Pulse UK

  • October 15, 2026

    Legal Tech Partnership To Combine Research AI, Contract AI

    Legal technology companies Legora and Sirion said they have partnered to combine their artificial intelligence offerings so that lawyers can have smoother access to contract workflows and "authoritative legal insight."

  • October 15, 2026

    AI Startup Olix Hires Fremantle Legal Chief As CLO

    British artificial intelligence startup Olix has hired Matthew Wilson from global entertainment group Fremantle as its chief legal officer.

  • October 15, 2026

    UK Legal Industry Revenue Dips 12% In August

    Revenue for the U.K. legal industry fell 12% in August from the month before, reflecting the impact of the summer holiday period and broader economic headwinds, official statistics published Thursday showed.

  • October 15, 2026

    Legal Aid Breach Could Have Exposed Decades Of Data

    The Ministry of Justice acknowledged on Thursday that a cyberattack on the Legal Aid Agency was "concerning" for those affected, after the government body revealed that hackers could have stolen decades-worth of sensitive personal data from its IT systems.

  • October 15, 2026

    Axiom Ince's Ex-CFO Denies Destroying Docs In SFO Probe

    Axiom Ince's former chief financial officer denied on Thursday a new charge brought by the Serious Fraud Office as it investigates the shuttered law firm, which collapsed with a hole of more than £60 million ($80 million) in its client accounts.

  • October 15, 2026

    Centrefield Secures PE Backing For US, European Growth

    Centrefield LLP said Thursday that it has entered into a "strategic investment partnership" with a U.K. private equity firm to accelerate investment in technology and fund expansion on both sides of the Atlantic. 

  • October 14, 2026

    UK Lawyers' AI Use Outpacing Governance, Survey Finds

    U.K. lawyers may be using artificial intelligence tools without clear arrangements to ensure responsible use, exposing organizations to risks including data misuse and reputational damage, according to an industry report published Wednesday.

  • October 14, 2026

    Stephenson Harwood Taps CEO Amid Taylor Wessing Talks

    Stephenson Harwood LLP said Wednesday it has appointed its global head of banking and finance as its next chief executive, as the firm explores a possible merger with Taylor Wessing LLP.

  • October 14, 2026

    Property Firms Build Regional Teams Amid Talent Crunch

    Britain's regional cities are becoming growth hubs for law firms' real estate teams rather than merely lower-cost delivery centers as they compete for scarce senior talent to capture a revived pipeline of construction, development and property-finance work.

  • October 14, 2026

    Schillings, Clare Locke Launch US Intelligence Venture

    Schillings said Wednesday that it has joined forces with U.S. law firm Clare Locke to launch a strategic intelligence business for high-profile clients, marking the latest step in the London firm's international expansion.

  • October 14, 2026

    BHS Lawyer Rejects Claim He Acted As Shadow Director

    A City lawyer denied on Wednesday that he was a shadow director at British Home Stores prior to its collapse, insisting at a London court that his only role was to "advise and assist."

  • October 14, 2026

    Barrister Disbarred After Legal Aid Fraud Conviction

    A disciplinary tribunal has disbarred a barrister and former part-time judge for professional misconduct after he was convicted of defrauding a public legal aid fund out of £1.8 million ($2.4 million).

  • October 14, 2026

    SRA Names New Chair Amid Scrutiny Of Law Firm Failures

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Wednesday that it has appointed the chair of the body that oversees regulation of healthcare professionals to lead its board as it seeks to restore confidence in its work among lawyers and consumers.

  • October 21, 2026

    HSF Kramer Hires Property Team From K&L Gates In Milan

    HSF Kramer has hired a seven-person legal team from K&L Gates to launch a real estate practice at its office in Milan, as it continues to build a full-service operation at the Italian base.

  • October 13, 2026

    Financialright Seeks To Revive Burford Arbitration Fight

    German entity Financialright Claims GmbH has urged a Delaware federal judge to reopen its lawsuit against a Burford Capital affiliate over an allegedly fraudulent arbitration agreement, arguing that an arbitral tribunal has now determined that the court has the authority to decide the dispute.

  • October 13, 2026

    UK Gov't Backs Bulk Of Proposed Criminal Court Reforms

    The U.K. government has reaffirmed its commitment to increasing the size of the magistracy by 50% and lifting the cap on Crown Court sitting days as it embraced the overwhelming majority of recommendations from an independent review to tackle backlogs and other problems in the criminal court system.

  • October 13, 2026

    Clifford Chance Breaks Up With Singapore Ally After 14 Years

    Clifford Chance said Tuesday that its formal alliance with Singapore-based Cavenagh Law has ended after 14 years, with both firms deciding it was the right time to go their separate ways and focus on their strategic priorities. 

  • October 13, 2026

    BonelliErede Opens New Headquarters In Milan

    Italian law firm BonelliErede has opened its new headquarters in Milan, bringing all its lawyers in the city under one roof after it had previously maintained three separate locations there.

  • October 13, 2026

    Law Society Blocks Small Firms' SRA No-Confidence Push

    A group representing small and midsized law firms will not be allowed to propose a vote of no confidence in the Solicitors Regulation Authority board as it seeks to increase pressure over regulatory failures by the watchdog and a perceived lack of accountability.

  • October 12, 2026

    PGMBM Plans To Rebrand Again To Cut Ties With Founders

    PGMBM plans to rebrand itself again as it seeks to "completely" distance itself from the Pogust Goodhead name after both its founders threatened legal action if the firm continued using their names, its chief executive said Monday. 

