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Pulse UK
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March 24, 2023
Portal To Connect Would-Be Solicitors With Training Launches
A new careers portal for aspiring solicitors looking for on-the-job training necessary to qualify as solicitors went live on Monday with the backing of more than 100 organizations, including law firms and charities.
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March 24, 2023
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen Mozambique face up to another claim over its international bribery scandal with Credit Suisse, another two aircraft leasing companies sue their insurers to claw back losses from planes stuck in Russia, and law firm Withers sued by the visual technology company it represented at an investment disputes tribunal in 2018. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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March 24, 2023
No Need To Turn Up For Small Claims, Appeals Court Rules
The Court of Appeal ruled Friday that claimants suing under special rules for small-value claims don't physically need to be in court and can instruct lawyers to represent them, saying that to rule otherwise would infringe on the right to legal representation.
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March 24, 2023
Mishcon De Reya, Brown Rudnick Join Crypto Fraud Group
Law firms Brown Rudnick, Mishcon de Reya and Penningtons Manches Cooper have been elected to the board of the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery for a two-year term, the networking platform for people who work on digital asset crime said Friday.
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March 24, 2023
More Than 100 Attys Vow Not To Prosecute Climate Activists
More than 100 attorneys say they will not prosecute peaceful climate protestors or represent companies involved in fossil fuel projects, putting activist barristers at odds with their professional obligation to accept a case within their area of expertise regardless of personal belief.
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March 24, 2023
Quinn Emanuel Antitrust Pro Joins Garrigues In Brussels
Spanish international firm Garrigues has hired a Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP antitrust pro to boost its international competition practice in Brussels.
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March 24, 2023
Cleary Hires Leveraged Finance Pro From Linklaters
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP said Friday it has hired a second partner, a leveraged finance specialist, from Linklaters as part of a strategy to better represent clients in public mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.
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March 23, 2023
CPS Ordered To Pay Barrister For Failing To Adjust Workload
An employment judge has ordered the Crown Prosecution Service to pay a barrister £136,000 ($167,000) for failing to make reasonable adjustments to his workload after he had a heart attack and developed anxiety and depression.
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March 23, 2023
Is The SQE Helping Diversity? Candidates 'Prefer Not To Say'
Almost half of all candidates taking the new solicitors qualifying exam are declining to declare their demographic status, in a concerning sign for the creators of a system intended to tackle lack of diversity in the profession.
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March 23, 2023
Candidates' 'Scrutiny' of SQE To Increase, Reviewer Warned
The new solicitors qualifying exam is set to come "under future scrutiny" from candidates retaking the test or appealing against an outcome they are unhappy with, its independent review warned on Thursday.
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March 23, 2023
Mitie Sues Gov't Over £260M Prison Contract Award
Prison services contractor Mitie has accused the government of unlawfully awarding a £260 million ($320 million) prison management contract to its rival, alleging a litany of errors meant its bid wasn't properly considered.
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March 23, 2023
Another Eversheds Atty Tapped For Employment Bench
The U.K. government has named Helen Rice-Birchall, a principal associate at Eversheds Sutherland, as a full-time salaried employment judge, the second attorney from the international law firm in 10 days to be appointed to the employment bench.
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March 23, 2023
Linklaters To Let Employees Swap Holidays Amid D&I Push
Linklaters LLP said Thursday that its staff will be allowed to swap public holidays for leave on other days to allow them to celebrate religious and cultural events that are special to them.
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March 23, 2023
Former Solicitor Gets 6 Months For Contempt Of Court
A London judge has sentenced a struck-off solicitor to six months in prison for contempt of court after he filed applications in the names of other litigants despite being subject to a general restraining order that largely prevented him from bringing court proceedings.
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March 22, 2023
Sunak Releases Tax Details After Opposition Pressure
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released his tax details Wednesday, showing he paid £432,493 ($530,554) in tax to the United Kingdom in the 2021-22 tax year, after pressure from the opposition Labour Party to honor a campaign pledge of transparency about his finances.
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March 22, 2023
Minster Law Posts £1.5M Loss Amid PI Downturn
Personal injury firm Minster Law announced a loss of £1.5 million ($1.8 million) in its annual results Wednesday as recent reforms to the sector continue to hollow out the industry.
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March 22, 2023
Serle Court Recruits Senior Gov't-Endorsed Barrister
Specialist commercial and chancery set Serle Court has announced the arrival of two barristers to its chambers, taking its total number of members to 75, including a senior advocate who represents the U.K. government in its most complex litigation.
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March 22, 2023
Dentons Obtains Foreign Law Firm License In Saudi Arabia
Dentons announced Tuesday that Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Justice has granted it a foreign law firm license.
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March 22, 2023
Africa-Focused Asafo & Co Hires PE Pro From Akin Gump
Asafo & Co. has hired a private equity and mergers and acquisitions expert from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a managing partner to help grow the firm's presence in Anglophone Africa.
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March 22, 2023
Only 27 Law Firms Sign Up To Gov't AML Scheme
Just 27 law firms have signed up to a government scheme to deter money laundering after the solicitors' trade group warned its members that they could face sanctions if they make mistakes in verifying the accuracy of information, according to industry analysis released Wednesday.
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March 22, 2023
Courts Employee Can't Get Discrimination Suit Reconsidered
A former administrative assistant of a county court has failed to have her discrimination suit reconsidered as an employment judge ruled that she did not prove that it is in the interests of justice to reopen issues already determined.
