Pulse UK

  • May 05, 2026

    Arada London Elevates Head Of Legal To Board As GC

    Real estate developer Arada London said it has appointed its head of legal to the company's board of directors as general counsel.

  • May 05, 2026

    Live Nation Venue Sues Cripps For £3.4M Over Advice On Deal

    Margate Dreamland's operator has sued Cripps LLP for £3.4 million ($4.6 million), alleging the law firm misread a key part of its catering deal that left it unable to exit the agreement after Live Nation bought the popular seaside venue.

  • May 05, 2026

    Linklaters Launches Client-Facing AI Practice Group

    Linklaters has launched a practice group bringing together lawyers and data scientists to develop artificial intelligence-enabled "premium" legal services.

  • May 05, 2026

    DWF Unveils 22 Partner Promotions In A Return To Form

    DWF LLP said Tuesday that it has elevated 40 people across the firm to its partnership or to a higher level within the partnership structure, a larger round of senior promotions than in recent years.

  • May 05, 2026

    AI Makes My Judgments Better, Justice Birss Says

    Justice Colin Birss said Tuesday that he is improving his judgments by using artificial intelligence to check for clarity and consistency — but he hinted that having the tech write rulings from scratch would be a step too far.

  • May 05, 2026

    DLA Piper Partner To Join Arc Pensions Law In London

    Arc Pensions Law said Tuesday it has hired lawyer Matthew Swynnerton, a partner at DLA Piper and the chair of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

  • May 05, 2026

    McDermott Hires 12 Lawyers From Italian Firm For Milan Office

    McDermott Will & Schulte has hired 12 lawyers led by a private equity specialist from Italian firm Gitti and Partners for its office in Milan as it continues to invest in its legal services in Europe.

  • May 05, 2026

    WFW Boosts Partnership With Seven Promotions

    Watson Farley & Williams LLP said Tuesday that it has promoted seven lawyers from offices in the U.S. and Europe to the firm's partnership, a larger round than in 2025.

  • May 01, 2026

    Duane Morris Hires Clyde & Co. Corporate Trio In London

    Duane Morris LLP said Tuesday that it has hired a team of three lawyers from Clyde & Co. LLP to help rebuild the firm's corporate practice in London following attrition from retirements.

  • May 01, 2026

    Barclays Adds Ex-SEC Official From WilmerHale As New GC

    Barclays said Friday that it has hired a new general counsel who brings expertise as former vice chair and chair of WilmerHale's financial services department, along with years of financial and regulatory experience as a director at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • May 01, 2026

    Freshfields Bets On Its Own Lab Over Legal AI Middlemen

    Freshfields LLP's global chief innovation officer is challenging the business model of legal tech vendors by pairing its own development teams with major AI labs, warning that providers must have more to offer lawyers beyond foundational models.

  • May 01, 2026

    Dentons Ruling Recasts Test For Lawyers' AML Misconduct

    The Court of Appeal's recent decision that the Solicitors Regulation Authority must prove that Dentons' breach of money laundering legislation was "sufficiently serious" could complicate the watchdog's job of enforcing its rules, experts say.

  • May 01, 2026

    Paul Hastings Recruits Powerhouse PE Team From Covington

    Paul Hastings has recruited a four-strong private equity and real estate team from Covington & Burling LLP, as the London-headquartered firm expands its offering following heavy turnover in the City. 

  • May 01, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen a Swiss energy trader bring a Financial List claim against shipping benchmarking company Baltic Exchange, law firm Slater and Gordon sued by a former client, Slack and Salesforce hit Microsoft with an antitrust claim, and Stephen Fry bring a personal injury claim after he broke bones falling off a stage. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 01, 2026

    GB News Pundit Claims Race Bias In Bar Council's Internship

    A GB News commentator has said she plans to sue the Bar Council and a charity which works with under-represented groups, alleging that a legal internship program unlawfully excluded her because she is white.

  • May 01, 2026

    DWF Director Eyes More IP Growth After Oatly TM Win

    Coming off its victory at one of the highest-profile U.K. trademark disputes in recent years, DWF Group has high hopes for the future of the intellectual property practice. Here, director Asima Rana talks to Law360 about the challenges of the case and the growing demand for IP work in the U.K.

  • May 01, 2026

    Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    Insights on 2026 law firm performance and BigLaw firm efforts to expand practice offerings made this another action-packed week for the legal industry. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • May 01, 2026

    Lender Wins Payout From Law Firm Over Botched Pub Loan

    A lender has won a £578,000 ($787,000) claim against its former solicitors after a London court found that the law firm failed to properly check and explain risks tied to a loan secured against two London pubs. 

  • May 01, 2026

    Gowling Elevates 5 To Partner In UK, Germany, UAE

    Gowling WLG said on Friday that it has elevated five lawyers from offices in the U.K., Germany and the United Arab Emirates to its partnership.

  • May 01, 2026

    Kennedys Elects 20 To Partner In 2026 With Half In US

    Kennedys said on Friday that it has elected 20 lawyers to its partnership in 2026, the seventh consecutive year that partner promotions have hit double digits.

  • April 30, 2026

    Legora Extends Series D With Additional $50M

    Sweden-based Legora, which offers a legal artificial intelligence platform, announced Thursday a $50 million extension of its $550 million Series D fundraise.

  • April 30, 2026

    Dutch IP Group Snaps Up European Patent Prosecution Firm

    House of IP, a newly launched consultancy, said Thursday that it has acquired patent prosecution firm Patentwerk BV, marking the first step in its plan to build a broader network of intellectual property businesses across Europe.

  • April 30, 2026

    Regional Firm BLB Solicitors Enters Administration

    Regional law firm BLB Solicitors confirmed on Thursday that it has entered administration, closing its doors at six offices in the southwest of England.

  • April 30, 2026

    Stewarts Promotes Four Lawyers To Partner

    Stewarts Law LLP said Thursday that it has promoted four lawyers to its partnership, in a slight dip from recent years.

  • April 30, 2026

    Bird & Bird Elevates 19 To Partner In Global Promotions

    Bird & Bird said Thursday that it has elevated 19 lawyers to its partnership, a larger number than in 2025, with the firm's office in London representing around a third of its latest promotions.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Macfarlanes' Andrew Barton

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    Andrew Barton, head of the insurance team at Macfarlanes, discusses the challenges of conducting a transaction under Indian foreign direct investment rules, why the Draft Insurable Interest Bill should be followed through, and how the defined benefit pensions risk transfer space has become the fastest growing insurance market in the world.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From CRS' Sarah Wigington

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    Sarah Wigington, head of CRS' U.K. corporate team, discusses the challenges of conducting a joint venture with numerous moving parts that had to land at precisely the same moment, how simplification of corporate reporting and disclosure obligations would help midmarket businesses, and why ESG factors are now a threshold issue.

  • 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.

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