Pulse UK

  • March 05, 2025

    Law Firm Must Face Ex-Assistant's Brain Injury Bias Claim

    An employment tribunal has ruled that a law firm in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight must face a former assistant's claims that it discriminated against her because of a disability, ruling that her symptoms were caused by an underlying brain injury. 

  • March 05, 2025

    Law Firms' Earnings Grew 6.1% In 2024, Law Society Says

    U.K. law firms on average saw their earnings grow 6.1% in 2024, despite challenges posed by rising costs within the legal sector, the Law Society said Wednesday.

  • March 05, 2025

    PCB Byrne Adds Civil Litigation Pro In London

    PCB Byrne LLP has hired Simon Colledge as a new civil litigation partner from Gunnercooke LLP to work in its dispute resolution team in London, as the firm ramps up its offering in its insolvency practice.

  • March 04, 2025

    Crown Courts Set To Oversee Record Number Of Cases

    The Ministry of Justice announced Wednesday that Crown Court judges will sit at a record high level across the next financial year, as a spending watchdog warned that the government is failing to boost confidence in a system plagued by delay.

  • March 04, 2025

    Lawyers See Chance For Overhaul In LSB, SRA Exec Changes

    A change of guard at two of the key regulators of the U.K. legal sector has sparked calls for a root-and-branch reassessment of their roles amid criticism that the watchdogs are overreaching.

  • March 04, 2025

    Firms Must Retain Control Of Client Cash, City Lawyers Say

    The City of London Law Society has criticized proposals to allow third parties to hold and manage client money, calling instead on the regulator to adopt a more modern approach to regulating the sector.

  • March 04, 2025

    Judge Slams Lawyers For Bringing Welsh Injury Case At RCJ

    A London judge has chastised the lawyers involved in a personal injury case for keeping the relatively small claim at the High Court, saying that hiring a London lawyer was not a good enough reason to litigate in the capital.

  • March 04, 2025

    LSB Calls For Legal, Financial Oversight Of Litigation Funding

    Legal and financial watchdogs must work together to regulate the litigation funding market and protect consumers from potential risks, the Legal Services Board said in a document released Tuesday.

  • March 04, 2025

    Gov't Defends Decision To Pull Firm's Legal Aid Contract Offer

    The Ministry of Justice has hit back at allegations it unlawfully withdrew a contract offer for legal aid services from an English law firm, telling the High Court that the withdrawal was a result of the firm's "own error and neglect."

  • March 04, 2025

    Barclays Official Kept In Dark About Staley's Email To Epstein

    Former Barclays boss Jes Staley told Jeffrey Epstein about forthcoming press coverage detailing their relationship without the bank's knowledge, its former head of communications testified at a trial on Tuesday.

  • March 04, 2025

    BNY Tries To Escape £93M Nationwide, A&O Negligence Case

    Bank of New York Mellon on Tuesday asked a London court to dismiss Allen Overy Shearman Sterling's claims that the bank negligently caused Nationwide Building Society to face a £93 million ($118 million) tax bill by mishandling the issuance of notes.

  • March 03, 2025

    2 Temple Gardens Co-Head Didn't Mislead Court, Judge Finds

    A High Court judge ruled in a hearing Monday that a co-head of 2 Temple Gardens and a solicitor did not mislead the court in a long-running dispute with a Black barrister who claimed he was expelled from the set because of his race.

  • March 03, 2025

    Orrick Hikes London NQ Salary To £160K

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has handed its newly qualified lawyers based in London a double-digit pay bump, raising their salaries to £160,000 ($203,276).

  • March 03, 2025

    Simmons & Simmons Elects New Managing Partner

    Simmons & Simmons LLP said Monday that it has elected a construction disputes expert as its new managing partner, to succeed Jeremy Hoyland who has been in the job since 2011.

  • March 03, 2025

    Knights Inks £30M Takeover Of Regional UK Law Firm

    Knights said Monday it has agreed to buy IBB Law LLP for up to £30 million ($38.1 million), adding 140 lawyers to its ranks in a move to scale up its presence in southeast England.

  • March 03, 2025

    Egyptian Tycoon Says Baker Botts Overcharged In $7M Claim

    An Egyptian energy mogul has told a London court that Baker Botts LLP breached Solicitors Regulation Authority rules when it failed to control its costs as he continued to fight the firm's claim for $7 million in fees.

  • February 28, 2025

    Tribunal 'Impressed' After Lawyer Admits Touching Co-Worker

    A tribunal on Friday said it was "impressed" with a barrister's efforts to make amends after he admitted to putting his hand up a co-worker's skirt, and handed the lawyer a significantly reduced suspension for the misconduct because of "compelling mitigation."

  • February 28, 2025

    The Revolving Door: Skadden's McCarney Returns To Eversheds

    Over the past week, a Skadden private capital lawyer rejoined Eversheds Sutherland, Freshfields added a pair of energy and infrastructure lawyers from Paul Hastings, and A&O Shearman lost a finance partner to DLA.

  • February 28, 2025

    Freshfields Taps Paul Hastings Energy And Infrastructure Duo

    Freshfields LLP said Friday it has hired two energy and infrastructure partners from Paul Hastings LLP to its London office, including the global co-chair of that firm's corporate group, as it looks to take advantage of shifting policy agendas.

  • February 28, 2025

    SRA Says It Has Completed SSB Investigation

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority has completed its investigation into claims firm SSB Law, taking action against several people working at the now-collapsed firm.

  • February 28, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen the billionaire Zakay brothers, founders of Topland Group, become embroiled in a legal dispute with each other, Unilever sue three major perfume companies over alleged illegal price-fixing, and the publisher of Vogue magazine file an intellectual property suit against Cornucopia Events. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • February 28, 2025

    Bates Wells Elects 1st Part-Time Managing Partner

    Bates Wells & Braithwaite LLP said Friday that it has elected its first part-time managing partner, sending a strong signal in a profession where long hours are often baked into the culture.

