Tools of the Trade

Mayer Brown
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business
  • Updated Monthly

Tools of the Trade is a Mayer Brown podcast dedicated to topics they don't teach in law school. Each episode focuses with candor and humor on challenges that lawyers and other law firm professionals face in their daily work.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    Building a Legal Banking Career with Intention

    In this episode, watch (and listen) as Jon Van Gorp talks with Mayer Brown alum Alanna Chang, who serves as US head of legal for corporate and institutional banking at HSBC. Alanna shares insights on emerging trends such as AI and digital assets, the importance of self-advocacy in large organizations, lessons learned from a career break, and practical strategies for effective leadership, negotiation, and long-term career growth. SHOW NOTES: 2:13 – Alanna discusses how AI and digital assets are transforming the banking industry 3:33 – Alanna discusses how different global markets are driving innovation 4:49 – Alanna advises on self-advocacy and making your accomplishments visible within a large organization 8:07 – Alanna speaks about what she learned from taking a two-year career break before returning to HSBC in a larger leadership role 11:44 – Jon and Alanna also discuss effective negotiation strategies and why successful lawyers focus on the bigger picture

  2. Jun 2 ·  Video

    Adapting, Learning, and Leading in the Cryptocurrency Industry

    Tools of the Trade is now viewable! In the first video episode, watch (and listen) as Jon talks with Ryan VanGrack, vice president of legal and global head of litigation at the cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase. Before joining Coinbase, Ryan worked in both the public and private sectors. He has served as general counsel at Citadel Securities, in addition to serving as senior advisor at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and White House attorney under President Barack Obama.

  3. 11/19/2025

    Andy Stewart Affirms the Importance of Mental Health

    Former Mayer Brown partner Andy Stewart joins Sally Davies for the next installment of Tools of the Trade's series on retirees. Andy, who retired in July 2025, reflects on his long legal career, which spanned more than 40 years. He began his journey with our legacy firm, Rowe & Maw, as an articled clerk in 1984 before becoming a Corporate & Securities partner in 1994. He also pioneered the London Corporate group's mentor scheme long before formal mentoring programs gained widespread acceptance. Tune in as Andy discusses his secondment experience (03:55), mental health in the legal industry (09:28) and advice for young professionals (14:02).

    Andy Stewart Affirms the Importance of Mental Health

  4. 10/10/2025

    Why You Should Call a Lawyer After a Cyber Incident

    Recognizing Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Jon welcomes Ana Bruder and Stephen Lilley, partners in Mayer Brown's Cybersecurity & Data Privacy practice, to the firm's Tools of the Trade podcast. The guests discuss why clients call Mayer Brown first after a cyber incident and the legal risks of breaches (2:05). Ana and Stephen outline regulatory reporting obligations and evolving regulator responses (5:54). The conversation shifts to law enforcement coordination and how companies engage the FBI or other authorities (9:24), before moving to the issue of responding to ransomware demands, legal considerations, and reputational impacts (11:45). The episode closes with advice on preventative steps such as spotting phishing emails and following internal security protocols (14:36).

  5. 05/20/2025

    How It Works: Legal Opportunities in Space

    As world powers increasingly turn their attention to space, lawyers will be called upon to address an array of issues. London partner Rachael O'Grady reminds us that extraterrestrial legal matters will, in many respects, parallel what we're already doing on earth. Rachael is a co-leader of Mayer Brown's Space & Satellite practice—which launched in 2022—alongside partner Paul Whitfield-Jones. Rachael and Paul join us to discuss exciting opportunities around space exploration. Futurist Dr. Pippa Malmgren covered one of these areas at Mayer Brown's 2025 Global Partners Meeting: the potential for mining natural resources from asteroids in the very near future (04:08). Tune in as Rachael and Paul discuss the origins of their initial interest in space (01:46), how a global consensus is yet to be achieved in the evolving legal framework (05:36), clients seeking advice on space-related matters (07:55) and where legal work in the space industry could "lift off" in the future (10:17).

    How It Works: Legal Opportunities in Space

  6. 03/27/2025

    Distilling Lessons: From Whiskey-Making to Tax Law

    Russell Nance joined Mayer Brown's New York office as a tax partner in 2006. In recent years, many colleagues and clients have come to know him also as the co-owner of a whiskey distillery nestled in the mountains of Virginia. Opening a farm-to-bottle distillery was no easy feat and quickly turned into a master class in the hospitality industry (02:21). After a lot of "learning as they went," Russell and his two co-founders can now proudly call Ragged Branch a successful venture. Tune in as Russell reveals the steps behind making, and properly aging, whiskey (08:19), along with the business skills he's picked up along the way that can be applied to building a legal practice (16:53).

    Distilling Lessons: From Whiskey-Making to Tax Law

  7. 10/29/2024

    Five Questions with Legal Recruiter Patrick Tomic

    A life-changing incident as a teenager didn't stop Patrick Tomic from playing sports (04:48). In fact, it only propelled his passion and ultimately led him to pursue a career in recruitment after taking a shine to recruiting student athletes at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (16:20). Outside of working for Mayer Brown's Chicago Human Resources team, Patrick is active in wheelchair basketball and has competed all over the US and beyond (07:01). Tune in as Patrick tells the story of how a rare staph infection transformed the course of his life and opened unexpected doors (06:08).

    Five Questions with Legal Recruiter Patrick Tomic

  8. 09/30/2024

    What Election Security Means in Today's Cyber World

    In the lead-up to the United States presidential and congressional elections in November, the security of our election infrastructure is top of mind. During Adam Hickey's 15-year tenure at the US Department of Justice, he handled high-profile national security matters, which included the significant responsibility of managing the US responses to foreign interference with US elections. Now a partner in Mayer Brown's Washington DC office, Adam joins Tools of the Trade to discuss election security (01:32) and how threats are proliferating as an activity globally (03:12). Adam explains how election security affects clients (04:34), what makes this a challenging policy problem (06:42) and how Mayer Brown is positioned to deal with governmental investigations (08:04).

    What Election Security Means in Today's Cyber World
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About

Tools of the Trade is a Mayer Brown podcast dedicated to topics they don't teach in law school. Each episode focuses with candor and humor on challenges that lawyers and other law firm professionals face in their daily work.

Information

  • Creator
    Mayer Brown
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 Mayer Brown
  • Show Website
    Tools of the Trade

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