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March 22, 2023
Dechert Hires Funds Pro From Travers Smith As Exits Go On
Dechert said Wednesday that it has hired a former head of investment funds from Travers Smith in London, amid a wave of departures from the U.K. law firm that is showing no signs of letting up.
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March 21, 2023
UK Firm's Bad Tax Advice Burns US Partnership, Court Told
A U.K. law firm's poor tax advice on an apartment purchase cost a Delaware partnership £110,000 ($134,000), the partnership told an English court in its legal malpractice suit.
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March 21, 2023
Kirkland Hires ESG Partner In London From DLA Piper
Kirkland & Ellis LLP said Tuesday that it has added DLA Piper's former international sustainability and environmental, social and governance lead to its ESG and impact practice group.
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March 21, 2023
Oversight Regulator Rules Out 'Reserved' Activity Review
The legal profession's oversight regulator is walking away from plans to overhaul the system that was created to protect consumers from unscrupulous lawyers because to do so properly would require a legislative change.
Expert Analysis
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Beyond ChatGPT: AI Considerations For Law Firms
The use of artificial intelligence is likely to become increasingly mainstream in the legal sector, and firms should not remain complacent in the current limitations of ChatGPT, but develop policies to ensure that AI-generated liability and regulatory issues are addressed sooner rather than later, say Corinne Staves and Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.
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Reflecting On The Benefits Of Direct Access To Barristers
At close to 20 years since public access to barristers came into being, it is a good time to take a look at its impact on the U.K. legal profession and the more collaborative approach between barristers and solicitors we have seen develop since its introduction, say Amani Mohammed and Sean Gould at Westgate Chambers.
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How Apprenticeships Are Transforming The Legal Sector
As more legal employers recognize the benefits of creating apprenticeship opportunities, they are likely to grow in popularity, ensuring that the best and brightest minds are available to meet the challenges of an ever complex and changing legal environment, says Aisha Saeed at Addleshaw Goddard.
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Pitfalls Lawyers Should Avoid When Correcting Their Mistakes
When solicitors make mistakes that cause prejudice to their clients, they will need to carefully consider whether they should try to fix their mistake, as trying to put things right may expose them to potential regulatory action, says Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.
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Translating The Plan For English-Language German Courts
The German Ministry of Justice is aiming to do away with the mistakes of the past and overhaul the German civil procedure in order to accommodate English-language disputes, but the success of these proceedings will depend very much on factors that the proposal does not address, say Jan Schaefer and Rüdiger Morbach at King & Spalding.
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A Breakdown Of The SRA's Proposed New Fining Powers
Thanks to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's pending new fining framework, which includes guidance on unsuitable fines and a fixed penalties scheme for low-level breaches, firms can expect to see more disciplinary findings leading to an SRA fine rather than referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, say Graham Reid and Shanice Holder at RPC.
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Russian Bank Ruling Clarifies UK Sanctions Regime
The recent U.K. High Court judgment of PJSC National Bank Trust v. Mints, a case brought by two Russian banks, is significant in clarifying that the U.K. sanctions regime does not deprive designated persons of their fundamental common law right to bring a claim in an English court, despite their assets being frozen, says Zoe O’Sullivan KC at Serle Court.
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Preparing For EU's Pay Gap Reporting Directive
An agreement has been reached on the European Union Pay Transparency Directive, paving the way for gender pay gap reporting to become compulsory for many employers across Europe, introducing a more proactive approach than the similar U.K. regime and leading the way on new global standards for equal pay, say attorneys at Lewis Silkin.
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Has The Liberalization Of Legal Services Achieved Its Aims?
Although there is still some way to go, alternative business structures are now an increasingly prominent feature of the legal services landscape, and clients can expect greater choice, improved quality and more manageable costs, as was intended by this shake-up of the profession's regulatory frameworks 15 years ago, says Dana Denis-Smith at Obelisk Support.
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How Overseas Property Verification Poses Risks To Attorneys
The recently launched register of overseas entities, requiring verification of foreign owners hoping to purchase U.K. property, could expose attorneys to criminal prosecution, professional negligence claims and reputational damage if they do not complete these checks to the required standard, which nevertheless remains murky, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
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What To Expect From UK's New Economic Crime Bill
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency bill, if passed, will reform aspects of Companies House and strengthen government anti-money laundering efforts, but it is also raising questions about how new information sharing requirements will affect businesses, say attorneys at Signature Litigation.
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A Trusted Cybersecurity Framework Is Imperative For Lawyers
The recent increased risk of cyberattacks has a number of profound implications for law firms, and complying with government guidance by embedding a cyber-savvy culture and adhering to a security framework will enable lawyers to add extra layers of defense and present their clients with higher levels of protection, says Marion Stewart at Red Helix.
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Opinion
Law School Admissions Shouldn't Hinge On Test Scores
The American Bar Association recently granted law schools some latitude on which tests it can consider in admissions decisions, but its continued emphasis on test scores harms student diversity and is an obstacle to holistic admissions strategies, says Aaron Taylor at AccessLex.
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New FCA Listing Rules May Start Regulatory Shift On Diversity
Listed companies that fail to meet new Financial Conduct Authority rules for minimum executive board diversity currently risk reputational damage mainly through social scrutiny, but should prepare for potential regulatory enforcement actions, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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What UK Professional Regulation Looks Like In A #MeToo Era
Two recent rulings from U.K. courts and tribunals reveal the increasingly shifting line between professional misbehavior and bad actions that would previously have been considered outside the scope of professional regulators, says Andrew Katzen at Hickman & Rose.