  • February 28, 2025

    LSB Chair Steps Down Halfway Through 1st Term

    The chair of the Legal Services Board stepped down halfway through his first term on Friday, citing personal reasons — the second departure of a senior figure from one of the sector's regulators in a week.

  • February 27, 2025

    Court Clerk Can Keep Most Of £226K Retirement Payout

    A former court clerk has won the right to collect the majority of his £226,800 ($287,500) retirement payout, convincing a tribunal that the Ministry of Justice can only subtract £88,800 for a lump sum he has already picked up.

  • February 27, 2025

    Group Claims Firm Opens 2nd UK Office In London

    Specialist group litigation firm Johnson Law has opened a new office in London — and it's on the hunt to recruit "some of the best legal talent in the country," its U.K. managing director said Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • UK Election Offers New Opportunity To Promote Rule Of Law

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    With many members of Parliament entering the House of Commons for the first time following the election in July, it is a daunting time for those transitioning into elected legislators, and the input of lawyers is crucial to ensure we see evidence-driven and legally certain legislation, says Tyrone Steele at Justice.

  • The Art Of Storytelling In E-Discovery, And Why It Is Important

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    With document review accounting for a large proportion of legal costs, weaving in a storytelling approach to e-discovery alongside increasingly automated processes allows a more effective way of producing evidence that minimizes inefficiencies and ultimately achieves better outcomes, says Tiana Van Dyk at Epiq Legal Solutions.

  • Tips On Preparing A Business To Navigate A Corporate Crisis

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    The recent CrowdStrike IT issue demonstrates that while it can be difficult to predict when a crisis might hit, there are proactive steps senior executives and their legal advisers can take to be better prepared for such an eventuality and to weather the storm more effectively, says Jenny Afia at Schillings.

  • How Generative AI Is Changing Legal Department Functions

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    Generative artificial intelligence is of much greater consequence than previous legal technologies and is therefore poised to reshape legal functions, redefine the roles of legal professionals, and change how much legal work is delivered — and some key practice areas and legal activities stand to be most transformed, say members of Deloitte Legal.

  • Examining The State Of Paccar Fixes After General Election

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    Following the U.K. Supreme Court's Paccar decision last year, which made many litigation funding agreements for opt-out collective actions in the Competition Appeal Tribunal unenforceable, the judiciary will likely take charge in implementing any fixes — but the general election has created uncertainty, says Ben Knowles at Clyde & Co.

  • PR Perspectives: Judging When To Engage With Politics

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    Parliament's recent return from its summer break brings opportunities for legal public relations professionals to engage with political topics, and although it is less risky to say nothing, deciding to enter the conversation can reap rewards, says Ben Finnis at Greentarget.

  • Opinion

    Gov't Should Offer Support To Improve Firms' Cybersecurity

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    With an escalating sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks in law firms and businesses, there is a need to address potential threats and an opportunity to push the new government for significant legislative change to strengthen the U.K.’s cybersecurity framework, says Scott Kramer at Clio.

  • What M&A Uptick Will Mean For Legal Hiring

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    Thomson Reuters research reveals an improving macroeconomic picture of incoming interest rate cuts, and with market confidence in the new U.K. government, there is a higher corporate demand for transactional advice, leading law firms to increase their hiring in preparation for this heavier workload, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • How In-House Legal Teams Can Improve Their Reputation

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    In-house legal teams, long believed to create unnecessary hurdles, can reframe themselves as integral business partners by embedding best practices in governance and compliance, engaging directly with key stakeholders and fostering relationships with colleagues, says Sarah Davis at The Legal Director.

  • Why A Robust Brand Is Increasingly Important For Law Firms

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    The benefits of a brand are not always viewed as quantifiable, but the legal sector is realizing the tangible benefits and important function of a strong brand, and can take steps to capitalize on this significant value-adding asset, say Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn, Ben Girdlestone at Byfield and Leor Franks at Kingsley Napley.

  • SRA Review Could Bring Shift In Handling Legal Client Funds

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    Recent high-profile cases of breaches of fund-handling rules, and an ongoing Solicitors Regulation Authority review, challenge a long-standing culture of law firms dealing with client funds in-house, and firms may need to opt for other business models to enhance consumer protection, says Claire Van Der Zant at Shieldpay.

  • Opinion

    Why Incoming Government Must Reform UK's Justice System

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    As the U.K. approaches a possible watershed general election, the new government must undertake the reforms and investment needed to restore the justice system, and public confidence and safety with it, says Sam Townend at the Bar Council.

  • The In-House Versus Law Firm Talent Battle In The Gen Z Age

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    Although elite law firms are offering ever-increasing salaries to talented associates, the traditional concept of partnership is evolving, and work-life balance issues and a greater concern with working in a sustainable environment among Gen Z lawyers mean that going in-house is becoming a more attractive option over time, say Calvin Gardiner and Simi Bains at Buchanan Law.

  • PR Perspectives: Consider The Value Of Legal Awards

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    Many lawyers question the value of entering or sponsoring legal awards, but with a structured approach and appropriate management, they can provide a chance to promote a firm or set of chambers across multiple platforms and a golden opportunity to develop new business, says Clare Rodway at Kysen.

  • Law Firms Should Consider Value Of Off-Peak LinkedIn Posts

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    Statistics show only a minor dip in law firms' LinkedIn post performance at weekends and holiday periods, demonstrating a missed opportunity to reach the many business leaders and lawyers who use the platform at off-peak times, says Simon Marshall at TBD Marketing.

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