Layoffs and an executive exit: What’s going on at London’s first listed law firm? Markets Gateley, the City’s first listed law firm, is set to lose its chief executive and axe dozens of jobs as it grapples with a swelling cost base and fears of a slowdown in client spending. The group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), informed shareholders on Tuesday that chief [...]
Magic Circle firm Linklaters sees partner profits soar to £2.5m after record year Legal Partners at magic circle law firm Linklaters saw pay packets double after the firm had its third consecutive year of double-digit profit growth. For its year to 30 April, 2026, Linklaters reported record revenue of £2.47bn, up nearly 7 per cent, and pre-tax profit of £1.2bn, up over 11 per cent, after hitting the billion-pound [...]
Revealed: KPMG and Deloitte offer bumper redundancy packages to slash headcount Big Four KPMG and Deloitte are offering UK staff bumper redundancy packages as they look to slash their headcount and trim costs, City AM can reveal. The two accountancy companies, as well as PwC, have all ramped up their payouts to employees after a slowdown in the sector’s traditional ‘attrition model’, in which around 15-20 per cent [...]
Andy Burnham pressured to safeguard jury trials after legal backlash July 14, 2026 The country’s criminal barristers have demanded an urgent guarantee from incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to save jury trials. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has ramped up pressure on Burnham to officially drop “misguided” clauses in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would curb the historic right to a trial by your peers. The controversial [...]
Magic circle Linklaters scores FIFA’s top lawyers in US raid July 14, 2026 Magic circle law firm Linklaters has snagged two of FIFA’s lawyers from a rival firm as part of its push into the US legal market. Partner Christopher Boehning has joined as Chair of its global sports practice and US strategic disputes, while Daniel Levi will serve in the firm’s litigation, arbitration and investigations practice, both [...]
Paul Hastings opens global sports practice as another law firm enters sector July 13, 2026 Law firm Paul Hastings have launched a new global sports practice as the Bishopsgate-based US giant expands its offering. Former Baltimore Ravens general counsel Brandon Etheridge and former Slaughter figure Mark Zerdin, who advised TWG Motorsports on their Cadillac F1 team entry, will form the core of the practice, which will form part of deals-based [...]
Magic circle Freshfields ousts equity partners amid US push July 13, 2026 Senior staff are bracing for a shake-up at magic circle law firm Freshfields, as partners have been forced out to boost growth and fund its US expansion. The City-based firm has ousted several equity partners in recent weeks across several European offices, including London, according to the Financial Times, as it focuses on growth. Speaking [...]
Music tycoon Simon Cowell sued by prominent City lawyer July 9, 2026 City lawyer Ian Rosenblatt has launched legal action in London’s High Court against music mogul Simon Cowell over alleged withheld fees. The lawsuit stems from the lawyer stepping down as director of Syco Entertainment, Cowell’s production company, and as an adviser to the talent show judge. Quinn Emanuel’s partner Gregory Pantlin and senior associate Emma [...]
Motor finance war of words heats up as City watchdog blasts law firm’s motives July 8, 2026 A blistering war of words has broken out between the City watchdog and the firms leading the consumer legal challenge to its £9bn motor finance scheme. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged the Upper Tribunal to throw out the case entirely as it slammed Courmacs Legal and its client Consumer Voice, for a serious [...]
Lufthansa and aviation rivals clash in London court over power outlet profits July 7, 2026 German airline Lufthansa is back in the London courts this week over its long-running patent infringement dispute with a US, a Japanese, and a French aircraft manufacturer. The legal battle stems back to 2017, when aircraft maintenance group Lufthansa Technik alleged that Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems, Panasonic, and Safran infringed its patent for high-voltage aircraft [...]