Pulse UK

  • June 27, 2025

    Justice Birss To Become High Court Chancellor

    Justice Colin Birss has been appointed to become the new chancellor of the High Court, putting an appeals court judge who specializes in intellectual property law in one of the most senior judicial roles in England and Wales.

  • June 27, 2025

    Incoming Law Society Leader Has Her Eye On Modernization

    When Dana Denis-Smith launched her campaign to become president of the Law Society of England and Wales, her message was clear: the legal profession has changed dramatically over the past two decades — and must keep evolving.

  • June 27, 2025

    The Revolving Door: White & Case Swipes Private Equity Duo

    Over the past week, White & Case continued its raid of Ropes & Gray's private equity team, an energy partner returned to Freeths, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton lost a corporate lawyer to Ashurst.

  • June 26, 2025

    Litigation Funding Faces $15B Gap Amid Regulatory Hurdles

    Litigation funding is falling far short of its estimated $15 billion market potential, as actual investment continues to lag amid regulatory uncertainty and limited transparency, according to a report published Friday.

  • June 26, 2025

    McDermott, Schulte Roth Vote To Approve $2.8B Merger

    Partners at Schulte Roth & Zabel and McDermott Will & Emery have voted in favor of merging to create the combined firm of McDermott Will & Schulte, the firms announced Thursday.

  • June 26, 2025

    Dechert Hires PE Pro In London From Wealth Fund GIC

    Dechert said on Thursday it has recruited a new partner from Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, adding global private capital expertise to its corporate and securities practice in London.

  • June 26, 2025

    Michelman & Robinson Adds 1st International Office In UK

    U.S. law firm Michelman & Robinson LLP announced Thursday that it is opening its first international office in London in response to "a clear and consistent call" from its global client base.

  • June 26, 2025

    Law Firm Fined £24K After Admitting AML Failings

    The solicitors' watchdog has fined a law firm in northern England £24,149 ($33,223) for failing to conduct certain money laundering checks over three years, but noted that the firm didn't benefit from the misconduct. 

  • June 26, 2025

    Law Firm Settles Crypto Fraud Victim's Negligence Claim

    A boutique investment fraud law firm and a cryptocurrency fraud victim have inked a settlement to end a claim accusing the firm of providing negligent advice to recover £500,000 ($687,600) in stolen funds.

  • June 26, 2025

    Private Client Pro Rebuked Over Client Confidentiality Breach

    A solicitor has been reprimanded after she removed and shared documents containing confidential client information from her former firm without the knowledge of either the legal business or its clients, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.

  • June 26, 2025

    SRA Taps FRC Exec To Lead Regulator Past Controversies

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Thursday that it has appointed a senior executive from the U.K. accounting watchdog as its new chief executive, as the regulator navigates a turbulent period marked by high-profile scandals and increased scrutiny.

  • June 26, 2025

    Linklaters Reelects Leadership After Record Financial Year

    Linklaters LLP said Thursday that its partnership has "overwhelmingly" voted to extend the terms of its current senior partner and firmwide managing partner for another four years following another record financial year.

  • June 26, 2025

    Stephenson Harwood's Revenue Passes £300M In New Record

    Stephenson Harwood LLP said Thursday that it has set new records by posting revenue of more than £300 million ($411 million) and partner profits of £1 million as it published its latest financial results.

  • June 25, 2025

    Tribunal Member Loses Bid For Status To Claim Holiday Pay

    An employment tribunal has rejected a panel member's claim for holiday pay because she wasn't a worker under U.K. law.

  • June 25, 2025

    Lloyds PE Unit Targets UK Legal Market In Harper James Deal

    The private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group has acquired a stake in an English law firm that relies almost entirely on solicitors working remotely, as investors continue to target the £37 billion ($50 billion) U.K. legal services market.

  • June 25, 2025

    Legora Unveils AI-Powered System For Complex Legal Tasks

    Legora said Wednesday that it has developed a new system that uses advanced artificial intelligence technology to automate more complex legal tasks such as due diligence from start to finish, freeing human lawyers to spend more time delivering strategic advice to clients.

  • June 25, 2025

    MoJ To Spend £14M Fixing Crown Court's Leaking Roof

    The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday that it will spend £14 million ($19 million) to fix a leaky roof at Nottingham Crown Court that has led to the closure of several courtrooms.

  • June 25, 2025

    Solicitor Hit With £30K Court Bill Over Fake Car Claims

    A solicitor has been handed an eight-month suspended sentence and a £30,874 ($40,871) bill for filing false claims that city potholes in Stoke-on-Trent were damaging cars, following an investigation that uncovered anomalies in his invoices.

  • June 25, 2025

    Ex-Trowers Pro Loses Disability Claim Over SRA Referral

    An employment tribunal has barred a former employee of Trowers & Hamlins LLP from bringing part of a legal claim against the firm after it reported her to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

  • June 25, 2025

    Baker McKenzie Hires Transactions Pro From K&L Gates

    Baker McKenzie has hired an energy and infrastructure contract expert as a partner at its London office as the firm presses ahead with its lateral hiring push.

