Lawyers Retreat Signals Shift in Legal Leadership

The second consecutive sold‑out edition of The Lawyers Retreat™ has highlighted a growing appetite among senior legal leaders for deeper, more reflective leadership environments and signalled that they are actively rethinking how they lead.

As pressures around AI, regulation, talent, and burnout intensify, partners and founders are turning away from traditional conferences and seeking deeper, more reflective leadership environments. This year’s Retreat shows that the desire for meaningful change is accelerating across the profession.

More than 50 legal sector leaders attended this year’s four‑day Retreat in May, overlooking Es Vedrà in Cala Carbó, Ibiza. Attendees represented boutique firms, chambers, Top 100 law firms, and legal sector businesses operating across the UK and internationally.

Delegates included I. Stephanie Boyce CBE, former President of The Law Society of England and Wales; Dr Trevor D. Sterling (Hon.causa), Senior Partner at Moore Barlow LLP; and Emma Gray, Joint Managing Partner at Blackadders LLP, alongside founders, barristers, legal technologists, and specialist advisers.

Created by Kirsty Pappin, founder of Aries Legal Practice Management, and Kate Burt, solicitor and founder of HiveRisk, the Retreat began as a simple idea between two business owners seeking space to think. It has since evolved into one of the most distinctive leadership gatherings in the legal calendar, intentionally designed as an alternative to traditional conferences, prioritising strategic thinking, candid conversation, and time away from operational pressures.

Organisers say the model is resonating strongly as leaders navigate unprecedented levels of change across the profession

Co‑founder Kate Burt, founder of HiveRisk, said:

“The legal sector has no shortage of conferences, but many leaders are craving something fundamentally different: honest conversations, strategic thinking space, and genuine connection. Seeing leaders of this calibre openly engage in conversations about growth, pressure, leadership, and the future of legal practice reinforced that this is responding to a real need within the profession.”

Co‑founder Kirsty Pappin, founder of Aries Legal Practice Management, added:

“We’ve worked hard to protect what makes this different. This isn’t about passive attendance or surface‑level networking. The enormity of reactions this year shows just how much appetite there is for spaces where legal leaders can speak honestly about the realities of running firms and leading people. Community doesn’t just happen because people are in the same room.”

Attendees shared extensive reflections following the event. Sarah Dodd, founder of Tree Law, described the experience as an opportunity to step out of “survival mode”, noting that “leadership can feel surprisingly lonely” and that the Retreat created space to think more strategically about business, career, and life. Oscar Davies, barrister at Garden Court Chambers, highlighted the value of cross‑pollination with other industries, citing discussions around mental health, innovation, and difficult workplace conversations as among the most impactful. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE reflected that “good leadership, sound judgement and sustainable success all require space to think, reflect and recover”, emphasising the importance of pausing in a profession where “the world demands so much from us.” Adam Hall, Head of Partnerships at ReviewSolicitors, described the Retreat as “a unique legal event that you truly have to experience to understand the benefits.”

With planning already underway for 2027, organisers have confirmed that next year’s edition will take place in Spring 2027 at a new location chosen to keep the experience fresh, creatively energising, and even more ambitious in scope. While the programme will evolve, the Retreat will remain deliberately limited in size to protect the intimacy and candour that define its impact.