Pulse UK

  • January 27, 2025

    Law Firms Among Top Offenders For Underpaid Internships

    Nearly half of employers in the legal sector are paying interns less than the national minimum wage — or nothing at all — widening the gap between middle- and working-class graduates who want access to internships, a new study has found.

  • February 03, 2025

    Morgan Lewis Adds Competition, Finance Pros In London

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP said Monday it has hired specialists in competition and structured finance from Baker McKenzie and Akin Gump, respectively, as it looks to continue to expand across Europe.

  • February 03, 2025

    Simmons Hires Restructuring Pro From Dechert

    Simmons & Simmons LLP has hired a restructuring expert to join its wider private equity and leveraged finance practice in London as the firm reacts to an uptick in global demand for its services in the evolving lending sector

  • January 24, 2025

    Reed Smith Brings Back Tax Pro From Amazon In Brussels

    An attorney who specializes in customs, trade and excise tax matters in the European Union and U.K. has rejoined Reed Smith LLP in Brussels after a stint at Amazon, the firm announced.

  • January 24, 2025

    The Revolving Door: Another SRA Exec Joins Kingsley Napley

    Over the past week, the Solicitors Regulation Authority lost another executive to Kingsley Napley LLP, another Travers Smith LLP partner left the firm, and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP hired a private funds partner from Proskauer Rose LLP.

  • January 24, 2025

    FCA Settles Claims Law Firm Helped Illegal Investment Plans

    The Financial Conduct Authority said Friday it has settled with a regional law firm over allegations that it helped a client promote a misleading care home investment scheme causing £50 million ($62 million) in losses.

  • January 24, 2025

    DLA Piper Refreshes International Board With New Appointees

    DLA Piper has refreshed its international board with the reelection of a Milan-based leader for a second term and the addition of leaders from Singapore, Dublin and Paris, the firm announced Friday.

  • January 24, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen Axa Insurance and Admiral face a claim from a former lawyer recently exposed for personal injury fraud, the owner of Reading Football Club sue a prospective buyer and mobile network Lycamobile tackle action by Spanish network Yogio. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • January 31, 2025

    Derains & Gharavi Arbitration Pros Set Up Paris Boutique

    Two international arbitrators from Derains & Gharavi have left the firm to set up their own boutique practice that leverages their combined decades of experience in investor-state and commercial arbitration.

  • January 24, 2025

    Baker McKenzie Pro Gets Breathalyzer Refusal Case Tossed

    The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out allegations that a Baker McKenzie solicitor failed to act with integrity when he refused to provide a breathalyzer sample after being pulled over by the police, though it did endorse other parts of the solicitors' watchdog's case.

  • January 24, 2025

    New Tribunal Venue To Open In 2026 After Cost Overruns

    A new London tribunal building is due to open in January 2026, after its completion was delayed by "unexpected issues" at the new site near St Paul's Cathedral and a "significant rise" in costs, stakeholders were told on Friday.

  • January 24, 2025

    A&O Partner Only Solicitor To Make KC Cut In Widened List

    More than 100 lawyers have been awarded King's Counsel status in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice said on Friday — although an A&O Shearman partner was the only solicitor to make the cut in a group with limited diversity.

  • January 24, 2025

    Burges Salmon Names Clean Energy Pro Next Senior Partner

    Burges Salmon LLP said on Friday that it has appointed clean energy lawyer Ross Fairley as its next senior partner as to continue the momentum sparked by record-breaking financial results.

  • January 24, 2025

    Ex-Freshfields Worker Barred Over Child Sexual Offenses

    A former IT worker at Freshfields has been barred from the profession after he was convicted by a criminal court of committing more than a dozen sexual offenses against children, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said Friday.

  • January 24, 2025

    Gov't Consults On £20M-A-Year Legal Aid Funding Boost

    The government began consulting on Friday on proposals to increase legal aid funding in housing and immigration by £20 million ($25 million) in what would be the first major cash boost for civil legal aid since 1996.

  • January 24, 2025

    RBG, Rosenblatt Push Back Deadline For Deal By A Week

    RBG Holdings PLC said Friday that it has extended the exclusivity period to allow founder and majority shareholder Ian Rosenblatt to buy back part of the business by one week as they continue to explore a deal. 

  • January 23, 2025

    Assistant Wasn't Forced Out Over Son's Job Offer, Judge Says

    An assistant was not forced out of her role at a specialist healthcare sector recruiter after the company questioned her involvement in the process that led to her son being given a job offer, an employment tribunal has ruled.

  • January 23, 2025

    Union Organizer To Lead Dispute Resolution At Acas

    The employment arbitration body has named the former head of organizing at the Trade Union Congress as its new director of dispute resolution, the body said Thursday.

  • January 23, 2025

    Solicitor Sues Faculty Of Advocates, Alleging Service Denial

    A Scottish solicitor has brought a claim against the Faculty of Advocates' service company at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging the company refused to let him hire an advocate in two cases where he is representing himself.

  • January 23, 2025

    Big Four Auditors Shed Talent As Pay Wars Roil London

    The Big Four accounting firms are experiencing a departure of talent to traditional law firms — and the trend shows no signs of cooling as analysts blame the losses on the salary wars in London.

  • January 23, 2025

    Archaeology Trust Sues Blake Morgan Over Pensions Advice

    An archaeological trust has accused Blake Morgan LLP of providing negligent advice on the closure of its pensions plan, telling a London court that a failure to validly shut the savings scheme led to £2.5 million ($3.1 million) in extra payouts.

