Pulse UK

  • August 16, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen Barry Manilow sued by music rights company Hipgnosis, a struck-off immigration lawyer take on the Solicitor's Disciplinary Tribunal and the former CEO of a collapsed bridging loan firm start proceedings against the FCA. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • August 16, 2024

    Osborne Clarke Raises NQ Pay In London To £94K

    Osborne Clarke LLP said Friday that it has bumped up salaries of newly qualified lawyers in its London office to £94,000 ($121,334), after it recently reported that its international revenues had jumped by almost 20%.

  • August 23, 2024

    Orrick Gains Ex-BCLP Antitrust Pro As Partner In UK

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has hired a partner to its London antitrust unit from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP as it looks to build out a "world-class" team in the City.

  • August 16, 2024

    Redundancy Of Paralegal Over Part-Time Status Was Biased

    A regional law firm discriminated against a paralegal who could not work full-time because of her disability by making her redundant for being a part-time employee, a tribunal has found.

  • August 15, 2024

    Insolvency Judge Sanctioned Over Delayed Costs Decision

    A judge at the Insolvency and Companies Court has been sanctioned after she took over a year to provide a judgment on costs to the parties in a case, the judicial conduct watchdog has said.

  • August 15, 2024

    PACCAR Bill Delay Could Hurt UK Legal Industry, Experts Say

    The U.K. government's decision to hold off introducing legislation reversing the effects of the U.K. Supreme Court's PACCAR ruling could be at odds with ambitions to make the U.K. legal sector the fastest in the world, a panel of experts suggested Thursday.

  • August 15, 2024

    Clyde & Co. To Pare N. Ireland Presence Down To Belfast

    Clyde & Co. LLP said Thursday that it is closing one of its offices in Northern Ireland in a move that will reduce its presence there to a sole office in Belfast.

  • August 15, 2024

    Law Firm's Delay Doesn't Derail Clients' Employment Appeal

    An appellate judge ruled Wednesday that two former transport charity employees can move forward with their appeal even though their solicitors at Summit Law LLP failed to attach a copy of the original judgment to their application.

  • August 15, 2024

    Booming Law Firm Revenues Hide A More Complex Profit Tale

    Law firms across the country have posted strong revenues so far in 2024 after a tough year, but industry observers say that underlying conditions reveal a more complicated picture.

  • August 15, 2024

    Hamlins Media Pro To Face SDT Over Alleged Litigation Threat

    A Hamlins LLP partner will face a disciplinary tribunal over allegations that he improperly threatened to bring litigation, the solicitors' watchdog has said, marking the second time the SRA has prosecuted a lawyer over the use of SLAPPs.

  • August 14, 2024

    NC Court Defers Ruling To Unseal Cadwalader Coverage Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court on Monday did not outright reject a bid by a Lloyd's of London syndicate looking to unseal a complaint by Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP seeking coverage for a November 2022 data breach, though the judge did admonish the syndicate for failing to consult with Cadwalader's counsel before filing the motion.

  • August 14, 2024

    DAC Beachcroft Posts Record Profits As Income Tops £326M

    DAC Beachcroft LLP said on Wednesday that a strong performance in its core sectors helped it to post record profits, as its revenues climbed for the 10th consecutive year to just over £326 million ($419 million).

  • August 14, 2024

    Mauritius Gov't Report On Lawyer's Conduct Was Unfair

    A Mauritian barrister can challenge a report that branded him a "spy" for drug traffickers, as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council found on Wednesday that the principles of fairness and natural justice were not followed when those conclusions were reached.

  • August 14, 2024

    Addleshaw Goddard Nears £500M Revenue As Profits Soar

    Addleshaw Goddard LLP said Wednesday that turnover increased by double digits to just short of £500 million ($643 million) as it published its latest financial results, fueled by growth in markets including Ireland and the Middle East, and revealed that profits surged by 14%.

  • August 14, 2024

    CMS Closes On €2B In Global Revenue

    CMS said on Wednesday that its global revenue has edged closer to the €2 billion ($2.2 billion) mark that it reached in 2023, driven by its corporate team, as the firm's U.K. limited liability partnership recorded an increase in income of approximately 7%.

  • August 14, 2024

    Watchdog Warns Coroner Over 'Bollocks' Comment

    An assistant coroner has been handed a formal warning for misconduct after he described a barrister's submission during an inquest as "bollocks."

  • August 13, 2024

    Most In-House Counsel Worried Over Transparency Act

    Most legal and compliance executives are worried that their own companies are not ready to meet the requirements of the new U.S. Corporate Transparency Act, and many don't even know when the reporting deadlines are.

  • August 20, 2024

    German Patent Boutique Hires HGF Team For Munich Launch

    German patent law firm WSL Patentanwälte Partnerschaft mbB has hired a team of specialists from Harrison Goddard Foote for a new office it has launched in Munich as it looks to attract more international clients and capitalize on the launch of the European Union's Unified Patent Court.

  • August 13, 2024

    Travelers Defends DWFM Beckman Over Investment Advice

    The insurer of now-defunct DWFM Beckman LLP has hit back against claims that the firm negligently advised a real estate investor on an almost £20 million ($25.5 million) deal, denying that the firm advised her on the investment at all.

  • August 13, 2024

    Walker Morris Poised To See Turnover Top £70M

    Walker Morris LLP said Tuesday that its turnover is likely to exceed £70 million ($90 million) when the firm next reports its official financial results, as it strives to continue growing its business following a recent change in leadership.

  • August 13, 2024

    Solicitor Reprimanded Over Sexual Comments In Court

    A solicitor was reprimanded by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal on Tuesday for making inappropriate sexual comments in a courtroom — but the panel stopped short of any further sanction because the lawyer apologized and took full responsibility for his behavior.

