‘War’: Rival law firms Cathcarts and Sons and Taylor and Byrne, explained

At first glance, legal drama War is focused on the imploding marriage of actor Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech mogul Morgan Henderson (Dominic West). But really, it’s just as focused on the lawyers handling their divorce.

War introduces two fictional rival law firms: Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne. The former represents Morgan, while the latter represents Carla. Both firms come with an army of partners, each with their own agendas. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially in the show’s jam-packed first episode. But don’t worry: We’ve got you covered with this guide to everything Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne.

Who works at Cathcarts & Sons?

Cathcarts & Sons, mostly referred to as Cathcarts in War, is a true London institution. A storied past and deep pockets have helped it carve out a powerful space for itself in the legal world, and its partners are ready to put all that power to use in Morgan and Carla’s divorce.

Heading up the charge are partners St. John Smallwood (Pip Torrens) and Beatrice Ubosi (Nina Sosanya). The former’s caustic wit burns almost any opponent he cross paths with, while the latter’s intimidating influence has earned her the nicknames of “Queen Bea” and “Her Majesty.” More junior members of the firm involved in the case are David Schill (Miles Jupp) and Suzie Levitniik (Kartanya Maynard).

Who works at Taylor & Byrne?

Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, and Sienna Miller in “War.”
Credit: Sally Mais / Sky / HBO

Taylor & Byrne is a far newer firm than Cathcarts, founded by married couple Nicholas Taylor (James McArdle) and Serena Byrne (Phoebe Fox). The pair is expecting a child, and they’re hungry to make a true name for themselves. Carla’s case could be the one that rockets them to legal stardom, or it could tank them financially. Those sleek offices cannot be cheap!

Adding to the pressure of the case is the fact that Serena used to work with Beatrice at Cathcarts, so she’s got an extra chip on her shoulder when it comes to going up against them.

Nicholas and Serena aren’t in this alone. Like the Cathcarts team, they’ve got several associates working with them, including Michael Stefano (Nick Mohammed) and Nora Okafor (Akiya Henry), both of whom are only briefly introduced in episode 1. Other key members of the team are barrister Budgie (Celia Imrie) and training associates Saeed Masood (Shaheen Jafargholi) and Molly Giordano (Emma Laird).

The newest addition to the team is junior associate Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux). However, as the end of episode 1 reveals, he doesn’t really work for Taylor & Byrne. Instead, he’s a mole for Cathcarts, hired to send them any information about Carla’s case. It’s a dangerous move by a clearly bloodthirsty firm. Will Taylor & Byrne try to match Cathcarts’ level of ruthlessness? Or will they attempt to keep as much of a moral high ground as they can in the midst of a dirty divorce?

New episodes of War premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.