Pulse UK

  • May 26, 2026

    Trade Union OK To Refuse Legal Help To Employment Solicitor

    A tribunal has ruled that Unite the Union did not unfairly penalize an employment solicitor who was a member of the union by refusing to fund legal action against his former employer after he terminated a retainer with his initial advisers.

  • May 26, 2026

    SRA Starts Search For New Chair As Bradley Steps Down

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority said Tuesday that it has started the process of finding a new chair, following Anna Bradley's decision to step down after an extended term designed to stabilize the watchdog after a series of scandals.

  • May 26, 2026

    Forsters' Email Service Nullifies Multimillion-Pound Claim

    A London judge threw out on Tuesday a property company's case worth tens of millions of pounds, concluding that the claimants' lawyers at Forsters LLP had failed to properly serve the claim over email to the solicitors of a construction group.

  • May 26, 2026

    Legora To Open New Offices In Singapore, Tokyo

    Legora has said that it will open new offices in Singapore and Tokyo later in 2026 as the legal artificial intelligence platform extends its reach in the Asia-Pacific region and expands its operations.

  • May 26, 2026

    Justice Ben Stephens To Retire From Top UK Court In 2027

    Justice Ben Stephens said Tuesday that he plans to retire from the U.K. Supreme Court in 2027 after serving for six years on the country's highest court.

  • May 22, 2026

    Law Firms Weigh Secretive Pay Models To Keep Top Partners

    Traditional equity structures that allow partners to see each other's pay are coming under strain as law firms pursue growth, prompting more firms to consider opaque "black-box" compensation systems that keep partner pay confidential, recruiters and advisers say.

  • May 22, 2026

    UK Crime-Reporting Push Stalls Over Lawyers' Privilege Fears

    Reluctance among lawyers to raise the alarm on suspicious clients is hampering the fight against economic crime as companies wrestle with legal and cultural issues that could land them in hot water with regulators.

  • May 22, 2026

    Pinsent Masons Self-Reports To SRA Over Lawyer's Use Of AI

    Pinsent Masons LLP has referred itself to the Solicitors Regulation Authority after admitting that one of its junior lawyers used artificial intelligence to generate made-up law in letters sent to court, as a London judge said Friday he would not consider initiating contempt proceedings.

  • May 22, 2026

    3 Kings Counsel Named In BSB Complaint Over Status Use

    David Pannick KC and two other senior barristers face a formal complaint to the Bar Standards Board from two legal advocacy groups accusing them of allowing their professional status to be used in correspondence intended to intimidate pro-Palestine campaigners.

  • May 22, 2026

    Gov't Unveils Initiative To Boost Diversity In Judiciary

    The Ministry of Justice said Friday that it has launched an initiative to accelerate the recruitment of judges from diverse backgrounds amid concerns that progress has been too slow in broadening representation in the profession.

  • May 22, 2026

    Rosenblatt Defeats Ex-Partner's Bid To Revive Race Bias Case

    An appellate tribunal refused on Friday to revive a former Rosenblatt partner's race discrimination claims against the law firm's senior figures and former chief executive, concluding that an executive's use of an inflammatory slur for Black people wasn't enough to prop up his case.  

  • May 22, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen Napster sued by a music royalties company, White & Case LLP and Laytons LLP targeted in a claim by a property developer, a short-term lender pursue legal action against law firm Rainer Hughes and its former founding partner following his strike-off for money laundering offenses, and the administrators of London Bridging sue the founder of collapsed Market Financial Solutions. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 22, 2026

    PE-Backed AGRD Buys Swedish Law Firm In Expansion Drive

    Private equity-backed legal services group AGRD Partners said Friday that it has acquired a law firm based in the Swedish city of Malmö as it continues to implement its expansion strategy.

  • May 21, 2026

    Debevoise Adds Bonus Pool For Partners, Retains Lockstep

    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is creating a bonus pool for partners and retaining its lockstep compensation model, the firm confirmed Thursday.

