Pulse UK

  • May 15, 2026

    Legal Tech Roundup: Legora, Docusign

    Several legal technology companies formed new partnerships across the industry this past week.

  • May 15, 2026

    SRA Records 58% Jump In Misconduct Reports In 2 Years

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Friday that it has recorded a 58% increase in misconduct reports over the last two years as it seeks higher fees to strengthen its capacity to regulate the profession and improve protection for consumers.

  • May 15, 2026

    Brandsmiths Client Hit With Costs Penalty Over SRA Threat

    A London court has ordered a discount retailer to pay indemnity costs, finding the company's solicitors Brandsmiths misused criminal contempt proceedings and threatened to report their opposition lawyers to the profession's regulator in an attempt to gain leverage in a trademark dispute.

  • May 15, 2026

    The Revolving Door: US Firms Push Ahead With London Hires 

    Over the past week, Vinson & Elkins hired Ashurst's energy M&A head, White & Case tapped a Baker McKenzie infrastructure partner after a string of exits, Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen hired a construction partner from Quinn Emanuel, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher added a second restructuring partner from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett this year.

  • May 15, 2026

    Ex-Chair Of Law Firm Group Fights £1.1M Guarantee Claim

    The former executive chair of the collapsed Metamorph Group of law firms has said he does not owe approximately £1.1 million ($1.5 million) to two insurers under personal guarantees, arguing that money he authorized for release to them discharged his obligations.

  • May 15, 2026

    Law Firm Keystone To Return £1.5M To Shareholders

    Keystone Law kicked off a £1.5 million ($2 million) program to repurchase shares from investors on Friday after reporting higher revenue and amid growth in the number of lawyers at the firm.

  • May 14, 2026

    Barrister Loses Bid To Overturn £15K Fine Tied To Tax Row

    A London court has maintained a £15,000 ($20,100) fine imposed on a barrister after he sent a barrage of emails accusing HMRC and a caseworker of colluding to sabotage his tax appeal, backing a disciplinary panel's findings of misconduct.

  • May 14, 2026

    Spurs Hires Lawyer From Sports Boutique Northridge

    Tottenham Hotspur FC has hired a new in-house lawyer from sports boutique Northridge who worked on the sale of Chelsea FC and the partnership between Spotify and FC Barcelona.

  • May 21, 2026

    Reed Smith Adds Ex-Pinsent Masons IP Pro In Munich

    Reed Smith LLP has recruited a former partner at Pinsent Masons LLP in Germany to add to its intellectual property and life sciences offering in Europe.

  • May 14, 2026

    BP Deputy General Counsel To Join Rio Tinto As CLO

    Mining business Rio Tinto said Thursday it has appointed BP's deputy general counsel as its new chief legal officer for governance and corporate affairs.

  • May 14, 2026

    Inside A Legal Team's Push To Cut Law Firm Bills With AI

    The legal department of the European-based private debt firm Park Square Capital slashed review times and outside spending costs for certain documents in early 2026 by turning to an artificial intelligence tool.

  • May 14, 2026

    Pogust Goodhead's Brazil Shipwreck Case Struck Out

    A judge struck out on Thursday a claim brought by Pogust Goodhead on behalf of approximately 18,000 Brazilians over pollution caused by a shipwreck, after the law firm's authority to bring the action was thrown into doubt.

  • May 14, 2026

    Freshfields Taps Private Capital Co-Head For New UK Chief

    Freshfields LLP appointed a new managing partner for the U.K. on Thursday, naming private capital partner Victoria Sigeti as successor to Mark Sansom.

  • May 14, 2026

    Legal Sector Revenue Hits Record £5.6B High In March

    The U.K. legal industry posted revenue of approximately £5.6 billion ($7.6 billion) in March, according to official statistics released Thursday, making it the highest-ever monthly figure the sector has recorded.

  • May 14, 2026

    Burness Paull Posts Record £100M Turnover On Growth Push

    Burness Paull said Thursday that it has posted record turnover of more than £100 million ($135 million) and that profit and partner profits have also hit new highs in the first 12 months of the Scottish law firm's three-year strategy for growth.

  • May 14, 2026

    Freeths Settles £5M Claim Over Advice On Soured Quarry Deal

    Freeths has reached a settlement in its £5 million ($6.8 million) negligence dispute with a litigation-funder at a London court, swerving claims that its advice caused the owner of a quarrying business to lose his company.

  • May 13, 2026

    Dentons Hires Europe Head Of Legal Tech Enablement

    Ana Burbano, a legal operations and technology expert, announced on Wednesday that she has been hired as head of legal tech enablement for the European region at global law firm Dentons.

  • May 13, 2026

    Akin Adds 4 PE Attys From Sidley, Gains New Practice Head

    Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP announced Wednesday that it has welcomed four private equity attorneys to its New York and London offices, with three returning to the firm, including one who will lead the private equity practice.

  • May 13, 2026

    Carta Buys AI-Native Law Firm Avantia To Target PE Market

    U.S.-based private markets fintech company Carta said Wednesday that it has acquired U.K. law firm Avantia Law Ltd. in a move that enables it to offer artificial intelligence-powered legal and compliance services to private equity and venture capital firms.

  • May 13, 2026

    Ex-BDB Pitmans Client Challenges Denial Of Fee Protections

    A former client of BDB Pitmans urged a London appellate court on Wednesday to overturn rulings that their agreement for contentious work with the firm did not meet the requirements for statutory protections.

  • May 13, 2026

    Gov't Draws Funders' Ire After Avoiding PACCAR Again

    Litigation-funding companies said Wednesday that they were "deeply disappointed" by the absence in the King's Speech of legislation to reverse the effects of a landmark ruling that upended their business model.

  • May 13, 2026

    Stephenson Harwood Sues Bulgari Jewelry Heiress Over Debt

    Stephenson Harwood has sued a member of the Bulgari family, upping the stakes in her fight against another jewelry heiress over a $130 million family trust. 

  • May 13, 2026

    Fletchers Group Hires 42 From Freeths In Practice Expansion

    Fletchers Group said Wednesday that it has acquired the clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams of another English law firm as it continues to expand its coverage across the country.

  • May 20, 2026

    Eversheds Sutherland Hires 2 Partners In Dublin, Belfast

    Eversheds Sutherland has hired two new partners in Dublin and Belfast, continuing its expansion after the firm integrated its Irish operations into its international business in 2025.

  • May 13, 2026

    Sweden's AGRD Taps Icelandic Firm As It Eyes Expansion

    Swedish legal services group AGRD Partners said on Wednesday that it has acquired a leading Icelandic law firm, marking the group's first move outside Sweden as part of a plan for expansion that could reach the U.K.

Expert Analysis

  • Viral Comms Crises Create Dual Corp. Governance Threats

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    As legislative hearings increase in frequency and social media fuels their reputational impact, corporate legal teams face a new dual challenge that reflects a fundamental shift in accountability and demands new strategies, governance frameworks and organizational capabilities, says Joanna Ludlam at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Mishcon's Richard Leedham

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    Richard Leedham, head of the commercial litigation practice and insurance disputes team at Mishcon de Reya, discusses the challenges of coordinating a complex lawsuit during lockdown, why the remedy for damages for late insurance claim payments is practically worthless, and the importance of focusing on hard legal argument in class actions.

  • 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.

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