Pulse UK

  • March 18, 2024

    5 Women Attys Named Influential Legal Tech Leaders

    Leaders from Crowell & Moring LLP, Gilbert & Tobin and Gowling WLG were among the five honored Monday by the International Legal Technology Association as part of its 2024 list of Influential Women in Legal Technology.

  • March 18, 2024

    Shearman's Chief In Europe And The Middle East To Retire

    Shearman & Sterling LLP's regional managing partner in Europe and the Middle East is set to retire as its merger with Allen & Overy LLP edges closer to completion, the firm said Monday.

  • March 18, 2024

    Barrister Before Tribunal For Allegedly Dodging Practice Ban

    An English legal regulator told a tribunal on Monday that a suspended barrister had continued to practice under the pretense of being a "solicitor's agent" in order to sidestep a ban for sending hostile emails and making false statements to a judge.

  • March 18, 2024

    Prison Sentence Persuades Ex-Solicitor To Pay FCA's Order

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday that money launderer and ex-solicitor Dale Walker has paid a final sum of £33,500 ($42,600) required under a confiscation order, persuaded by a 62-day prison sentence for failure to pay.

  • March 18, 2024

    BCLP Axes 50 Jobs In US, UK Amid Headcount Declines

    Following years of declining lawyer headcount, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has confirmed that it is conducting a restructuring that will impact approximately 50 jobs in the U.S. and U.K., marking the second round of layoffs the firm has conducted in the past year.

  • March 18, 2024

    Ex-LC&F Chief's Legal Team Seeks Payment Upfront For Trial

    The £237 million ($300 million) London Capital & Finance investment trial was adjourned on Monday as the company chief's former legal team refused to come back unless they were paid upfront.

  • March 18, 2024

    SRA Fines Law Firm For Falling Short On AML Compliance

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said on Monday that it has fined a law firm £4,293 ($5,460) after an investigation revealed that it had failed to adequately shield itself from the risk that it would be used by clients to launder money.

  • March 18, 2024

    Serving Claims To HMRC By Email Made Permanent

    Claimants pursuing legal action against the U.K. tax authority in England and Wales will continue to be able to serve documents by email, HM Revenue and Customs said Monday, making the process it introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent.

  • March 18, 2024

    Lawyers Can Recover Costs From Injury Rehab Meetings

    Lawyers acting for a personal injury victim can recover the costs of attending rehabilitation meetings, the Court of Appeal has ruled, but justices warned that solicitors should not expect to be paid for every routine appointment.

  • March 15, 2024

    Magistrate Removed From Office For Failing To Attend Court

    A London judge has been removed from office for failing to meet his required sitting time for the past five years, a spokesperson for England's judicial misconduct office said Friday.

  • March 15, 2024

    As BCLP Bleeds Attys, Leaders Say Firm Is 'Turning A Corner'

    Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has seen several high-profile partner departures in recent months, including multiple department and firm leaders. Despite hiring 206 lawyers globally since the start of 2023, the law firm's headcount contracted 6%, with former partners pointing to "balance sheet issues" and sluggish profitability as drivers.

  • March 15, 2024

    Solicitor Struck Off For Running Firm Without Insurance

    A solicitor has been struck off after a London legal professional tribunal ruled that he had failed to have professional indemnity insurance, then gave regulators misleading information when they investigated, according to a judgment published Friday.

  • March 15, 2024

    Pallas Partners Hires Litigation Pro From Linklaters In London

    Pallas Partners LLP has recruited a litigation partner from Linklaters LLP to its London office in a boost to its offerings across commercial, finance and competition disputes, the boutique firm said Friday.

  • March 15, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen Howard Kennedy face legal action by a London hotel chain, former racing boss Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One hit with a breach of contract claim by a Brazilian racecar driver, and a libel row between broadcaster Jeremy Vine and ex-footballer Joey Barton. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 15, 2024

    Private Wealth NQ Banned Over Faking Time Records

    A London tribunal has banned a private wealth specialist from the profession, after it found that the newly qualified solicitor had created misleading records to indicate that he spent more time working on client files than he actually did.

  • March 15, 2024

    Powell Gilbert Pros Warn Of Big Changes In IP Litigation

    The life sciences sector should brace itself for change as transformative technology creates new disputes, the sector adjusts to the Unified Patent Court and EU proposals to overhaul standard essential patent licensing could cause upheaval, three partners tell Law360.

  • March 15, 2024

    What GCs Want To See From Firms' New AI Practices

    As artificial intelligence practice groups pop up in law firms around the country, what do general counsel want from their external lawyers when it comes to this burgeoning technology?

  • March 15, 2024

    Charles Russell Speechlys Hires Ex-Burges Salmon Funds Pro

    Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has recruited a former head of private investment funds at Burges Salmon LLP in a bid to build out its profile in the market.

  • March 14, 2024

    Irwin Mitchell Denies Losing Club Boss £1.8M In House Sale

    Irwin Mitchell has denied owing a bankrupt former nightclub boss £1.8 million ($2.3 million) for giving him incomplete advice on the sale of his home, claiming he still would have gone ahead with the transaction anyway.

  • March 14, 2024

    LSE Professor's Court Access Restricted After Meritless Claim

    A London court has barred a former London School of Economics professor from bringing any more claims for three years, ruling that there was a real risk he would keep litigating despite losing his latest case against dozens of barristers.

  • March 14, 2024

    Stephenson Harwood To Keep 79% Of Trainees In March

    Stephenson Harwood LLP has retained nearly 80% of its spring intake of trainee solicitors as it replenishes its bench of junior talent across the business in London.

