Pulse UK

  • May 18, 2026

    City Lawyers Say SRA Can't Pass On Its Failings In Fee Hike

    The City of London Law Society pushed back on Monday against plans by the solicitors' watchdog to raise fees by almost 30%, arguing that the regulator is asking solicitors to bankroll reforms after its own failings.

  • May 18, 2026

    Employment Judge Reprimanded Over Drink-Driving Incident

    An employment judge has been reprimanded after he refused to provide a breath sample when police stopped him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.

  • May 18, 2026

    Orrick Hires 5-Lawyer Dechert Life Sciences Team In Paris

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP said Monday that it has hired a team of five lawyers from Dechert LLP in Paris to continue its international expansion in life sciences and healthcare technology.

  • May 18, 2026

    Womble Bond Beats Negligence Case Over £126M Deal

    Womble Bond Dickinson has beaten claims that it gave negligent advice which caused a £126 million ($169 million) apartment redevelopment deal to collapse, as a London court ruled on Monday that the firm's guidance was "reasonable and accurate."

  • May 18, 2026

    Moore Barlow Revenue Hits Record £45M Amid Knights Talks

    Moore Barlow reported record revenue of almost £45 million ($60 million) in its latest financial results on Monday, as talks continue over the firm's potential acquisition by Knights PLC.

  • May 18, 2026

    Treat Agentic AI With 'Absolute Caution,' BSB Guidance Warns

    The Bar Standards Board has become the first major legal services regulator in England and Wales to issue detailed guidance on lawyers' use of artificial intelligence, warning barristers on Monday to treat agentic AI systems as high risk and approach them with "absolute caution."

  • May 15, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 15, 2026

    AmTrust Gets OK To Fight Ruling Capping Sompo Claim

    AmTrust persuaded a court Friday to allow it to challenge a decision capping its bid to hold an insurer of two defunct law firms liable for £15 million ($20 million) paid out under a failed litigation funding system.

  • May 15, 2026

    Irwin Mitchell Wraps Up Volume Wills Biz In Private Client Shift

    Irwin Mitchell LLP said Friday that it is winding down its volume wills service to focus on more complex private client matters, with "a small number" of partners exiting the firm as part of a broader shift to higher-value legal work.

  • May 15, 2026

    Legal Tech Roundup: Legora, Docusign

    Several legal technology companies formed new partnerships across the industry this past week.

  • May 15, 2026

    SRA Records 58% Jump In Misconduct Reports In 2 Years

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Friday that it has recorded a 58% increase in misconduct reports over the last two years as it seeks higher fees to strengthen its capacity to regulate the profession and improve protection for consumers.

  • May 15, 2026

    Brandsmiths Client Hit With Costs Penalty Over SRA Threat

    A London court has ordered a discount retailer to pay indemnity costs, finding the company's solicitors Brandsmiths misused criminal contempt proceedings and threatened to report their opposition lawyers to the profession's regulator in an attempt to gain leverage in a trademark dispute.

  • May 15, 2026

    The Revolving Door: US Firms Push Ahead With London Hires 

    Over the past week, Vinson & Elkins hired Ashurst's energy M&A head, White & Case tapped a Baker McKenzie infrastructure partner after a string of exits, Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen hired a construction partner from Quinn Emanuel, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher added a second restructuring partner from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett this year.

  • May 15, 2026

    Ex-Chair Of Law Firm Group Fights £1.1M Guarantee Claim

    The former executive chair of the collapsed Metamorph Group of law firms has said he does not owe approximately £1.1 million ($1.5 million) to two insurers under personal guarantees, arguing that money he authorized for release to them discharged his obligations.

  • May 15, 2026

    Law Firm Keystone To Return £1.5M To Shareholders

    Keystone Law kicked off a £1.5 million ($2 million) program to repurchase shares from investors on Friday after reporting higher revenue and amid growth in the number of lawyers at the firm.

  • May 14, 2026

    Barrister Loses Bid To Overturn £15K Fine Tied To Tax Row

    A London court has maintained a £15,000 ($20,100) fine imposed on a barrister after he sent a barrage of emails accusing HMRC and a caseworker of colluding to sabotage his tax appeal, backing a disciplinary panel's findings of misconduct.

  • May 14, 2026

    Spurs Hires Lawyer From Sports Boutique Northridge

    Tottenham Hotspur FC has hired a new in-house lawyer from sports boutique Northridge who worked on the sale of Chelsea FC and the partnership between Spotify and FC Barcelona.

  • May 21, 2026

    Reed Smith Adds Ex-Pinsent Masons IP Pro In Munich

    Reed Smith LLP has recruited a former partner at Pinsent Masons LLP in Germany to add to its intellectual property and life sciences offering in Europe.

  • May 14, 2026

    BP Deputy General Counsel To Join Rio Tinto As CLO

    Mining business Rio Tinto said Thursday it has appointed BP's deputy general counsel as its new chief legal officer for governance and corporate affairs.

  • May 14, 2026

    Inside A Legal Team's Push To Cut Law Firm Bills With AI

    The legal department of the European-based private debt firm Park Square Capital slashed review times and outside spending costs for certain documents in early 2026 by turning to an artificial intelligence tool.

