Pulse UK

  • November 11, 2025

    Criminal Law Must Reform To Retain Talent, Leveson Warns

    Retired judge Brian Leveson told the Justice Committee on Tuesday that criminal law must become more attractive for legal professionals if it is to retain the talent and experience needed within the justice system.

  • November 11, 2025

    Solicitor Denies Intentionally Misleading Mortgage Lender

    A former employee of a now-defunct law firm denied allegations brought by the profession's regulator on Tuesday that she knowingly misled a mortgage lender in a conveyancing matter, admitting she made some mistakes but denying they were intentional or dishonest.

  • November 10, 2025

    Barristers Report Better Well-Being But Gaps Persist

    The Bar Council said Monday that more work needs to be done amid lower levels of well-being among younger barristers and women, as well as those working in criminal and family law. 

  • November 10, 2025

    Reed Smith Nets Ex-Leicester City GC As Partner In London

    Reed Smith LLP said Monday it has hired the general counsel of former Premier League champions Leicester City FC as a London-based partner in its entertainment and media practice.

  • November 10, 2025

    Solicitor Suspended For Keeping Law Firm's Woes From SRA

    A former head of legal practice at a law firm in northwest England has been suspended after she failed to tell the Solicitors Regulation Authority that the legal business was facing serious financial difficulties before it went bust.

  • November 10, 2025

    Paul Hastings Hires Weil, Cadwalader Pros For Tax Expansion

    Paul Hastings LLP said Monday that it has hired two new partners from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP in London as it looks to build a tax team to support its growing transactional practices.

  • November 10, 2025

    Ex-Rosenblatt Firm Argues VC Co. Can't Dodge £6M Legal Bill

    Winros Partnership, formerly known as Rosenblatt Solicitors, told a London court Monday that a venture capital firm can't escape paying £6 million ($7.9 million) in legal costs, arguing that a judge was wrong to find its bill invalid.

  • November 10, 2025

    Energy Co.'s Firing Of Lawyer Over Angola Role Found Unfair

    A former in-house lawyer at Italian energy giant Eni has convinced a tribunal that he unfairly lost his job after refusing an assignment in Angola amid concerns over the validity of his visa.

  • November 10, 2025

    Charles Russell Speechlys Adds Fladgate Corporate Pro

    Charles Russell Speechlys LLP said on Monday that it has hired a corporate lawyer as a partner to its team in London to boost the firm's global funds and real estate practice.

  • November 07, 2025

    PE-Backed Fletchers Enters Family Law With Rayden Deal

    British law firm Fletchers Group, backed by private equity firm Sun European Partners LLP, has agreed to acquire St. Albans-based Rayden Solicitors, stepping into the family law practice and adding a new specialty to its portfolio for an undisclosed amount.

  • November 07, 2025

    UK LLPs Face Reduced NICs, But Equity Partners Still At Risk

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has reportedly scaled back plans to impose National Insurance contributions on LLP members but is reportedly considering a reduced rate — a move experts warn could still significantly impact equity partners. 

  • November 07, 2025

    Minimum Pupillage Pay Raised To £26K In London In 2026

    The Bar Standards Board said Friday that the minimum amount those undertaking pupillages in London must be paid will rise to almost £26,000 ($34,000) at the start of 2026, as part of the regulator's latest round of uplifts.

  • November 07, 2025

    SRA Publishes Details Of Restrictions On Mazur Litigator

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published its decision on the law firm employee at the heart of the landmark Mazur court ruling, divulging that he had been suspended as a solicitor in 2008.

  • November 07, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen Big Technologies file fresh claims against its ousted chief executive, West Ham United FC sue Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance for breach of duty, and RSM UK face a new claim over a company's administration. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K. 

  • 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. 

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Farrer & Co.'s Kathleen Heycock

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    Kathleen Heycock, leader of the employment practice at Farrer & Co., discusses why challenging cases foster a sense of achievement, how an increase in workplace investigations has affected her practice, and the importance of emotional intelligence when working on both positive and negative employment matters.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Morgan Lewis' Timothy Corbett

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    Timothy Corbett, leader of Morgan Lewis' London corporate and business transactions practice, discusses the challenges of divesting a company of its Russia operations under wartime conditions, the need to align regional regulatory approaches to artificial intelligence across global businesses, and why junior lawyers should develop an area of special interest.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Covington's Gregor Frizzell

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    Gregor Frizzell, head of the EMEA corporate group and vice chair of the global corporate practice at Covington, discusses the creative challenges of merger and acquisition document provisions, how modernizing the archaic stamp duty regime would be welcomed by tax lawyers, and the guidance offered by a recent case on the interpretation of material adverse clauses.

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