  • May 21, 2026

    Osborne Clarke Spins Off AI Compliance Info Venture

    Osborne Clarke LLP said Thursday that it had spun off its AI-powered regulatory monitoring startup for legal and compliance departments, the first time the firm has launched an independent company.

  • May 21, 2026

    Asset Manager Lawyer Struck Off For Altering Emails

    A solicitor working in-house at an asset management firm has been disbarred after a tribunal found that she acted dishonestly by fabricating emails to delay an investigation into her drunk driving conviction.

  • May 21, 2026

    Criminal Lawyer Sanctioned For Bullying Female Workers

    A senior partner at a criminal defense specialist has been sanctioned by a tribunal after he was found to have abused his position by subjecting five young female employees to bullying, harassment and other inappropriate behavior.

  • May 21, 2026

    Debevoise Names 16 New Partners As London, NY Dominate

    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP said Thursday that it is elevating 16 lawyers to its partnership, with London and New York accounting for most of the U.S. firm's promotions round.

  • May 21, 2026

    Dentons Wins 65% Of Its Costs From SRA Over AML Case

    An English appeals court ruled Thursday that the Solicitors Regulation Authority might have to pay Dentons more than £515,000 ($690,000) over the watchdog's failed attempt to prosecute the firm for breaching the U.K.'s money laundering rules. 

  • May 21, 2026

    Ex-Gunnercooke Pro Rebuked For Not Revealing Drink-Driving

    A former senior lawyer at Gunnercooke LLP has been rebuked for failing to report his drink-driving conviction to the Solicitors Regulation Authority promptly during his time at the firm, the solicitors' watchdog said Thursday.

  • May 21, 2026

    Employment Lawyers Propose 'Radical' Tribunal Reform Plan

    Employment lawyers are calling for "radical reform" of the workplace disputes resolution system, saying in research published on Thursday that compulsory mediation and a multi-track system based on the value of claims would improve access to justice as a backlog of cases at the Employment Tribunal grows.

  • May 20, 2026

    Investcorp Eyes More Law Firm Deals In AI-Resilient Practices

    Investcorp’s first investment in the legal sector has prompted the firm to explore further deals in mid-market "human" intensive law firms that managing director Owen Li told Law360 are better insulated from AI disruption.

  • May 20, 2026

    Jylo Picks Strasbourg For 1st European Office

    An AI software company spun off from Travers Smith LLP in 2024 has announced the opening of a new office in France, its first permanent location beyond the U.K. as part of a broader global expansion plan.

  • May 20, 2026

    Merricks Says Innsworth Made Enough From £200M CPO Deal

    The class representative of a U.K. mass claim against Mastercard said Wednesday that a London court should rebuff litigation funder Innsworth's challenge to the distribution of the claim's £200 million ($269 million) settlement, arguing that it received enough profit in light of how the claim had gone.

  • May 20, 2026

    Charles Russell Speechlys Moves To Bigger Office In Milan

    Charles Russell Speechlys LLP said Wednesday that it has moved to a larger office in Milan as it continues to expand its Italian practice.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Macfarlanes' Andrew Barton

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    Andrew Barton, head of the insurance team at Macfarlanes, discusses the challenges of conducting a transaction under Indian foreign direct investment rules, why the Draft Insurable Interest Bill should be followed through, and how the defined benefit pensions risk transfer space has become the fastest growing insurance market in the world.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From CRS' Sarah Wigington

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    Sarah Wigington, head of CRS' U.K. corporate team, discusses the challenges of conducting a joint venture with numerous moving parts that had to land at precisely the same moment, how simplification of corporate reporting and disclosure obligations would help midmarket businesses, and why ESG factors are now a threshold issue.

