This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Rachel A. Sachs, a Filipino-German Canadian lawyer and the founder of Sachs Law Professional Corporation.

Rachel has intentionally built her practice around serving older adults, a decision deeply rooted in her family history and her profound respect for the elders who shaped her life. Before opening her own firm, she navigated corporate compliance, studied in the UK, and became a prominent advocate for Internationally Trained Lawyers (ITLs) in Canada.

We discuss the unspoken biases against aging clients, why the legal market is failing foreign-trained talent, and how to actually get value out of legal mentorship.

This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Bianca Thomas, Senior Counsel in Technology and Operations at BMO.

Bianca is a “Rising Star” in the profession. Her career spans boutique litigation, financial services partnerships at Shopify, capital markets work in the precious and base metals sector, and leading a team of legal operations professionals.

We discuss transitioning between practice areas, the role of legal operations, and how courtroom communication skills can transfer to a corporate boardroom.

The guest speaks in a personal capacity. Her views do not reflect her employer or any affiliated organization. This discussion is for information only. It is not legal advice and is not an official statement.

In this episode of Studying Law Around the World, I sit down with Rumyana Davidson, a Strategic Advisor and former Chief Legal Officer specializing in the global mining, metallurgy, and energy sectors. With over 15 years of experience executing billion-dollar joint ventures across the GCC, Africa, and Central Asia, Rumyana shares the unspoken rules of international market entry and cross-border deal execution.

We explore why relying purely on Western transactional logic can kill a deal in relationship-driven markets, the strategic advantage of taking off the "lawyer hat" during high-stakes negotiations, and why the global mining sector is currently facing a massive talent gap that young professionals must step up to fill.

With the massive PDAC 2026 conference approaching, Rumyana also provides actionable advice on how early-career lawyers can build a genuine, global network instead of just standing in the corner at industry events.

This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Gregory Radisic, a Canadian lawyer, PhD candidate at Bond University (Australia), and a teaching fellow at the Center for Space, Cyberspace and Data Law.

Gregory’s legal practice exists quite literally out of this world. After starting his career in corporate law and national security, he found his way to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency. Today, he works with international organizations to solve the legal problems of the aerospace industry, from satellite regulation to protecting the first footprints on the moon.

We discuss why the space industry is more optimistic than terrestrial national security, the impending legal battle over "Dark Skies," and how a 1960s treaty system is struggling to keep up with modern billionaire space races.

This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Chandler Lauzon, the Chief Growth Officer at Cassels.

Chandler refers to himself as a "recovering lawyer," having practiced law at a national firm and as in-house counsel before pivoting to the business side of the profession over 20 years ago. Today, he leads the business development, marketing, and communications functions at one of Canada's leading law firms.

We discuss the reality of law firm politics, why "sales" shouldn't be a dirty word, and the three pillars of growth: Accountability, Strategy, and Execution. Chandler also shares his advice for young lawyers who feel that "gnawing feeling" that traditional practice might not be for them.

Patricia Gannon built the largest law firm in the Balkans, growing it to over 200 lawyers across 8 markets. Then, she pivoted to launch a legal tech startup. In this episode, I sit down with the Founder & CEO of Platforum9 to discuss why she believes in "human-first" communication in the age of AI.

We cover:

• The "Tom" Test: Why many law students fail the 3-minute elevator pitch and how to fix it.

• Human vs. AI: Why technology should amplify human connection, not replace it.

• Forgive Yourself: Patricia’s advice on why lawyers need to stop striving for machine-like perfection and protect their energy.

This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Bindu Cudjoe, a legal executive who has held nearly every C-Suite title imaginable, General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Inclusion Officer.

With over 25 years of experience at major institutions like Laurentian Bank, BMO, and Canadian Western Bank, Bindu’s career path has been anything but linear. We discuss how "restlessness" can be a career superpower, the psychology behind why we fear the change we don't choose, and why leadership has nothing to do with your job title.

Hasan Mandviwalla spent 11 years in the UK legal system before returning to Pakistan to practice in a jurisdiction where enforcement is a daily challenge. In this episode, I sit down with Hasan (Partner at Mandviwalla & Zafar) to discuss why "adaptability" is the most important skill for a modern lawyer and why longevity is the only real metric of success. He shares his golden rule for career growth, "Always do instead of don't", and explains why waiting until you are ten years into your career to start networking is a mistake you can't afford to make.