The great big merger: Chasing elite status in the legal world September 18, 2025 The ever-evolving legal market continues to expand, particularly when it comes to law firm names, which have become longer as a result of a flurry of recent mergers. The ambition to join the ‘Global Elite’ continues to drive change, as two major firms have recently followed A&O Shearman’s lead by merging with New York law [...]
City of London unveils £600m Justice Hub at Salisbury Square September 18, 2025 The City of London Corporation is topping out the new flagship building, dubbed London’s new ‘Justice Quarter’, which features 18 courtrooms at Salisbury Square. The City’s £600m investment, which will serve as the new headquarters for the City of London Police, aims to enhance capacity in the criminal justice system, resulting in faster outcomes for [...]
Knives are out in Whitehall after Chinese espionage case collapsed September 17, 2025 Whitehall is seething with anger following the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to drop its espionage case against two men accused of spying for China. Christopher Cash (30), a former parliamentary researcher and director of the China Research Group, and Christopher Berry (33), a former English teacher in China, were charged last year with providing [...]
EU chief von der Leyen hit with defamation lawsuit by MEP September 17, 2025 The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has been hit with legal action by an MEP for alleged defamation in comments she made at the European Parliament. Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, from the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), has filed a claim at the EU Court of Justice. According to his statement, as [...]
Temu: UK sales and profit double as Shein court battle looms September 17, 2025 Sales and profit at the UK arm of Chinese online marketplace Temu almost doubled during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. For 2024, the division achieved a revenue of $63.2m (£46.3m), up from the $32.1m it achieved in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also show its pre-tax profit jumped from $2m [...]
Shortage of skilled lawyers challenges UK life sciences sector September 17, 2025 The UK market is experiencing a shortage of lawyers at life sciences businesses amid a growing need for talent to meet the rising demand for regulatory advice from businesses. A report from recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa highlights a lack of UK candidates with expertise in legal, regulatory, and compliance matters, intellectual property (IP), and [...]
HMRC’s new tax adviser legislation puts ‘undue burden’ on professionals September 16, 2025 From next April, tax advisers will be required to register with HMRC and meet certain minimum standards, as a top legal body has warned that this “risks undue burden on professionals.” Following a consultation carried out in 2024, HMRC published its policy paper and draft legislation in July, which outlined a new legal requirement for [...]
Fraud prevention firm SEON raises $80m amid growing compliance demands September 16, 2025 SEON, an AI-driven fraud prevention and compliance platform, has closed an $80m (£58.7m) Series C funding round led by Sixth Street Growth, bringing total investment to $187m. The company, based in Budapest and Austin, analyses tens of millions of customer interactions daily for clients including Revolut, Plaid, Spotify, Afterpay, and Entain. Its platform, delivered via [...]
Rule of law key to UK economic growth, says Attorney General September 16, 2025 The rule of law and trust in British institutions are essential to driving economic growth and attracting global investment, the UK’s Attorney General will say. Lord Hermer KC, Attorney General, is set to speak on Tuesday evening at an event hosted by the Sheriffs of the City of London for the launch of the Legal [...]
EU far-right Patriots engulfed in legal battles over funding headwinds September 15, 2025 Europe’s far-right Patriots for Europe is engaged in legal action over the European Parliament’s accusation that it misused funds, as well as a battle to have withheld public funds returned. The Patriots for Europe, formerly the Identity and Democracy Party, surged to the third-largest group in the Parliament following the European election held last year, [...]