Ex-law firm staffer banned over sexually explicit WhatsApp messages March 9, 2021 An ex-member of staff at listed law firm DWF has been banned from working in the legal profession after he sexually harassed a junior colleague. Matthew Unwin was employed as a financial management executive in DWF’s Manchester office. He was dismissed on 25 September 2018 for gross misconduct after working at the firm for six [...]
Lawyers know best: Is it time law firms left the LLP behind? March 8, 2021 Recent legislative changes have paved the way for new, alternative structures in law firms, a sector that was previously dominated by traditional partnerships and LLPs – limited liability partnerships. Alternative business structures (ABSs) – which allow non-lawyers to have a financial stake in a firm – have grown in popularity throughout the 2010s, and for [...]
Law Society president quits amid dishonesty accusations March 5, 2021 President of the Law Society David Greene will step down from his role after being accused of dishonesty in a long-running dispute with a former client. Greene announced he planned to “step aside” less than halfway through his one-year term as president, after a case against him was again referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal [...]
Exclusive: Legal consultant model to become dominant among mid-market law firms February 25, 2021 The legal consultant business model will become the dominant model among high street and mid-market law firms, with around a third of UK lawyers predicted to be working under such a model in five years’ time. The Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a “catalyst” for industry disruption, exposing the “poor management and outdated operating models [...]
Exclusive: Britain’s 10,000 law firms largely spared from pandemic onslaught February 12, 2021 Despite the pandemic, the number of law firms has remained steady, with 10,080 currently registered in the UK, according to new research. The number of firms is down only 2 per cent compared to last year, as 10,278 firms were registered in December 2019, according to accountancy and business advisory firm Hazlewoods. Though many firms’ [...]
Out with the old: Time to reform the legal profession for the benefit of all sides February 11, 2021 It may seem like an odd time to be thinking about reforming the way lawyers work, but if so much can change because of a pandemic, why shouldn’t the post-Covid era be a period of reform and progress? This year will be the first in which the UK’s ability to compete in the global professional [...]
Exclusive: City law firm boss on the rise of US-style class action suits in Britain February 4, 2021 In a wide-ranging, two-part interview, City A.M. sits down with Natasha Harrison, the Chancery Lane-based managing partner of global law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which has around 400 staff in 11 offices around the world. Yesterday, Harrison zoomed in on the impact of Brexit on Britain’s legal landscape, while today she discusses the rise of class action [...]
Going legal: Why ‘no jab, no job’ could hurt more than any needle January 22, 2021 Nearly a year on from the start of the pandemic, many employers and employees will be attracted by the prospect of a workforce that is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may take them closer towards a safe return to “normality”. Mandatory vaccination is not expected at a national level – public health legislation expressly prohibits [...]
Did fewer Christmas parties drive an end of year boom at Keystone Law? January 21, 2021 Keystone Law was surprised by a better than expected Christmas period this year, and is now expecting to report profit before tax of above market expectations. Full year revenues to 30 Jan 2020 were £49.6m, and analysts at Panmure Gordon are now anticipating FY21 revenues of £55m for the law firm, which will issue its [...]
‘We want to be the regional magic circle firm,’ says Knights CEO January 19, 2021 Regional law firm Knights saw revenues jumped by some £14m in the second half of 2020, up to £46.2m from £31.9m in H1, and the positive year has only fuelled the firm’s ambitions. The promising results were in part delivered in part by the successful remote acquisitions of Shulmans, ASB and Fraser Brown, and the [...]