Government invests £1.3m into family mediation scheme, to cut divorce court backlog January 24, 2022 The government is set to invest a further £1.3m into its family mediation scheme, in an effort to keep divorce cases out of court. The new funding will provide an additional 2,440 vouchers for mediation services, with a view to freeing up space in divorce courts to cut the backlog built up during Covid-19. In [...]
Law firms opt for M&As over listing in plans to grow in 2022 January 24, 2022 Almost half (47 per cent) of UK law firms are considering mergers and acquisitions, as they seek to expand their geographical footprints and scale up their businesses, according to a poll commissioned by M&A broker Acquira. In a poll of 100 law firms, 47 said they are currently planning a merger or acquisition, with small- [...]
UK government to recruit 4,000 new magistrates in biggest court recruitment drive in 650 years January 24, 2022 The UK government is set to recruit 4,000 new magistrates from all sections of society, in a bid to make magistrates courts more representative and cut the court backlog built up during Covid-19. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said its plan to launch the largest recruitment drive in the Magistrates Courts’ 650-year long history could [...]
Law Society flags attainment gap between white and ethnic minority students January 23, 2022 The head of the Law Society has raised concerns about the “attainment gap” between white and ethnic minority students, in the exams students must pass to become a solicitor. According to figures published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, 66 per cent of white students passed the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE1), compared to 39 per cent [...]
Milbank ups stakes in battle for talent with $215,000 salaries for newly qualified lawyers January 23, 2022 New York headquartered law firm Milbank is set to pay its newly qualified (NQ) associates $215,000 (£160,000), as the battle for fresh legal talent rages on into 2022. According to a memo seen by City A.M. newly qualified lawyers in Milbank’s London, Sao Paulo, US and Asia offices will receive a $10,000 pay boost [...]
MP calls for windfall tax on libel lawyers to protect journalists from “lawfare” January 21, 2022 An MP has said a windfall tax on libel lawyers should be used to create a “defamation defence fund” to protect journalists from being silenced by oligarchs. In a debate on Thursday, over the use of “lawfare” and costly libel actions to silence British journalists, Labour Party MP Liam Byrne said “the truth is under [...]
Crown Court wait times hit record highs as government struggles to cut Covid backlog January 21, 2022 Victims, defendants, and witnesses face record long waits for Crown Court trials, as the UK struggles to reduce the backlog faced by the court system due to Covid. A record 23 per cent of outstanding trials have now been outstanding for more than a year, figures from the Ministry of Justice show. At the same [...]
Djokovic: Tennis star’s visa fallout assessed by lawyer January 21, 2022 Many commentators have said the whole Novak Djokovic situation could have and should have been dealt with before he ever arrived in Australia. The fact it did not owes much to the disconnect between the organisers of the tournament, the government, Djokovic’s advisors and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Clearly there is now time and [...]
Clyde&Co, Fieldfisher, and Squire Patton Boggs boost lawyers salaries in battle for fresh blood January 21, 2022 Law firms are continuing the competition for new talent by upping trainee salaries, with Clyde & Co, Fieldfisher, and Squire Patton Boggs the latest firms to join the fray. US law firm Squire Patton Boggs told City A.M. that it had raised its trainee lawyers’ salaries by 27 per cent. In an email to City [...]
Goldman, Citi, KPMG and PwC lead office return as workers flock back into the City January 21, 2022 The City of London’s major banks, accountants, law firms, and insurers have called on staff to return offices, after the government scrapped its work-from-home guidance. Major players including PwC, KPMG, Slaughter and May, and Aviva, told City A.M that they have called on staff to come back in. Major banks and financiers including Goldman, Citi, [...]