Lawyers struggle to get government permission to let sanctioned Russians pay legal fees April 11, 2022 LAWYERS working for sanctioned oligarchs are floundering in their efforts to get paid for their work, due to struggles in obtaining permission from the UK government to let their sanctioned clients pay. The UK government has received 15 separate applications for permission to temporarily lift sanctions so that sanctioned Russian clients are able to pay their [...]
Mishcon de Reya strikes deal with UCL to fund research into Artificial Intelligence (AI) April 11, 2022 London law firm Mishcon de Reya has struck a deal with UCL to fund research into use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal sector. Mishcon’s decision to fund research into AI comes as the firm now believes AI technology will revolutionise the legal sector and transform the ways that lawyers work. In striking a [...]
Tory backbencher calls on government to close ‘loopholes’ letting London firms work for the Kremlin April 11, 2022 Tory backbencher Kevin Hollinrake has called on the government to close the “loopholes” that have allowed UK professional services firms to continue carrying out bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of the Russian state. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the Conservative party MP accused accountancy giant Grant Thornton, litigation funder Harbour, and London law firm CMS [...]
London lawyers expect boom in legal disputes on the back of Brexit and Covid-19 April 11, 2022 London litigators are readying themselves for a new wave of litigation lawsuits on the back of Brexit and Covid-19. In a survey carried out by the London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA), 84 per cent of lawyers polled said they expect a surge in the number of Covid related contractual disputes. Another 70 per cent of [...]
Law Society hits out at government as barristers prepare to strike April 10, 2022 The Law Society has hit out at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) after claiming the government’s £135m a year legal aid investments will not be enough to fix the “crisis in the criminal defence profession.” The comments come as barristers are set to go on strike from tomorrow onwards, after the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) [...]
1MDB: Ex-Goldman Sachs banker found guilty for role in world’s biggest financial scandal April 10, 2022 Former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng faces up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty on two separate counts of bribery and money laundering for his role in the multi-billion-dollar 1MBD scandal. A New York jury convicted Ng on two separate charges of conspiracy, after finding the banker guilty of taking part in [...]
London law firm opens new office in Cayman Islands as firm believes tax haven is central to ‘new economy’ April 9, 2022 London law firm Chancery Advisors has opened a new office in the Cayman Islands, describing the location as “critical to the new economy.” The City of London law firm said that opening new offices in what has historically been known as a tax haven will help it facilitate offshore hedge funds and activist investors in [...]
Hogan Lovells hikes NQ pay to match London’s Magic Circle April 7, 2022 Anglo-American law firm Hogan Lovells has put itself on par with the Magic Circle in hiking salaries paid out to its newly-qualified lawyers to £107,500 a year. The law firm is set to give its freshly trained lawyers a 7.5 per cent pay boost after upping their salaries from £100,000. The pay hike puts Hogan [...]
High Court judge says it would be unfair to force Ukrainian billionaires to fight $4.2bn fraud trial April 7, 2022 A High Court Judge has halted a $4.2bn fraud trial after claiming it would be unfair to force two of Ukraine’s richest men to fight the court battle due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The High Court Judge adjourned the court battle between Ukraine’s biggest bank, Privatbank, and Ukrainian billionaires Gennadiy Bogolyubov and Ihor Kolomoisky, [...]
Lawyers cast doubt over claims Sunak’s wife’s ‘non-dom’ status has nothing to do with tax benefits April 7, 2022 Tax lawyers have cast doubts over claims that Rishi Sunak’s wife is not using her “non-dom” status for tax benefits. Lawyers countered claims that billionaire heiress Akshata Murthy’s non-domicile status is linked to her Indian nationality, after pointing out domicile has “nothing to do with citizenship” under UK law. The tax experts noted that Murthy’s [...]