  • January 23, 2025

    Litigation-Funder Sues Merricks Over Mastercard Settlement

    A representative of more than 45 million U.K. consumers in a class action against Mastercard is being sued by his litigation-funder over his decision to reach a settlement in the £10 billion ($12.3 billion) case for £200 million.

  • January 23, 2025

    Squire Patton Hires 7-Lawyer EU Regulatory Team In Brussels

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP said Thursday it has snapped up a seven-strong team of lawyers from Fieldfisher LLP in Brussels to help it support clients on environmental, products and chemicals regulatory matters.

  • January 22, 2025

    How A Mishcon Lawyer Helped Get Gaza Hostages Released

    It may be a far cry from his day-to-day job, but a London-based Mishcon de Reya LLP partner has been clocking hundreds of pro bono hours acting for the British families of some of the hostages held in Gaza.

  • January 22, 2025

    SRA Bars Ex-Stephenson Harwood Staffer For Taking Money

    A former employee at Stephenson Harwood LLP has been banned from working the legal profession by the solicitors' watchdog for taking money that she was not entitled to.

Expert Analysis

  • More Remains To Be Done To Achieve Gender Parity In Law

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    Significant strides have been made over the years to improve gender diversity in the legal profession, but the pay gap, lack of workplace flexibility and uneven child care burden remain significant challenges to progress, says Caroline Green at Browne Jacobson.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

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    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • Legal Industry Can Help Steer UK Out Of Social Mobility Crisis

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    The legal industry has a responsibility to help mitigate the U.K. social mobility crisis highlighted by the recent State of the Nation report, and it can start to increase socioeconomic diversity in its ranks by focusing on reducing the educational barriers to entering the profession, says Jo-Anne Pugh at BPP University Law School.

  • 2024 Will Be A Busy Year For Generative AI And IP Issues

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    In light of increased litigation and policy proposals on balancing intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence innovation, 2024 is shaping up to be full of fast-moving developments that will have significant implications for AI tool developers, users of such tools and rights holders, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

  • How Businesses Can Prepare For Cyber Resilience In 2024

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    With cybersecurity breaches one of the biggest threats to U.K. businesses and as legislation tightens, organizations should prioritize their external security measures in 2024 and mitigate risks by being well-informed on internal data protection procedures, says Kevin Modiri at Nelsons.

  • PR Perspectives: Taking Stock Of 2023, Preparing For 2024

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    As law firms and PR teams review their 2023 external communications output, it is a good moment to consider how to maintain a perfect profile in order to enhance, protect and advance a firm's reputation for the coming year, says Louise Beeson at Bell Yard Communications.

  • PR Perspectives: How To Communicate A Law Firm Merger

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    Recent data shows a significant increase in law firm mergers and acquisitions in the U.K., and to ensure the deal goes without a hitch, both internal and external communications need to be carefully planned so that appropriate messaging aligns with the objectives of the deal, says Belinda Lewis at Birketts.

  • Why Law Firms Should Heed Calls To Put ESG Over Profit

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    According to Deloitte’s recent survey, the majority of Gen Z and millennials remain unimpressed with businesses’ societal impact, and junior lawyers in particular are increasingly expecting the legal profession to shift to a business model that prioritizes sustainability above profitability, says Dana Denis-Smith at Obelisk Support.

  • PR Perspectives: What Not To Do In Legal Public Relations

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    There is a wealth of advice about how to publicize a law firm, but what not to do is just as important, and ignoring a target audience, communicating without a strategy, or misusing social media are potentially risky and reputation-damaging practices, says Steve Rudaini at MD Communications.

  • A Diverse Workforce Can Help Close The Legal Talent Gap

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    Recent reports from professional firms reveal that a diverse workforce is likely to close the talent gap and achieve better business outcomes, and for law firms, this needs to start with routes into the profession in order to make a real change, says Jody Tranter at Barbri.

  • Navigating The Novel Challenges Facing The Legal Profession

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    The increasing prominence of ESG and AI have transformed the legal landscape and represent new opportunities for lawyers, but with evolving regulations and the ever-expanding reach of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, law firms should ensure that they have appropriate policies in place to adapt to these challenges, say Scott Ashby and Aimee Talbot at RPC.

  • Key Lessons From The SRA's 2023 AML Report

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    The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s recent anti-money laundering report conducted supervisory activities that revealed a variety of breaches, and with an increasingly regulated landscape, lawyers can play an important part in preventing criminal activity by taking responsibility for ensuring compliance, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.

  • How The Legal Sector Can Enhance Its Data Resilience

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    In view of the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre’s recent report shedding light on the legal sector’s increased vulnerability to cyberattacks, law firms need not only establish robust defenses, but also to redefine their approach to data security by fostering a culture of continuous learning, adaptability and vigilance, says Katie McCullough at Panzura.

  • Building Strong Relationships At All Stages Of A Legal Career

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    Whether a junior attorney seeks to lay the foundation for a path to partnership, or a seasoned practitioner aims to leverage an extensive network, the road to legal industry success often involves cultivating sincere relationships, say Kathleen Hilton and Megan Senese at Stage.

  • How Mentoring Can Increase Black Representation In Law

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    U.K. Black History Month is a good time to look at the importance of Black representation in the legal profession, and how mentorship can make a big difference in empowering Black lawyers, including by offering career coaching and building valuable relationships, says Christianah Babajide at Keating Chambers.

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