Pulse UK

  • January 29, 2026

    Howard Kennedy's Ex-Client Can't Challenge £196K Legal Bill

    Howard Kennedy LLP has successfully defeated a former client's challenge to a legal bill of almost £196,000 ($270,000) racked up in connection with Financial Conduct Authority proceedings, as a London court ruled that the man was made aware of the costs.

  • January 29, 2026

    Two-Thirds Pass New Solicitors' Exam In 4 Years, SRA Says

    More than 30,000 candidates in 50 countries have taken the new qualification exam for solicitors, although far fewer have passed on their first attempt, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said Thursday on the fourth anniversary of the new assessment.

  • January 28, 2026

    MoJ's Interest Grab May Shift PE Focus In Legal World

    A move by the government to take a slice of the interest generated on client accounts could shift the focus of private equity in the legal sector to bigger law firms, leaving smaller players with less leverage in talks with outside investors.

  • January 28, 2026

    Brabners Hires 2 Partners For New Office Opening In London

    Brabners LLP has hired two partners from Forsters and Gunnercooke for a new office in London set to open this year as the firm looks to build on strong financial performance and begins the next phase of its growth, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • January 28, 2026

    Withers Launches East Coast L&E Team With Outten & Golden Trio

    Withers announced Tuesday that it has launched an employment practice on the East Coast, welcoming three former Outten & Golden PC lawyers who have advised executives across a wide range of industries.

  • January 28, 2026

    White & Case To Bring UK Staff Back To Office 4 Days A Week

    White & Case LLP said Wednesday that will it require all staff in the U.K. to spend four days a week in the office starting at the beginning of March, bringing London in line with its global policy on workplace attendance.

  • January 28, 2026

    Lawyers Urge UK Gov't To Expand Anti-SLAPP Laws

    More than 120 lawyers and other representatives of civil society called on Wednesday for the government to include provisions in the next King's Speech for tackling strategic legal claims designed to gag reporting and silence criticism.

  • February 04, 2026

    Kingsley Napley Debuts Sports Unit With Disputes Pro

    Kingsley Napley has created a sports disputes practice with the addition of a new partner, who said Wednesday that the full-service firm offers a broader platform to build his practice than he had at boutique company Level Law.

  • February 04, 2026

    Ropes & Gray Adds 10-Lawyer Linklaters Team In Paris

    Ropes & Gray LLP has recruited a team of 10 lawyers from Linklaters LLP for its new office in Paris as it seeks to boost its services to clients in private funds and tax matters in Europe and worldwide.

  • January 28, 2026

    SRA Tells 'No Win, No Fee' Firms To Shape Up After SSB

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority warned law firms on Wednesday to tighten up their "no win, no fee" practices in high‑volume consumer claims, calling for clearer information on costs and risks and an end to misleading marketing after the collapse of SSB Group.

  • January 27, 2026

    Slapped Down: SRA At Crossroads After SLAPP Setbacks

    The string of failed prosecutions brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority against City lawyers accused of trying to silence journalists on behalf of clients has raised questions about its enforcement strategy, with critics accusing the watchdog of overreaching its rules.

  • January 27, 2026

    Stephenson Harwood To Open In Madrid In International Push

    Stephenson Harwood LLP is preparing to launch a new office in Madrid in 2026, marking a return to the Spanish capital after almost 25 years as the firm continues its international expansion without looking to a transatlantic merger.

  • January 27, 2026

    Solicitors Says Confusion With Rival Firm's Name Is 'Trivial'

    Hunter's Solicitors LLP has denied passing off its legal services as those of Hunters Law LLP, claiming that any isolated confusion between the two firms is "trivial, rare, and legally insignificant."

  • January 27, 2026

    Legal & General Taps Deputy GC To Take Lead Role

    Legal & General Group PLC said Tuesday that Geoffrey Timms has stood down from his longstanding role as general counsel, making way for his deputy to take over the role.

  • January 27, 2026

    McDermott's Revenue In London Soars To $154M In 2025

    McDermott Will & Schulte said Tuesday that revenue in its London office jumped to more than $150 million in 2025, the first time it has reported on performance in the English capital as a merged firm.

  • January 27, 2026

    Burges Salmon Adopts Legal AI Platform In Tech Push

    Burges Salmon LLP said Tuesday it has adopted legal artificial intelligence platform Harvey for some legal work as it enters a new phase in an initiative to modernize its legal services for clients.

  • January 26, 2026

    PE Targets 70% Of Midsized Law Firms, Report Says

    Almost 70% of midsized law firms said they had been targeted by private equity units in 2025, according to a Law Society report, as professional services firms continue looking for boosts from external funders.

  • January 26, 2026

    Scots Law Society Beats Bias Claim Over Conduct Probe

    A tribunal has ruled that the Scottish law society did not discriminate against a qualified lawyer based on his Roman Catholic Christian faith by hastily investigating a complaint of misconduct against him.

  • January 26, 2026

    Solicitor Accused Of Encouraging Bogus Immigration Claim

    A solicitor encouraged an undercover reporter posing as a prospective client to put forward a "false narrative" in support of an asylum application during an investigation into bogus claims, the Solicitors Regulation Authority told a tribunal Monday.

  • February 02, 2026

    New Crown Solicitor Appointed For Northern Ireland

    The U.K. government announced Monday that it has appointed Claire Archbold as the crown solicitor for Northern Ireland.

