Pulse UK

  • November 07, 2025

    The Revolving Door: Eversheds, Paul Hastings Make Big Hires

    Over the past week, Eversheds Sutherland recruited three new partners from DLA Piper to boost its transactional risk insurance and construction practices, Paul Hastings LLP added a structured finance specialist from Ashurst LLP and Charles Russell Speechlys LLP hired a tax expert from Clifford Chance LLP. Here, Law360 looks at those and more of the week's most notable lateral hires around the U.K.

  • November 07, 2025

    Gov't Floats FCA Powers To Punish Lawyers For AML Lapses

    The U.K. government has said it intends to give the Financial Conduct Authority broad powers to enforce anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations against the legal sector, including the ability to issue fines and bans mirroring those imposed against financial firms.

  • November 07, 2025

    AI Platform Legora Launches Portal To Ease Firm-Client Work

    Swedish legal AI platform Legora said Friday it is developing a document portal that lets lawyers and clients work together in a secure workspace that avoids "inefficient" email chains with a roll-out date expected in early 2026.

  • November 06, 2025

    Akin's London Chief Leaves For GC Spot At Dubai Tech Biz

    Digital technology provider Veon Ltd. said Thursday that it has hired Sebastian Rice as general counsel, where he will take on a new role after spending the past 24 years at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

  • November 06, 2025

    City Firms Lead Profit Growth As Regional Firms See Decline

    The financial gap between City and regional law firms is widening, with big players seeing their partner profit pools surge more than 12% in financial years ending in early 2025 while regional firms saw declines of more than 10%, according to a new report published Thursday.

  • November 06, 2025

    Broadfield Can't Dodge £10M Property Sale Negligence Claim

    Broadfield Law cannot dodge a £10 million ($13 million) negligence claim over a botched property transaction, after a judge held Thursday that the sellers had a realistic chance of proving that it was liable for the actions of its predecessor.

  • November 06, 2025

    Historic England Picks 3 Law Firms For Legal Panel

    Bevan Brittan LLP, Trowers & Hamlins LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson have all secured places on the legal panel of Historic England, a public body responsible for protecting and promoting the country's heritage.

  • November 06, 2025

    Solicitor Avoids Suspension Over Fraudulent Property Deals

    A solicitor who failed to prevent a number of fraudulent or potentially fraudulent property deals can continue to practice after the profession's tribunal declined to impose an immediate suspension on Thursday.

  • November 05, 2025

    SDT Bars Solicitor Who Lied Over Client's Asylum Claim

    A former law firm partner who misled a client and other parties into thinking that he had lodged information with the Home Office to support an asylum claim has been barred from practicing as a solicitor, a tribunal has said.

  • November 05, 2025

    Legal Watchdog Pushes For Hub To Flag Troubled Firms Early

    A leading legal consumer advocate called Wednesday for the creation of a centralized hub to pool all warning signs about solicitors' firms — from complaints and inspection findings to whistleblower reports — to prevent another collapse like that of SSB Group Ltd.

  • November 05, 2025

    Funder Can't Stop Businessman's Bid To Reopen Asset Fight

    A businessman can try to reopen a long-running dispute over the assets of Gerald Smith, a former software company boss with a long history of financial crime, a London judge ruled on Wednesday. 

  • November 05, 2025

    No5 Barrister Tapped As New High Court Judge

    A silk at No5 Barristers' Chambers has been appointed as a judge at the High Court to the King's Bench Division.

  • November 05, 2025

    Burges Salmon Names Ex-Foot Anstey Vet New Finance Chief

    National U.K. law firm Burges Salmon has appointed a former Foot Anstey finance executive as its new chief financial officer.

  • November 05, 2025

    Fieldfisher To Merge With Regan Wall To Boost Irish Presence

    Fieldfisher LLP said Wednesday that it is merging with boutique law firm Regan Wall LLP, a move to boost its services in the corporate market in Ireland as it continues its expansion in Europe.

  • November 04, 2025

    Pierson Ferdinand Adds 6 More Partners In US, London

    Fast-growing Pierson Ferdinand LLP has announced that the firm added six new partners in five U.S. markets and in its London office during the month of October.

  • November 04, 2025

    Dechert Requiring 4 Days In Office For Some Attys, All Staff

    Dechert LLP joined a growing list of BigLaw firms increasing their office attendance requirements, rolling out a new policy requiring rising second-year associates and all nonattorney business professionals to work in person four days a week beginning next year.   

  • November 04, 2025

    London Partner Moves Surge 12% In Post-Summer Rebound

    London partner hiring bounced back in September and October after a summer dip to post a 12% increase, according to data published Tuesday by a leading London legal recruiter.

  • November 04, 2025

    Proposed Tax Reform Could Spur UK Law Firm Consolidation

    Facing a new tax on limited liability partnership members, U.K. law firms are weighing alternative structures in a shift experts say could accelerate consolidation across the sector and spur U.S. firms to reconsider their local setups.

  • November 04, 2025

    Ex-Slaughter & May Lawyer Banned For Lying In Pupillage Bid

    A disciplinary tribunal has struck off a former Slaughter and May associate after he admitted to telling a host of lies in his attempt to secure a pupillage within a prominent central London barristers' chambers.

  • November 04, 2025

    Carter-Ruck Invokes Privilege In Legal Bid To Stop SRA Case

    Carter-Ruck has asked the High Court to block the Solicitors Regulation Authority from investigating it for allegedly using abusive tactics against a politician during a failed libel claim brought by a client who is a donor to the Conservative Party.

