Pulse UK

  • 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

    The Revolving Door: Top Dealmaker Exits Paul Weiss

    Over the past week, a renowned dealmaker left Paul Weiss for Kirkland, a private equity and real estate team exited Covington for Paul Hastings, and three restructuring specialists left Weil for Akin.

  • 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

    Legal Tech Roundup: Cleo Labs, Harvey

    An early-stage funding round for a regulatory compliance startup tops this roundup of recent legal technology news.

  • 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.

  • April 30, 2026

    Mazur Ruling Shows Law Needs Refresh, CILEX Chief Says

    The head of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives is calling on the government to update the legislation that governs the regulation of legal services, saying that the recent ruling over who can conduct litigation has starkly exposed the limits of the U.K.'s 19-year-old framework.

  • April 30, 2026

    Tech Startup's Legal Chief Wins Claim For Unpaid Wages

    A former legal chief at a tech startup has won his claim for unpaid wages after a tribunal found he had never agreed that the company would have to pay his full £120,000 ($162,000) salary only if the business raised enough outside investment. 

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Kingsley Napley's Corinne Aldridge

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    Corinne Aldridge, head of employment at Kingsley Napley, discusses the challenges of leading a transaction requiring local employment law advice from multiple jurisdictions, how the perception of workplace conduct has changed dramatically in recent years, and why people skills and empathy are key in her field.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Birketts' Gavin Coull

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    Gavin Coull, head of insurance and reinsurance at Birketts, discusses litigating in the aftermath of the London Market Excess of Loss spiral, how reinsurance disputes have grown in scope in the last few years, and why understanding commercial drivers is just as important as learning the law.

  • Practice Leader Insights From McDermott's Aymen Mahmoud

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    Aymen Mahmoud, co-head of the London transactions practice at McDermott, discusses the challenges of navigating a complex cross-border financing in his first matter as partner, why regulators should resist the instinct to fix what is not broken, and how private capital continues to reshape the landscape.

  • Law Firms Must Offer More Than Perks To Retain Top Talent

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    Perks make headlines as law firms look for ways to draw in the best talent, but while they add value, they cannot replace competitive and transparent pay or the realistic career road map that form the fundamentals of a strong recruitment strategy and result in long-term engagement, says Adam Stocker at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From HSF Kramer's Samantha Brown

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    Samantha Brown, HSF Kramer's managing partner for employment, pensions and incentives for U.K. and Europe, the Middle East and Africa, discusses the challenges of managing a deal where many of the commercial aspects were new to the buyout market, why pension adequacy needs attention, and how new pensions legislation makes it an exciting time for schemes and their advisers.

  • How AI Can Support Dealmakers On Business Exits

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    Entrepreneurs are increasingly using artificial intelligence in their operations to model valuations or test market timing, and the same sophistication is expected from those advising them, so lawyers should use AI tools responsibly to reinforce their judgment and good advice, says Amen Alonge at Farrer.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Walkers' Neil McDonald

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    Neil McDonald, head of the corporate and M&A group at Walkers Global in London, discusses the challenges of conducting a multijurisdictional transaction with a pressing timeline, the need for regulation to keep pace with innovation, and why a willingness to go the extra mile to assist clients is so important.

  • Law Firms Can Turn Brand Threats Into Opportunities In 2026

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    If left unchecked, four megatrends — polarization, artificial intelligence, Gen Z and saturation — could threaten law firm growth or even long-term survival, but if well managed may be turned into opportunities to empower a brand, says Leor Franks at Kingsley Napley.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Addleshaw's Paul Medlicott

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    Paul Medlicott, head of private equity at Addleshaw Goddard, discusses the challenges of working on a deal involving five separate acquisitions in one day, why foreign direct investment legislation would benefit from refinement, and how the evolution of private equity has been positive for the industry.

  • Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails

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    The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Stephensons' Philip Richardson

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    Philip Richardson, head of employment law at Stephensons Solicitors, discusses the challenges of an emotionally charged case that put his client management skills to the test, whether the Employment Rights Bill strikes the right balance for employees, and how there still needs to be greater focus on quality control for artificial intelligence.

  • Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI

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    The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Kate Ball-Dodd

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    Kate Ball-Dodd, Mayer Brown's head of corporate and securities in London, discusses the challenges of selling a majority stake in Celtic Football Club to its fans, how current dividend rules are a complicated trap for the unwary, and why generative artificial intelligence tools will provide clients with the ability to digest more information in a cost-effective manner.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights: Addleshaw's Michael Leftley

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    Michael Leftley, head of employment at Addleshaw Goddard, discusses the challenges of combining novel legal issues with lawyers' expectations, why he believes the system for workplace conflict resolution is broken, and the importance of possessing a broad skill set that includes good emotional intelligence.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Squire Patton's Ranajoy Basu

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    Ranajoy Basu, global head of structured finance at Squire Patton, discusses the challenges of working on a transaction recognized by the G20 as a "game-changing financial innovation," the benefits of streamlining pretransaction due diligence, and why increased market activity in alternative asset securitizations is likely.

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