  • May 14, 2026

    Pogust Goodhead's Brazil Shipwreck Case Struck Out

    A judge struck out on Thursday a claim brought by Pogust Goodhead on behalf of approximately 18,000 Brazilians over pollution caused by a shipwreck, after the law firm's authority to bring the action was thrown into doubt.

  • May 14, 2026

    Freshfields Taps Private Capital Co-Head For New UK Chief

    Freshfields LLP appointed a new managing partner for the U.K. on Thursday, naming private capital partner Victoria Sigeti as successor to Mark Sansom.

  • May 14, 2026

    Legal Sector Revenue Hits Record £5.6B High In March

    The U.K. legal industry posted revenue of approximately £5.6 billion ($7.6 billion) in March, according to official statistics released Thursday, making it the highest-ever monthly figure the sector has recorded.

  • May 14, 2026

    Burness Paull Posts Record £100M Turnover On Growth Push

    Burness Paull said Thursday that it has posted record turnover of more than £100 million ($135 million) and that profit and partner profits have also hit new highs in the first 12 months of the Scottish law firm's three-year strategy for growth.

  • May 14, 2026

    Freeths Settles £5M Claim Over Advice On Soured Quarry Deal

    Freeths has reached a settlement in its £5 million ($6.8 million) negligence dispute with a litigation-funder at a London court, swerving claims that its advice caused the owner of a quarrying business to lose his company.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Kingsley Napley's Corinne Aldridge

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    Corinne Aldridge, head of employment at Kingsley Napley, discusses the challenges of leading a transaction requiring local employment law advice from multiple jurisdictions, how the perception of workplace conduct has changed dramatically in recent years, and why people skills and empathy are key in her field.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Birketts' Gavin Coull

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    Gavin Coull, head of insurance and reinsurance at Birketts, discusses litigating in the aftermath of the London Market Excess of Loss spiral, how reinsurance disputes have grown in scope in the last few years, and why understanding commercial drivers is just as important as learning the law.

  • Practice Leader Insights From McDermott's Aymen Mahmoud

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    Aymen Mahmoud, co-head of the London transactions practice at McDermott, discusses the challenges of navigating a complex cross-border financing in his first matter as partner, why regulators should resist the instinct to fix what is not broken, and how private capital continues to reshape the landscape.

  • Law Firms Must Offer More Than Perks To Retain Top Talent

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    Perks make headlines as law firms look for ways to draw in the best talent, but while they add value, they cannot replace competitive and transparent pay or the realistic career road map that form the fundamentals of a strong recruitment strategy and result in long-term engagement, says Adam Stocker at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From HSF Kramer's Samantha Brown

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    Samantha Brown, HSF Kramer's managing partner for employment, pensions and incentives for U.K. and Europe, the Middle East and Africa, discusses the challenges of managing a deal where many of the commercial aspects were new to the buyout market, why pension adequacy needs attention, and how new pensions legislation makes it an exciting time for schemes and their advisers.

  • How AI Can Support Dealmakers On Business Exits

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    Entrepreneurs are increasingly using artificial intelligence in their operations to model valuations or test market timing, and the same sophistication is expected from those advising them, so lawyers should use AI tools responsibly to reinforce their judgment and good advice, says Amen Alonge at Farrer.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Walkers' Neil McDonald

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    Neil McDonald, head of the corporate and M&A group at Walkers Global in London, discusses the challenges of conducting a multijurisdictional transaction with a pressing timeline, the need for regulation to keep pace with innovation, and why a willingness to go the extra mile to assist clients is so important.

  • Law Firms Can Turn Brand Threats Into Opportunities In 2026

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    If left unchecked, four megatrends — polarization, artificial intelligence, Gen Z and saturation — could threaten law firm growth or even long-term survival, but if well managed may be turned into opportunities to empower a brand, says Leor Franks at Kingsley Napley.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Addleshaw's Paul Medlicott

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    Paul Medlicott, head of private equity at Addleshaw Goddard, discusses the challenges of working on a deal involving five separate acquisitions in one day, why foreign direct investment legislation would benefit from refinement, and how the evolution of private equity has been positive for the industry.

  • Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails

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    The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Stephensons' Philip Richardson

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    Philip Richardson, head of employment law at Stephensons Solicitors, discusses the challenges of an emotionally charged case that put his client management skills to the test, whether the Employment Rights Bill strikes the right balance for employees, and how there still needs to be greater focus on quality control for artificial intelligence.

  • Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI

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    The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Kate Ball-Dodd

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    Kate Ball-Dodd, Mayer Brown's head of corporate and securities in London, discusses the challenges of selling a majority stake in Celtic Football Club to its fans, how current dividend rules are a complicated trap for the unwary, and why generative artificial intelligence tools will provide clients with the ability to digest more information in a cost-effective manner.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Addleshaw's Michael Leftley

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    Michael Leftley, head of employment at Addleshaw Goddard, discusses the challenges of combining novel legal issues with lawyers' expectations, why he believes the system for workplace conflict resolution is broken, and the importance of possessing a broad skill set that includes good emotional intelligence.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Squire Patton's Ranajoy Basu

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    Ranajoy Basu, global head of structured finance at Squire Patton, discusses the challenges of working on a transaction recognized by the G20 as a "game-changing financial innovation," the benefits of streamlining pretransaction due diligence, and why increased market activity in alternative asset securitizations is likely.

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