  • November 04, 2025

    Lawyers Groups Urge Rethink On LLP Tax Proposals

    Leading lawyers' groups urged the government on Tuesday to scrap plans to add National Insurance contributions to the tax bills of partners in limited liability partnerships, warning that the "poorly designed" proposals could undermine the competitiveness of the legal sector.

  • November 04, 2025

    PI Boutique Express Solicitors Gets PE Backing For Growth

    Personal injury specialist Express Solicitors Ltd. said Tuesday that it has secured an investment from Ufenau Capital Partners AG in exchange for a majority stake in the firm as the private equity sector continues to take a growing interest in the U.K. legal market.

  • November 04, 2025

    Ex-Solicitor General Garnier Brings DPA Expertise To Pillsbury

    Edward Garnier KC will join Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as senior counsel to work closely with the head of the international firm's London practice, the firm revealed Tuesday.

  • November 03, 2025

    Watchdog OKs Stand-Alone Litigation Rights For Legal Execs

    The Legal Services Board said Monday that it has approved an application from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives Ltd. to authorize the executives to have stand-alone litigation practice rights, after a recent court ruling railed concerns among law firms about the legality of delegating litigation work to nonqualified employees.

  • November 03, 2025

    Littleton Chambers Adds Atlanta Litigator Turned ADR Neutral

    Littleton Chambers has brought on an arbitrator and mediator at Hendrix ADR LLC in Atlanta with decades of litigation experience, the London-based firm announced Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Roundup

    Practice Leader Insights

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    In this Law360 U.K. Expert Analysis series, leaders of employment, intellectual property, insurance and transactions practice groups share thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Bird & Bird's Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard

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    Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard, who co-heads Bird & Bird's international copyright group, discusses the challenges of working on long cases with complex issues, whether current copyright law is fit for purpose in light of artificial intelligence, ​​​​​​​and why understanding technology makes it easier to argue the nuances of the law.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Birketts' Maria Peyman

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    Maria Peyman, who heads Birketts' intellectual property team, discusses the challenges of cases involving multiple patents, the need to reform legislative provisions in light of artificial intelligence, and why junior lawyers should take opportunities to get a broad range of experience before specializing.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Mishcon de Reya's Daniel Naftalin

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    Daniel Naftalin, who chairs the employment practice at Mishcon de Reya, discusses the challenges of working on multijurisdictional litigation, the need to show consideration for lawyers' well-being, and why employment law offers unique opportunities to specialize in a commercial field with a high degree of human interest.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Baker McKenzie's David Scott

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    David Scott, head of the London mergers and acquisitions practice at Baker McKenzie, discusses the excitement of working on a highly complex transaction, the need for a harmonized approach to deal regulatory scrutiny, and why deal work can become addictive.

  • Transatlantic Law Firm Mergers Are Transforming UK Market

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    With the current prevalence for high-profile U.K.-U.S. law firm mergers likely to continue, a new type of firm could emerge that strikes a balance between U.K. culture and working style, but with the global ambition that U.S. firms offer, says Ria Karnik at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Taylor Wessing's Paul Callaghan

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    Paul Callaghan, who leads Taylor Wessing's employment, pensions and mobility group, discusses the challenges of clients who take matters personally, why discrimination based on socioeconomic background needs to be addressed by the law, and how being contracted as an independent investigator is becoming a new trend for senior employment lawyers.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From BCLP's Benjamin Lee

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    Benjamin Lee, who co-leads BCLP's global corporate transactions practice, discusses the value of face-to-face meetings, how aspects of English company law could align with a more global approach, and what junior lawyers can learn by observing their senior colleagues.

  • Opinion

    Defunding Lawyer Apprenticeships Could Have Hidden Costs

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    In proposing to reform the U.K. apprenticeship system, it is crucial that the government gives sufficient consideration to how funding changes could reduce opportunities for underrepresented groups and negatively affect firms' ability to deliver effective training, says Carrie Laws at The Family Law Co.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Eversheds' Diane Gilhooley

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    Diane Gilhooley, who leads Eversheds Sutherland's employment, labor and pensions practice, looks at the multifaceted challenges of advising clients during pandemic lockdowns, the need to reform U.K.'s whistleblowing law, and why it's important for lawyers to enjoy their work.

  • 'Revolving Door' Model Can Help Bridge Legal Sector Gaps

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    The ability for lawyers to move freely between private and public sectors, a long-time feature of the U.S. legal landscape that was recently embraced by the U.K. Government Legal Department, offers valuable career experience and an effective way to close talent gaps at either end, say James Lavan and Thomas Hanlon at Buchanan.

  • Pros And Cons Of Nonequity Partnership For English Firms

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    With Cleary recently announcing a new nonequity partner category, it is an opportune time for firms governed by English law to examine the advantages and disadvantages of this position from the perspective of both the firm and the lawyer, says John Gould at Russell-Cooke.

  • Global Law Firms: The Challenge Of Where To Do Business

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    As the world becomes less predictable and operational risks present greater challenges, global law firms must contend with a range of pressures, yet financial considerations still drive much of the process when deciding where to plant a flag, say Bethaney Durkin and Liam McCafferty at Byfield Consultancy.

  • How Partners' Role In Firm Culture Affects Pay Decisions

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    Amid an increased regulatory focus on workplace culture, law firms are more than ever having to grapple with how they can reinforce the right partner behaviors when making decisions as to promotion or remuneration, in a way that is objective and fair, say Andrew Pavlovic and Corinne Staves at CM Murray.

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