Spotlight On: Scott Brandman, Managing Partner, Miami & New York, Baker McKenzie
April 2025 — Scott Brandman, managing partner of Baker McKenzie’s Miami and New York offices, spoke to Invest: about the importance of staying ahead of economic and geopolitical issues, carefully and strategically integrating AI into their practices. He also explained how diversity, equity, and inclusion is a priority for the firm, and why they’re optimistic about the future of the Miami market.
What are some of the significant achievements for Baker McKenzie over the past year?
It’s been a great year for us. We have added numerous high-profile partners throughout North America and globally. This includes top M&A/private equity, IPtech, tax and trade lawyers on the West and East Coasts, as well as in Houston and Chicago.
Our transactional strategy is central to the Firm, so making sure that we are continuing to pursue that in key markets is important. But this means we are not just developing and recruiting talented M&A/private equity lawyers. It also means we are developing and recruiting the very best transactional resources in other key areas, including tax, antitrust, data and cyber, employment and trade. We’re proud of how we’re able to work with our clients on a global basis across the entire deal life cycle, especially as geopolitical issues continue to impact their business.
On the innovation side, we’re excited about the work we’ve been doing with AI and other cutting edge technologies. Our AI capability extends beyond the confines of our legal advisory practice, which is itself market-leading and benefits from our unique global footprint and industry knowledge. In particular, we can build AI-powered services/productivity tools for our clients thanks to our BakerML (machine learning) team. This is a rare offering among law firms and we’re pleased to be a market leader.
Pro bono efforts remain a priority for the firm, as well. The firm has been recognized for work undertaken through our Justice In Action initiative, which leverages a digital collaboration platform to bring lawyers from all over the world together for one session — or “sprint” — a short set of hours where volunteers work together to make a difference on pro bono projects, virtually, just as they might during a live clinic. This initiative has brought more than 3,000 volunteers across the globe together to participate in impactful projects relating to racism, mental health, justice crossing borders, and child welfare.
How are you advising your clients through changes in both the local and global business landscape?
This is where we excel. We are truly a global firm, and unlike other firms that may have a global presence, we also maintain a powerful local presence. One of the key things for us is being out in front of issues at the local level, and being able to advise our clients appropriately. On the global side, we have wide-ranging practice areas across diverse geographic regions. We are able to show our clients the trends we are seeing in different foreign jurisdictions and how those trends may impact them. Our teams are constantly in communication, working beyond borders and partnering with our clients to get ahead of these issues.
How does Baker McKenzie stay competitive and at the forefront of technology and innovation?
We’ve had an innovation and technology group in place for many years, well before the advent of ChatGPT and similar technologies. It’s been something I’ve been working on internally, as well as with our clients. We don’t know exactly where this technology is going, but we know it’s here to stay, and we think it will change the practice for the better. We’ve been working with our clients on different strategies using AI, and leveraging data to help us be more efficient and adapt quickly for our clients. We see that continuing to advance. Even though AI technology may often seem intimidating, I think it’s an exciting time in the legal profession as it continues to grow.
How do you balance the uncertain future of AI with its potential as a business tool?
Law firms must be cautious about how we use it and how we roll it out, especially concerning governance, privacy issues, and confidentiality. Monitoring those issues comes first and foremost. But we also don’t want to limit ourselves. So it’s important to do it in a strategic way to maximize that potential while protecting our clients.
How is the current economic climate impacting your clients and shaping your strategies?
We work with clients in a variety of industries, and economic issues affect those industries differently. In the United States, we’ve just had an election and will see change in our government. New tariffs could have a significant impact on our clients. In some of the foreign jurisdictions we work in, we’ve seen an increase in sanctions, which has become a very big issue. Supply chains are also an ongoing issue. We’re working with companies to help them stay in front of economic issues and adapt to them, regardless of which way economic winds turn. This is a key offering for Baker McKenzie with our unmatched global view and local perspective.
How is Baker McKenzie responding to increasing regulatory pressures?
Outside the U.S., sanctions are probably first and foremost on a lot of our clients’ minds across multiple jurisdictions. Inside the U.S., concerning the impact of the changing government on the regulatory framework, there’s a possibility we could see an increase in activity in the mergers and acquisitions market.
How is Baker McKenzie leveraging diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives?
Having a rich and diverse pipeline as well as an inclusive and equitable workplace culture is a value at Baker McKenzie which we take seriously. We have a number of initiatives that focus on lifting up members of underrepresented groups, to help them grow and advance at the Firm. It’s the best way we can represent clients with diverse populations and viewpoints. I am personally involved in many programs as a mentor. It’s probably the time I enjoy the most by working on those matters. The bottom line is that Baker McKenzie is fully committed to fostering an inclusive workplace.
What do you see as the top priorities for Baker McKenzie over the next couple of years?
We have strong momentum and are going to continue on the path we are on. We plan to be there for our clients as they continue to expand globally into new jurisdictions. We will continue to sustain and execute our transactional strategy. That’s what is core to our business: helping our clients in all aspects of transactional work.
How do you envision Miami over the next decade, and what role does Baker McKenzie have in making that vision into reality?
We’re proud to announce that we celebrated our 40th anniversary in Miami in 2024. We’re one of the oldest large firms in the city and are kicking off 2025 with our move into a new building in Brickell with several other firms and companies. We anticipate an immediate growth over the next two years in legal talent that’s coming into the Miami market. There’s been a tremendous economic boom in Miami, as companies have moved headquarters into the city and throughout Florida. We see the opening of this new building in Brickell as our next chapter in the Miami market. We’re excited to see the growth that is going to take off in the next five to ten years.
Is there anything else you’d like to add or expand on?
We’re excited about where technology is taking us. We’re looking forward to the future of the Miami market, as well as in New York, the U.S., and globally. Despite the geopolitical and economic issues that persist, we are optimistic in helping our clients navigate those challenges as they evolve.
For more information, visit:
https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/