  • August 19, 2024

    Kirkland Hires Simmons & Simmons' Antitrust Head In London

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP announced Monday that it has recruited the head of competition, antitrust and trade at Simmons & Simmons LLP in a move to boost its capabilities representing clients in U.K. and European Union matters in its London office.

  • August 12, 2024

    Law Firm Director Fined For Allowing £10K Account Shortfall

    The English solicitors watchdog has fined the director of a law firm for showing "reckless disregard for his regulatory obligations" by allowing a £10,000 ($12,800) client account shortfall to go unnoticed for months after a misunderstanding.

  • August 12, 2024

    Spanish Lawyer Arrested For Alleged €4.5M Fishery Bribe

    The Spanish national police have arrested a lawyer who allegedly transferred €4.5 million ($4.9 million) through his own company to officials close to the Equatorial Guinea government to secure a factory contract, according to the European Union's law enforcement agency.

  • August 12, 2024

    Death Of Firm Owner Ends Employee Contracts, Judge Rules

    An employment judge has ruled that the staff of a solicitor were not employed after his death because his father did not have the legal authority to offer them a contract, according to a decision published Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Increasing Investment Scams Can Implicate Lawyers, Too

    Author Photo

    With the pandemic serving as a catalyst for increased financial fraud, it's important to recognize that these scams are not only devastating for victims, they also pose a significant threat to law firms and individual solicitors who fail to do their due diligence, say James Darbyshire at the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Heather Clark at Burness Paull.

  • UK Lawyers Can Adapt Due Diligence To Screen New Clients

    Author Photo

    As COVID-19-related fraud gains pace, U.K.-based practitioners should help combat money laundering by using alternative methods to verify that new clients are who they say they are, says Christopher Convey, a barrister at 33 Chancery Lane and chair of the Bar Council's Money Laundering Working Group.

  • Key Risks And Developments For UK Law Firm Culture In 2020

    Author Photo

    In 2020, law firms throughout the U.K. will be increasingly reshaped by rapid changes in societal expectations and advances in technology, say Helen Rowlands and Niya Phiri of Clyde & Co.

  • #MeToo Pressure On UK Businesses Is Set To Rise

    Author Photo

    Recent declarations by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority indicate that sexual harassment in the U.K.'s financial services industry may lead to consequences under the newly expanded Senior Managers and Certification Regime, and other sectors are facing growing scrutiny as well, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Corporate Wrongdoing Risks Go Beyond Exec Departures

    Author Photo

    Recent controversy over misconduct allegations that led to the ousting of a KPMG executive reminds firms that the challenges caused by suspecting or uncovering internal wrongdoing are not so easily solved by the implicated executive's exit, says Sarah Chilton of CM Murray.

  • 2 Perspectives On Navigating The Litigation Funding Process

    Author Photo

    Paul Martenstyn of Vannin Capital and Daniel Spendlove of Signature Litigation share their top tips on how to get a case funded, drawing from their respective experience as a funder and a lawyer.

  • Answers To Key Legal Finance Ethics Questions

    Author Photo

    While there is discussion in some quarters about new regulations on commercial legal finance, the hands-off approach taken by the majority of courts and legislatures is an implicit recognition that it is already sufficiently regulated, says Danielle Cutrona of Burford Capital.

  • New Scrutiny For NDAs In Sexual Harassment Matters

    Author Photo

    Recent government scrutiny of nondisclosure agreements related to allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Steve Wynn and Harvey Weinstein raises the question of whether some uses of NDAs could amount to obstruction of justice or a violation of lawyers' ethical obligations, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Opinion

    SRA Should Not Condemn Lawful Tax Avoidance

    Author Photo

    In suggesting that solicitors who facilitate tax avoidance breach its code of conduct, the Solicitors Regulation Authority fails to distinguish between legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion, says attorney Martin Kenney.

  • Proposed Arbitration Law May Be A Misstep For India

    Author Photo

    A proposed Indian law, which could have the effect of excluding non-Indians from acting as arbitrators, is threatening to undermine the country's ambition to become an important seat of international arbitration, says Sarosh Zaiwalla of Zaiwalla & Co.

  • British Overseas Territories Can Benefit From Transparency

    Author Photo

    British overseas territories have pushed back against a recent U.K. measure requiring them to create publicly accessible registers of companies' beneficial owners. However, considering global trends toward transparency, perhaps the territories should embrace the new rules as a force of good, says Simon Airey of Paul Hastings LLP.

  • Legal Technology Is Likely To Flourish In The UK

    Author Photo

    The U.K. may soon surpass the U.S. in legal technology, thanks to regulatory reform, law firm investment and an entrepreneurial environment, says Bridget Deiters of InCloudCounsel.

  • Law & Reorder: The Emergence Of The UK Legaltech Sector

    Author Photo

    Recent market dynamics are driving the U.K. legal industry to adopt nascent technologies in new service offerings as well as pre-existing solutions. The rise of legaltech should also lead to an increase in acquisitions by law firms striving to maintain relevance, says Jo Charles of Livingstone Partners LLP.

  • Why English Courts Are Prepared To Assist Cyber Victims

    Author Photo

    This year, a number of cases have illustrated how English courts are dealing with legal hurdles for cybercrime victims and making it easier to obtain a freezing order or injunction under such circumstances, says Fiona Cain of Haynes and Boone LLP.

  • Extradition To The United States: Fight Or Flight?

    Author Photo

    Recent extradition cases have demonstrated that individuals in the United Kingdom facing charges in the United States can either fight extradition proceedings tooth and nail, or voluntarily travel to the U.S. An approach carefully tailored to the facts of each case is required in order to best protect a requested person's interests, says Ben Isaacs of 7 Bedford Row.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Pulse UK archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!