City law firms clamp down on the equity cookie jar April 30, 2026 Law firms are tightening access to equity partnerships to protect profits, increasingly reserving the equity pool for top performers, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. As the Big Four giants dominate the headlines with internal changes, the firms are seeking to regain control of their expanded equity pools amid profitability problems. These giants are looking to mirror what [...]
Barristers that ‘failed in duties’ to face probe over Post Office scandal April 28, 2026 Barristers who ‘failed in their professional duties’ when representing the Post Office during the Horizon IT scandal will face potential disciplinary action, the watchdog has warned. The Bar Standards Board (BSB), which oversees more than 18,000 English and Welsh barristers, said it currently has ten live investigations into possible misconduct, which are “progressing”, and added [...]
Motor finance: City watchdog faces legal battle over £9bn scheme April 22, 2026 The City watchdog is set to face a legal challenge to its motor finance redress scheme after being accused of leaving motorists “out of pocket”. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed its highly-anticipated £9.1bn scheme at the end of March, which cut the headline bill for lenders from £11bn. But Consumer Voice – a group [...]
Clio founder: We may not have the hype of Jude Law, but our data beats any AI rival April 21, 2026 Legal tech Clio’s boss tells senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan that, with rivals closing in, the firm is betting that proprietary data, not hype, will determine its competitive edge in the AI race.In a competitive landscape, Clio founder and CEO Jack Newton believes his legal tech firm is in a “great position” in the marketplace, because [...]
For Dubai lawyers, loyalty is now being judged April 13, 2026 Dubai has long been seen as a flexible market where lawyers can reside for a few years before coming back. That could be changing.
Football clubs are starting to build out their legal benches April 9, 2026 As they say, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. With the popularity of sports ever-growing, it is no surprise that lawyers are flooding into legal work involving sports. Even the driest M&A deal can be a little more exciting when it involves deals for your favourite [...]
‘Significant backlog’ for Tribunal cases as new workers’ rights come into law April 8, 2026 Concerns have been raised about the “ongoing and significant” backlog at the Employment Tribunal as new worker rights come into play this week. The Law Society, while welcoming the launch of the Fair Work Agency (FWA), raised concerns that the new agency will be equipped to tackle the case backlog. Between Monday and Tuesday, a [...]
JMW head of real estate: Despite the challenges, I’m optimistic about the housing market April 2, 2026 Sophie Maryan, head of residential real estate at JMW Solicitors, tells us about life as a City lawyer in Square Mile and Me.
Vodafone set for £85m court showdown with ex-franchisees March 26, 2026 An £85m court battle between Vodafone and its former franchisees will kick off on Thursday over claims the telecoms giant imposed cuts on franchises which left managers facing closures and bankruptcy. The 62 ex-franchisees pursuing a civil action against Vodafone – recently renamed VodafoneThree – will launch their case at the High Court for the [...]
Starmer urged to tighten law on Slapps following Mandelson scandal March 16, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to tighten the law to prevent the powerful and wealthy from stopping stories about them, following the Lord Mandelson scandal. A dozen Labour MPs have written to the Prime Minister to ensure that strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as Slapps, is included in the King’s Speech in May. [...]