  • March 14, 2024

    Burford Capital Sees Revenues Leap In 'Extraordinary Year'

    Burford Capital announced Thursday that revenues in its standalone business had almost quadrupled in 2023 to nearly $1 billion as it saw high volumes of cases reach a conclusion in the aftermath of the pandemic.

  • March 14, 2024

    Rosenblatt Faces Wasted Costs Bid In Nigeria Oil Spill Case

    Rosenblatt faces costs proceedings brought by Shell after a London judge ruled Thursday that the firm did not have authority to act on behalf of the majority of claimants in a case over an 2011 oil spill off the coast of Nigeria.

  • March 14, 2024

    Aid Charity Fired Lockdown 'Shisha Cave' Whistleblower

    A humanitarian charity made an employee redundant in retaliation for her blowing the whistle about colleagues smoking and potentially taking illegal drugs in its offices during a COVID-19 lockdown, a U.K. employment tribunal has ruled.

  • March 14, 2024

    The 2024 UK Lawyer Satisfaction Survey

    Work-life balance has gotten worse for more than a third of the 279 lawyers surveyed, and less than half are able to manage all the daily tasks required of them more than some of the time. Respondents were more positive about salaries, billable hours, opportunities for advancement and return-to-work policies at their firms.

Expert Analysis

  • Risks The Judiciary Needs To Be Aware Of When Using AI

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    Recently published judiciary service guidance aims to temper reliance on AI by court staff in their work, and with ever-increasing and evolving technology, such tools should be used for supplementary assistance rather than as a replacement for already existing judicial research tools, says Philip Sewell at Shepherd & Wedderburn.

  • Prompt Engineering Skills Are Changing The Legal Profession

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    With a focus on higher-value work as repetitive tasks are delegated to artificial intelligence, legal roles are set to become more inspiring, and lawyers need not fear the rising demand for prompt engineers that is altering the technology-enabled legal environment, say Eric Crawley, Shah Karim and Paul O’Hagan at Epiq Legal.

  • 4 Legal Privilege Lessons From Dechert Disclosure Ruling

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    The Court of Appeal's recent decision in Al Sadeq v. Dechert LLP, finding that evidence may have been incorrectly withheld, provides welcome clarification of the scope of legal professional privilege, including the application of the iniquity exception, says Tim Knight at Travers Smith.

  • PR Perspectives: Don't Overstate Well-Being Or Enviro Efforts

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    Law firms should look to embrace a strong arsenal of sustainability and well-being initiatives before beginning to publicize their commitment to green and mental health efforts, or they can face the risk of making false claims, says Steve Rudaini at SJR Communications.

  • Record Level Of Partner Hires Shows No Sign Of Slowing

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    With indications that law firm hiring activity is increasing, the competitive market is causing candidates to evaluate potential employers more carefully, and large numbers of partners are migrating away from Silver Circle and West End firms in pursuit of closer parity in work and pay, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • PR Perspectives: Choosing How To Communicate For Impact

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    Successful legal public relations involves developing productive working relationships, and choosing which medium to use when communicating is important, since it will reflect the level of familiarity with the lawyer or journalist as well as the message, says Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn.

  • Talent Acquisition Is Shifting As US Firms Permeate London

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    U.S. law firms’ continued growth in London and aggressive talent acquisition strategies are reshaping how lawyers are attracted, nurtured and retained, and success in this evolving environment lies in understanding and adapting to changing priorities and values, says Nathan Peart at Major Lindsey.

  • More Remains To Be Done To Achieve Gender Parity In Law

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    Significant strides have been made over the years to improve gender diversity in the legal profession, but the pay gap, lack of workplace flexibility and uneven child care burden remain significant challenges to progress, says Caroline Green at Browne Jacobson.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

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    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • Legal Industry Can Help Steer UK Out Of Social Mobility Crisis

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    The legal industry has a responsibility to help mitigate the U.K. social mobility crisis highlighted by the recent State of the Nation report, and it can start to increase socioeconomic diversity in its ranks by focusing on reducing the educational barriers to entering the profession, says Jo-Anne Pugh at BPP University Law School.

  • 2024 Will Be A Busy Year For Generative AI And IP Issues

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    In light of increased litigation and policy proposals on balancing intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence innovation, 2024 is shaping up to be full of fast-moving developments that will have significant implications for AI tool developers, users of such tools and rights holders, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

  • How Businesses Can Prepare For Cyber Resilience In 2024

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    With cybersecurity breaches one of the biggest threats to U.K. businesses and as legislation tightens, organizations should prioritize their external security measures in 2024 and mitigate risks by being well-informed on internal data protection procedures, says Kevin Modiri at Nelsons.

  • PR Perspectives: Taking Stock Of 2023, Preparing For 2024

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    As law firms and PR teams review their 2023 external communications output, it is a good moment to consider how to maintain a perfect profile in order to enhance, protect and advance a firm's reputation for the coming year, says Louise Beeson at Bell Yard Communications.

  • PR Perspectives: How To Communicate A Law Firm Merger

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    Recent data shows a significant increase in law firm mergers and acquisitions in the U.K., and to ensure the deal goes without a hitch, both internal and external communications need to be carefully planned so that appropriate messaging aligns with the objectives of the deal, says Belinda Lewis at Birketts.

  • Why Law Firms Should Heed Calls To Put ESG Over Profit

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    According to Deloitte’s recent survey, the majority of Gen Z and millennials remain unimpressed with businesses’ societal impact, and junior lawyers in particular are increasingly expecting the legal profession to shift to a business model that prioritizes sustainability above profitability, says Dana Denis-Smith at Obelisk Support.

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