This is the first episode of "Cross-examining AI", HSF Kramer's podcast series on disputes & AI where we unpack the key developments in AI that are shaping litigation today. In this episode we discuss the Civil Justice Council’s interim report and consultation on the use of AI in preparing court documents and give an overview of the first cases to consider the impact of AI on privilege. This episode is hosted by Martin Hevey, a senior associate in our disputes team, who is joined by Emma Deas, a financial services litigation partner, and Charlotte Benton, a senior associate in our disputes team.

Below you can find links to our blog posts on the developments and cases covered in this podcast.

• Civil Justice Council publishes consultation on use of AI for preparing court documents
• New York court finds client chats with generative AI tool Claude are not privileged
• Upper Tribunal observes that uploading confidential documents into open-source AI tools waives client confidentiality and legal privilege
• Navigating legal privilege issues when using AI

A new season of Employment Espresso Pods will cover the extensive employment law reforms being made by the Employment Rights Act 2025. In this first of a two-parter on the April 2026 changes, Jenny Andrews and Sian McKinley, both Of Counsel, together with Knowledge Counsel Anna Henderson, discuss the changes to statutory sick pay, family leave and whistleblowing. Further changes are covered in Part 2, along with a list of key action-points for HR.

In this episode of our public M&A podcast series, we talk about share for share takeovers, or securities exchange offers.

We look at the issues that need to be considered in the context of these deals under:

• the new regime for offers of securities and prospectuses;
• the Takeover Code; and
• the UK Listing Rules.

We also discuss whether we are likely to see more offers with share consideration in light of the new prospectus regime that came into force in January this year.

Sustainability pressures in banking are intensifying — even as ESG faces global pushback.

In this episode, Heike Schmitz sits down with Ed Woolcock, Co‑Head of Energy Transition and Sustainability at Marsh Risk Consulting, to unpack why ESG‑related challenges continue to escalate across the banking sector.

Drawing on insights from the Global Bank Review 2025, they explore how modern banks are navigating an operating environment defined by persistent complexity. From geopolitical fragmentation to rapid technological change and evolving workforce expectations, financial institutions increasingly find themselves at the centre of conflicting demands.

A key theme of the discussion is how companies — and by extension, their banks — are being squeezed between diverging geopolitical priorities and mounting sustainability‑related risks. Ed and Heike examine the crucial role regulation may play in helping organisations manage these pressures, and why early recognition of sustainability‑driven risk trends is becoming a critical success factor for banks.

The episode also connects to a wider article series produced by colleagues globally, which outlines why sustainability has shifted from a compliance exercise to a strategic imperative for banking operations.

Read the full HSF Kramer article:
https://www.hsfkramer.com/insights/reports/2025/global-bank-review-2025/embedding-sustainability-into-banking-operations

Read the Marsh report here: Prepare for the Future of ISSB Sustainability Reporting | Marsh

Speakers: Heike Schmitz, Partner & Co Head of ESG EMEA at HSF Kramer
Ed Woolcock, Co-Head Energy Transition & Sustainability of Marsh Risk Consulting