  • January 26, 2026

    FCA Rejects Business COVID Claim Deadline Extension Bid

    The City watchdog has rejected a bid by a law firm and a group of hospitality sector trade groups to extend the deadline for business interruption claims linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • January 26, 2026

    SRA Fines 2 Law Firms For Anti-Money Laundering Failings

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined two law firms for failing to fully comply with anti-money laundering laws as the authority continues to sanction those that fail to take adequate action against the risk of being exposed to criminal activity.

  • February 02, 2026

    Hill Dickinson Boosts London Finance Practice With 2 Hires

    Hill Dickinson LLP has added two banking and emerging markets specialists as consultants in London to lead the U.K. launch of its global finance team.

  • February 02, 2026

    Squire Patton Adds New Head Of IP, Tech In Dublin

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP has hired a trademark and design lawyer to head its intellectual property and technology practice in Ireland, strengthening the international firm's Dublin office as it continues to expand in the country.

  • January 26, 2026

    District Judge Sanctioned for Prolonged Judgment Delays

    A district judge in the magistrates' court has been sanctioned for misconduct after delaying judgments by almost a year in two cases, which he attributed to a "challenging workload and personal circumstances," the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said on Monday. 

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From V&E's David Berkery

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    David Berkery, head of aviation finance at Vinson & Elkins, discusses the challenges of striking an asset-backed securitization deal after the 2008 financial crisis rewrote the rules, why sustainable aviation goals need more government encouragement, and why young attorneys should focus on finding people they enjoy working with.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Gibson Dunn's Sandy Bhogal

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    Sandy Bhogal, co-chair of Gibson Dunn's tax practice, discusses the challenges of working on a complicated restructuring during the financial crisis, the difficulty of dealing with rules that are adjusted by nonbinding guidance, and why tax lawyers need to know the law as well as they possibly can.

  • SRA Ruling Raises Issue Of Jurisdiction Over Private Conduct

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    The recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal ruling, suspending a former Orrick associate after determining that a criminal offense of nonconsensual touching had occurred, serves as a cautionary tale that the regulator's jurisdiction may extend into private social settings, even where no abuse of power is proven, says Nick Brett at Brett Wilson.

  • Why Leveson Review Is Significant For UK Court System

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    Brian Leveson’s recent review into the U.K. criminal justice system calls for judge-only trials in serious and complex fraud cases, a controversial recommendation that is sparking debate over the future of jury trials, says Louise Hodges at Kingsley Napley.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From V&E's Ben Higson

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    Ben Higson, head of Vinson & Elkins' London transactions practice, discusses the complexities of knitting together businesses across the world into a joint venture, how warranty and indemnity insurance has altered the way deals are conducted, and why discipline and resilience are key for M&A lawyers.

  • Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams

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    Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Travers Smith's Louisa Chambers

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    Louisa Chambers, head of technology and commercial transactions at Travers Smith, discusses the challenges of working on a series of deals under time pressure, why data subject access requests can be a disproportionate burden on businesses, and how a career in technology and intellectual property will suit a lawyer with energy and creativity.

  • Practice Leader Insights From Bristows' Gareth Wadley

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    Gareth Wadley, head of the employment and immigration team at Bristows, discusses the challenges of resolving disputes where compensation is not the primary driver, why employment status law needs to better reflect the realities of modern work, and how neurodiversity is reshaping the workforce in a positive way.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Linklaters' Julia Schönbohm

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    Julia Schönbohm, global head of technology, media and telecommunications and intellectual property at Linklaters, discusses the challenges of deciding patent validity in complex litigation cases, why the enforcement of standard essential patents is an area in need of reform, and how the advent of the Unified Patent Court is having a significant impact on patent litigation in Europe.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Walker Morris' Andrew Rayment

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    Andrew Rayment, head of employment at Walker Morris, discusses the challenges of dismissing employees at a coal mine, how the proposed employment law reforms could create logistical burdens for businesses, and why prioritizing effectively is key for a lawyer.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Kennedys' Matthew Poli

    Matthew Poli, head of Kennedys' corporate M&A transactions team, discusses the challenges of rushing to close transactions ahead of possible budgetary changes, why reform is needed in the way a company's statutory books can be altered at Companies House, and that client service needs to be a lawyer's watchword.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Broadfield's Caroline Yarrow

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    Caroline Yarrow, head of Broadfield's employment practice, discusses the challenges of analyzing huge volumes of data in a service provider transfer of 2,000 employees, why the employment tribunal system needs urgent review, and why being pragmatic and commercial when giving advice is important.

  • 8 Ways Law Firms Can Prepare For SRA's AML Offensive

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    The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s recent plans to intensify anti-money laundering enforcement means firms need to concentrate on strengthening client matter risk assessments, policies and procedures, source of funds checks and firmwide risk assessments, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.

  • How Fostering Well-Being Can Drive Law Firm Profitability

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    To counter the common assumption that prioritizing lawyer’s well-being damages profitability, firms should look at the role itself and build strategies to reduce stress, especially with the current focus on delivering more billable hours in light of artificial intelligence tools creating new capacity, says Charlotte Clegg at The Mindful Business Charter.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Bristows' Robert Burrows

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    Robert Burrows, joint head of patent litigation at Bristows, discusses the challenges of remote working when preparing cases, the need for reform in respect of second medical use patents, and whether recent European Union court decisions could mark the beginning of a shift in European litigation practice.

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