she joined UK start-up, Radiant Law, and later martech consultancy (and another South African start-up success story) Acceleration. Acceleration was subsequently acquired by advertising behemoth WPP. Karien spent more than 7 years at WPP where she was promoted to Assistant General Counsel for the international marketing communications agency, Wunderman Thompson before moving into the WPP Group’s central legal team. Karien is passionate about helping start-ups scale and feels privileged to have played a role in the journey of multiple start-ups, including a few that have successfully navigated their way from “3 guys in a garage” to global enterprise. For the past 3 years, she has moonlighted as a strategic advisor for AgriRevolution and was appointed Co-CEO in April. She is thrilled that she has the opportunity to use her experience to contribute to the growth and success of AgriRevolution. https://www.agrirevolution.africa/ Meet the Earthworm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep43xm-Ox8I https://www.linkedin.com/in/karienholtzkampf/ Remember to: - Like, subscribe and share all the episodes of Legal Unicorns Visit us on Twitter @globallawcareer and @legalunicorns Subscribe to GRM's newsletter at globallegalmarket.substack.com

Part 2 of our chat with the incredible Leah Molatseli, African Advisor to the Global Legal Tech Hub, Head of BD for Legal Interact, and LegalTech futurist across the African continent. 00:00 Welcome back after Load Shedding! 02:05 Leah joins Legal Interact 06:00 Congratulations to Legal Interact on their hiring policy! 06:40 Get the audience excited about the Tech, Umbiie.com 08:10 BIG Legal Tech Launches ahead 09:30 SA's first AI Robot Lawyer 12:00 Legal Tech brings law for all 13:13 Its about IMPACT, not control 14:57 Leah becomes African Advisor to the Global Legal Tech Hub 23:25 When you go into new markets, ask questions 25:00 That's why we launched Umbiie.com 26:25 Level the playing field through tech 28:00 Generative AI will change the legal market forever 29:00 Alternative careers Reach her on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmolatseli/ Twitter - @leahmolatseli Thank you, Leah. Our podcast is sponsored by technology platforms www.umbiie.com - legal recruitment technology for global lawyers Built on the www.stiint-it.com platform

Leah Molatseli is a lawyer, published legal tech author, speaker, and Legal Tech and Innovation Specialist who currently holds the role of Head of Business Development at Legal Interact. She focuses on the intersection between law, innovation, and technology, using her expertise to educate and empower the legal market. She is a Guest Lecturer at the University of Cape Town where she develops and teaches legal tech and innovation-related courses to the broader legal industry. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow, a University of Notre Dame alum who enjoys everything that speaks to using technology and innovative processes to empower lawyers in whatever roles they find themselves in, from practicing lawyers to in-house legal teams. She sits as a Council Member of the University of the Free State, where she is a member of the ICT Committee, is Chairperson of the Naming Committee and Vice-Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee, is part of the Advisory Board for the Global Legal Tech Hub and Women in Tech South African Chapter, a country member for the Global Legal Tech Consortium and is one of 2022’s International Legal Technology Association’s Most Influential Women in Legal Tech and American Bar Association’s 2022 Women of Legal Tech Honouree. She recently was awarded the Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum (ISF) 2023 Fellowship, from Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative, which was founded by Wendy and Eric Schmidt, which brings talented people together in networks to test their ideas and solve complex problems in science and society. She is a 2023 Justitia Awards Nominee and Institute for African Women inLaw- 2023 Women to Watch. Leah is a University of the Free State LLB alum she thenarticled at the UFS Law Clinic she became admitted as an Attorney of the High Court, in the Free State in 2012. She worked in private practice before founding a legal tech startup and publishing a legal technology book with Juta.

Sponsored by Umbiie.com - the future of your legal career This interview is for all the lawyers, across the world, who are contemplating moving out of employment and to work for themselves. Research shows that by 2035, 70% of legal professionals will work in the gig economy (work for themselves)....Freida will show you how. Frieda is an ICF-accredited coach specialising in Whole Person Coaching and Enneagram Coaching. She’s a practising British lawyer and has been for nearly 20 years. She was an Associate at a law firm, moved to Partner, in-house counsel, back to practice and now runs her own consultancy - she shows us how she did it. Her coaching focuses on helping people to create real balance in their lives so they can shift from feeling lost, stuck and overwhelmed to leading a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life, both professionally and personally. Rob and Frieda chat about the future landscape of the legal profession. Legal Unicorns is a podcast available on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7k40Zkd... Powered by The GRM Group, creatively servicing the global legal market. grmsearch.com for all Legal Career Opportunities Legal career advice from Rob Green via https://www.patreon.com/globallegalca... Umbiie.com has been built on the Stiint-It.com platform Follow Frieda on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frieda-levycky/ https://bravingboundaries.com/ https://lawyerlifeexperiment.buzzsprout.com/

In this episode, Rob chats to Rori - a thought leader within the legal profession. Rob and Rori delve into the difficulties of being a young lawyer in South Africa, unapologetically up-skilling oneself and the importance of mentorship for young lawyers. Rori completed her undergraduate at Rhodes University receiving a Bachelor of Arts and LLB. She then went on to complete her LLM from Wits University. As she completed her legal training, she jump started her career at top law firms such as Bowmans and Norton Rose Fulbright. She currently works as a Senior Property Finance Attorney at Nedbank. Along with these fantastic strides in her career, she started a passion project called MoLAWoo which is a mentorship project for young lawyers. Get in touch with Rori here: LinkedIn – Rorisang Mzozoyana Facebook – Rorisang Mzozoyana Instagram – @rori_legalcounsel Tik Tok – @rori_legalcounsel

These are the 6 key take aways from my 14 years of owning and running GRM. GRM Newsletter - globallegalmarket.substack.com Global Legal Career Patreon Channel - patreon.com/globallegalcareers Podcast, available on all podcast providers = Legal Unicorns