  • June 25, 2025

    Steptoe Chastised For Breaching Russian Sanctions

    The solicitors' regulator has rebuked the U.K. arm of Steptoe International after it breached the terms of its license to act for two clients under the Russian sanctions regime.

  • June 24, 2025

    Irwin Mitchell Can't Ax Pension Fraud Negligence Claim

    A London court on Tuesday denied Irwin Mitchell's bid to scrap a professional negligence suit against a firm it merged with in 2015, but ruled Irwin Mitchell itself is not liable for the advice given to a pensioner in the wake of alleged fraud.

  • June 24, 2025

    Gov't Eyes Clearer AML Rules Under Industrial Strategy

    The U.K. government has laid out plans to introduce "clearer and more proportionate" money laundering regulations in broader plans to boost growth as it dubbed the country's legal sector one of the key drivers.

  • June 24, 2025

    Liverpool Conveyancing Firm Shuttered Over Client Accounts

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Tuesday that it has shut down a law firm in Liverpool after finding that the firm and its managers failed to comply with rules governing the handling of client money.

  • June 24, 2025

    Law Firm Partner Denies Ignoring Signs Of £7M Client Fraud

    A partner at Portner Law denied dishonestly allowing use of the firm's account to launder money, telling a London trial that he did not register any red flags with a client who was involved in a £7 million ($9.5 million) fraud.

Expert Analysis

  • What Age Bias Ruling Means For Law Firm Retirement Policies

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    The recent employment tribunal age discrimination decision in Scott v. Walker Morris demonstrates that while law firms may implement mandatory retirement schemes, the policy must pursue a legitimate aim via proportionate means to pass the objective justification test, says Chris Hadrill at Redmans Solicitors.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From HFW's Christopher Foster

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    Christopher Foster, global head of insurance and reinsurance at HFW, discusses the challenges of conducting complex arbitration, why arbitration rules should be amended, and how learning about the market makes working in insurance law easier.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Broadfield's Sajjad Khan

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    Sajjad Khan, head of Broadfield's intellectual property practice, discusses how trademark matters that appear to be simple can end up being complex, why the regulatory framework for artificial intelligence and copyright is in clear need of reform, and how junior lawyers should persevere if interested in this competitive area of law.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Cleary's Gareth Kristensen

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    Gareth Kristensen, head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa intellectual property practice group at Cleary, discusses the challenges when data laws are not adapted to frontier artificial intelligence, why IP rights can have such significant value, and how nothing beats a deep understanding of what you enjoy within the realm of tech, IP and data.

  • Series

    PR Perspectives: 3 Misconceptions Around Law Firm Brands

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    Despite an implicit understanding of the value of brand, misconceptions around logo and financial value have resulted in law firms being slow to manage and build this valuable asset, without which it becomes difficult to attract the same caliber of client or recruit the best lawyers, says Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Covington's Sonia Campbell

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    Sonia Campbell, head of the U.K. insurance recovery practice at Covington, discusses the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, why cyber underwriting risk will be critical for sector reform, and how junior lawyers need to be resilient and tenacious.

  • Roundup

    Practice Leader Insights

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    In this Law360 U.K. Expert Analysis series, leaders of employment, intellectual property, insurance and transactions practice groups share thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Bird & Bird's Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard

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    Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard, who co-heads Bird & Bird's international copyright group, discusses the challenges of working on long cases with complex issues, whether current copyright law is fit for purpose in light of artificial intelligence, ​​​​​​​and why understanding technology makes it easier to argue the nuances of the law.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Birketts' Maria Peyman

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    Maria Peyman, who heads Birketts' intellectual property team, discusses the challenges of cases involving multiple patents, the need to reform legislative provisions in light of artificial intelligence, and why junior lawyers should take opportunities to get a broad range of experience before specializing.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Mishcon de Reya's Daniel Naftalin

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    Daniel Naftalin, who chairs the employment practice at Mishcon de Reya, discusses the challenges of working on multijurisdictional litigation, the need to show consideration for lawyers' well-being, and why employment law offers unique opportunities to specialize in a commercial field with a high degree of human interest.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Baker McKenzie's David Scott

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    David Scott, head of the London mergers and acquisitions practice at Baker McKenzie, discusses the excitement of working on a highly complex transaction, the need for a harmonized approach to deal regulatory scrutiny, and why deal work can become addictive.

  • Transatlantic Law Firm Mergers Are Transforming UK Market

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    With the current prevalence for high-profile U.K.-U.S. law firm mergers likely to continue, a new type of firm could emerge that strikes a balance between U.K. culture and working style, but with the global ambition that U.S. firms offer, says Ria Karnik at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Taylor Wessing's Paul Callaghan

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    Paul Callaghan, who leads Taylor Wessing's employment, pensions and mobility group, discusses the challenges of clients who take matters personally, why discrimination based on socioeconomic background needs to be addressed by the law, and how being contracted as an independent investigator is becoming a new trend for senior employment lawyers.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From BCLP's Benjamin Lee

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    Benjamin Lee, who co-leads BCLP's global corporate transactions practice, discusses the value of face-to-face meetings, how aspects of English company law could align with a more global approach, and what junior lawyers can learn by observing their senior colleagues.

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