Am I going to be replaced by AI? AI With each passing day it seems another sector suffers an AI-induced wobble on the stock market. We saw the large data companies lose billions in value when a new legal-focused AI tool was launched; we saw the owners of consumer and personal finance platforms take a hit as AI agents upped their game; and yesterday [...]
Shoosmiths to give staff extra £1m after hitting AI target Legal Law firm Shoosmiths will give staff an extra £1m in bonuses after they hit the firm’s annual target for 1m Microsoft Copilot prompts more than four months ahead of schedule, City AM can reveal. The firm told City AM in April that it had set a “clear and ambitious annual target” of 1m on its [...]
Yet another Transatlantic tie-up: Ashurst and Perkins Coie announce $2.7bn merger Legal UK law firm Ashurst has agreed to merge with the US law firm Perkins Coie, the latest move in a series of large transatlantic tie-ups in the legal sector. After a week of speculation about Ashurst being in merger talks, the firm agreed a deal with Settle-based Perkins Coie to become a $2.7bn law firm, [...]
LLP U-turn: Law Society demands ‘absolute clarity’ plan is off the table November 14, 2025 The professional services sector will breathe a sigh of relief as one of her reported rollbacks includes crossing out plans to target limited liability partnerships (LLPs) for tax. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms, accountancy, and some doctors (GPs), came into force 25 years ago, which does not pay corporate [...]
NHS woes fuel private healthcare boom, with lawyers reaping the rewards November 13, 2025 Private healthcare in the UK is experiencing unprecedented growth as NHS waiting lists soar and public services struggle to keep up. This surge in demand is also fueling a flurry of legal activity, keeping lawyers busy. Deals lawyers in the UK are generally the busiest and most important practices for most law firms; however, with [...]
Legal sector defies economic headwinds with rising headcount and profits November 10, 2025 Despite ongoing pressure on salaries and increases in employment taxes, legal firms have reported an average headcount increase of nearly 4 per cent over the past year. According to the ‘law firm benchmarking report’ by professional service firm Crowe, the headcount growth was concentrated among fee earners, but nearly half of firms reported either no [...]
FCA to take control of anti-money laundering supervision of professional service firms in major reform October 21, 2025 The government’s reform of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing supervision will significantly change and diminish the roles of the legal regulator and HMRC. Today, the Treasury revealed the outcome of its consultation on reforming anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing supervision, primarily for professional services, by creating a Single Professional Services Supervisor (SPSS), with the Financial [...]
Legal profession hits back at Robert Jenrick threat against ‘activist’ judges October 13, 2025 Legal bodies representing over 250,000 lawyers have hit back against “politically motivated attacks” on the legal sector as “irresponsible and dangerous”, a week after the shadow justice secretary pledged to sack ‘activist’ judges. Last Tuesday, speaking at the Tory Conference, Robert Jenrick announced a sweeping crackdown on what he describes as “pro-migration bias” in the [...]
Big name, big pay, even bigger hours: Welcome to City law firms September 25, 2025 The salaries of junior lawyers is a topic that sparks headlines, adding even bigger sparks to debates over 20-something-year-olds pocketing hefty wage packages. However, considering the hours they work and what is expected of them, the money is earned. US firms, many of which now dominate London, not only compete over lawyer rates but also [...]
Think twice before you take legal advice from AI August 26, 2025 AI can help make legal support accessible, but it can also be dangerous. Could a regulated AI tool akin to the NHS 111 service be the answer?