  • October 12, 2026

    AI Must Not Determine Outcome Of Cases, Judges Told

    Justice Colin Birss has warned judges in England and Wales that they must not allow artificial intelligence to replace their own decision-making.

  • October 12, 2026

    Harbottle Launches White-Collar Practice With Ex-FCA Lawyer

    Harbottle & Lewis LLP said Monday that it has launched a white-collar and corporate crime practice by hiring an Eversheds Sutherland partner who was also a Financial Conduct Authority prosecutor.

  • October 12, 2026

    Law Society, LawCare Launch Solicitor Wellbeing Alliance

    The Law Society said Monday that it has partnered with LawCare and other legal charities to improve access to wellbeing support, after research found half of legal professionals surveyed had experienced anxiety.

  • October 12, 2026

    Pogust Wins Fight To Keep Control Of £36B Brazil Dam Case

    Pogust Goodhead defeated Monday an attempt to replace it in £36 billion ($47.6 billion) litigation against BHP with a rival firm led by its former partners, after the High Court ruled that a committee representing Brazilian dam disaster claimants lacked authority to do so.

  • October 12, 2026

    A&O Shearman Relocates 1,800 Staff To New London Office

    Allen Overy Shearman Sterling said Monday that it has begun moving more than 1,800 lawyers and business services staff based at its London office to new premises, with the relocation expected to be completed by the end of October.

Expert Analysis

  • PE's Path In UK Legal Market Offers Playbook For US Firms

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    The U.K. offers 14 years' worth of data on private equity's involvement in the legal market, demonstrating for U.S. firms what worked, what didn’t and why, and illustrating several lessons about operational readiness, cultural fit and timing, says Tom Lenfestey at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Lack Of Associate Pay Progression May Leave Firms Exposed

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    Willkie’s recent salary increases for newly qualified lawyers in London made headline news, but the more important issue is how firms pay midlevel associates, since allowing pay progression to lag materially risks undermining the cohort firms rely on to sustain client relationships and train the next generation, says Adam Stocker at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Wedlake Bell's Adam Grant

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    Adam Grant, head of employment at Wedlake Bell, discusses the challenges of persuading a business to offer employees greater support when it makes large-scale redundancies, the need for new guidance on returning data subject access requests to their intended purpose, and how economic uncertainty with less job security may lead to more office presence.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Willkie's Gavin Gordon

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    Willkie's chair of European private equity, Gavin Gordon, discusses the challenges of conducting a merger across differing time zones and in a complex regulatory environment, how clients are frustrated by the growing impact of antitrust filings, and why there is a mismatch on valuation expectation between buyers and sellers.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From CRS' Dewdney Drew

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    Dewdney Drew, head of brand protection at Charles Russell Speechlys, discusses the challenges of working on a firm's rebrand under time pressure, how the process to simplify U.K. design protection is under way, and why lawyers need to harness the power of artificial intelligence.

  • What UK, EU Law Firms Can Do To Rectify Gender Inequality

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    The latest figures show that elite international law firms remain among the weakest performers on gender equality in the legal industry, demonstrating that equity is no longer external to the practice of law, and sits within the core responsibilities of those who steward trust in courts and governments, says Govindi Deerasinghe at Global 50/50.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Jones Day's Vica Irani

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    Vica Irani, co-leader of Jones Day's corporate practice, discusses the challenges of assisting a multinational client with divesting its Russian operations at the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, why greater harmonization across borders would be beneficial, and the increase in regulatory scrutiny for deals in terms of antitrust and foreign direct investment screening.

  • Why SRA Is Cracking Down On 'No Win, No Fee' Law Firms

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    Harriet Gamper at the Solicitors Regulation Authority discusses the regulator’s recent warning notice concerning "no win, no fee" arrangements in high-volume consumer claims, aimed at offering lawyers clarity in understanding their obligations following findings that many law firms were failing in their duty to protect clients' best interests.

  • Why UK Criminal Court Changes Need To Be Systemic

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    The proposals in the second part of Brian Leveson's long-anticipated independent review of criminal courts, aimed at easing pressure on the criminal justice system and restoring public confidence, are broadly welcomed, but without structural change and sustained funding, they risk becoming little more than temporary fixes, says Vicky Lankester at Brett Wilson.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Stewarts' Aaron Le Marquer

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    Aaron Le Marquer, Stewarts' head of insurance, discusses the challenges of conducting defamation proceedings in Thailand, why the minimal impact of the Insurance Act 2015 is disappointing, and how working in diverse environments provides a more holistic understanding of the way insurance works.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Skadden's Deborah Kirk

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    Deborah Kirk, Skadden's head of intellectual property and technology, discusses the challenges of cross-disciplinary collaboration on a transaction, how the proliferation of artificial intelligence is forcing clients to rethink their IP and data strategies, and why flexibility, curiosity and dynamism are key as a lawyer.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Stewarts' Joseph Lappin

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    Joseph Lappin, head of employment at Stewarts, discusses the challenges of representing barristers with very high IQs, how the employment tribunal system is crying out for proper investment, and the Financial Conduct Authority's inconsistent approach to nonfinancial misconduct.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Jones Day's Anna Cartwright

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    Anna Cartwright, co-head of Jones Day's real estate practice, discusses the challenges of working on a transaction requiring regulatory expertise from multiple regions, why new regulatory complexities in the real assets sector can introduce risks for clients, and how the convergence of real estate and infrastructure is playing out in asset managers' investment decisions.

  • 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.

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