  • PE's Path In UK Legal Market Offers Playbook For US Firms

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    The U.K. offers 14 years' worth of data on private equity's involvement in the legal market, demonstrating for U.S. firms what worked, what didn’t and why, and illustrating several lessons about operational readiness, cultural fit and timing, says Tom Lenfestey at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Lack Of Associate Pay Progression May Leave Firms Exposed

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    Willkie’s recent salary increases for newly qualified lawyers in London made headline news, but the more important issue is how firms pay midlevel associates, since allowing pay progression to lag materially risks undermining the cohort firms rely on to sustain client relationships and train the next generation, says Adam Stocker at Major Lindsey.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Wedlake Bell's Adam Grant

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    Adam Grant, head of employment at Wedlake Bell, discusses the challenges of persuading a business to offer employees greater support when it makes large-scale redundancies, the need for new guidance on returning data subject access requests to their intended purpose, and how economic uncertainty with less job security may lead to more office presence.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Willkie's Gavin Gordon

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    Willkie's chair of European private equity, Gavin Gordon, discusses the challenges of conducting a merger across differing time zones and in a complex regulatory environment, how clients are frustrated by the growing impact of antitrust filings, and why there is a mismatch on valuation expectation between buyers and sellers.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From CRS' Dewdney Drew

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    Dewdney Drew, head of brand protection at Charles Russell Speechlys, discusses the challenges of working on a firm's rebrand under time pressure, how the process to simplify U.K. design protection is under way, and why lawyers need to harness the power of artificial intelligence.

  • What UK, EU Law Firms Can Do To Rectify Gender Inequality

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    The latest figures show that elite international law firms remain among the weakest performers on gender equality in the legal industry, demonstrating that equity is no longer external to the practice of law, and sits within the core responsibilities of those who steward trust in courts and governments, says Govindi Deerasinghe at Global 50/50.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Jones Day's Vica Irani

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    Vica Irani, co-leader of Jones Day's corporate practice, discusses the challenges of assisting a multinational client with divesting its Russian operations at the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, why greater harmonization across borders would be beneficial, and the increase in regulatory scrutiny for deals in terms of antitrust and foreign direct investment screening.

  • Why SRA Is Cracking Down On 'No Win, No Fee' Law Firms

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    Harriet Gamper at the Solicitors Regulation Authority discusses the regulator’s recent warning notice concerning "no win, no fee" arrangements in high-volume consumer claims, aimed at offering lawyers clarity in understanding their obligations following findings that many law firms were failing in their duty to protect clients' best interests.

  • Why UK Criminal Court Changes Need To Be Systemic

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    The proposals in the second part of Brian Leveson's long-anticipated independent review of criminal courts, aimed at easing pressure on the criminal justice system and restoring public confidence, are broadly welcomed, but without structural change and sustained funding, they risk becoming little more than temporary fixes, says Vicky Lankester at Brett Wilson.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Stewarts' Aaron Le Marquer

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    Aaron Le Marquer, Stewarts' head of insurance, discusses the challenges of conducting defamation proceedings in Thailand, why the minimal impact of the Insurance Act 2015 is disappointing, and how working in diverse environments provides a more holistic understanding of the way insurance works.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Skadden's Deborah Kirk

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    Deborah Kirk, Skadden's head of intellectual property and technology, discusses the challenges of cross-disciplinary collaboration on a transaction, how the proliferation of artificial intelligence is forcing clients to rethink their IP and data strategies, and why flexibility, curiosity and dynamism are key as a lawyer.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Stewarts' Joseph Lappin

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    Joseph Lappin, head of employment at Stewarts, discusses the challenges of representing barristers with very high IQs, how the employment tribunal system is crying out for proper investment, and the Financial Conduct Authority's inconsistent approach to nonfinancial misconduct.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Jones Day's Anna Cartwright

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    Anna Cartwright, co-head of Jones Day's real estate practice, discusses the challenges of working on a transaction requiring regulatory expertise from multiple regions, why new regulatory complexities in the real assets sector can introduce risks for clients, and how the convergence of real estate and infrastructure is playing out in asset managers' investment decisions.

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