Magic circle Freshfields to co-build legal AI with Anthropic April 24, 2026 Magic circle law firm Freshfields has signed a multi-year agreement with AI giant Anthropic, giving the firm easy access to Anthropic’s latest AI models and collaborating to help design Anthropic’s next-generation offerings. As part of the deal, Freshfields has rolled out Anthropic’s Claude models to its entire global workforce of 5,700 users across 33 offices, [...]
The AI cracks are starting to show at law firms April 23, 2026 Law firms have poured vast sums into AI in a race to modernise, but ‘hallucinations‘ and security concerns are exposing the technology’s risks, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. There has been intense pressure on legal, advisory, and consultancy firms to invest in, embed, and deploy AI over the last couple of years, but this pressure is now [...]
Eight London sites raided in peer-to-peer crypto trading bust April 22, 2026 The City watchdogs, working with HMRC and the Regional Organised Crime Unit, have carried out the first crackdown on illegal crypto trading across multiple London locations. The enforcement targeted eight premises in London suspected of illegal peer-to-peer crypto trading by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The traders were issued cease-and-desist letters at each site, notifying [...]
Proposed consumer lawsuit regime may expose businesses to mass litigation April 22, 2026 The UK government’s proposal for a class-action scheme that allows consumers to collectively sue businesses could wreak havoc if greenlit, as businesses could face ‘increased litigation risk’. The Law Commission, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), proposed project, expected to commence in Autumn 2026, will identify the benefits and risks of introducing a more [...]
End of the runway for Gatwick as top court kicks out insurance lifeline April 22, 2026 Gatwick Investment’s appeal against insurance giant Liberty Mutual has been struck down over whether insurers can deduct government furlough payments from business claims. The Supreme Court ruled that insurers do not have to pay an estimated £1bn to the hospitality and leisure companies involved in the case that suffered financial losses during the pandemic because [...]
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 [...]
Elite law firm apologises for AI ‘hallucinations’ in bankruptcy case April 22, 2026 An elite US law firm has had to apologise to a judge after its restructuring team made a filing in a high-profile case that contained multiple AI generated ‘hallucinations’. The head of Sullivan & Cromwell’s restructuring practice, Andrew Dietderich, apologised in a letter to the New York federal judge for mistakes that included misquoting the [...]
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 [...]
Legal sector hits £60bn as top City lawyers pocket millions April 16, 2026 Despite a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, the legal profession has solidified its position as a £60bn powerhouse, with top City lawyers bringing home multi-million pound pay packets. Law firms are experiencing their highest growth in more than 15 years, according to a new report by the Law Society. The average earnings for law firms [...]
Regulator struggles to tackle harassment and bullying at City law firms April 16, 2026 It won’t come as a shock to you that City law firms have long struggled with cultures of bullying and harassment, and the regulator is kept out of the loop, argues senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan. The high-pressure demands placed on lawyers at City law firms have long bred cultures of bullying and harassment. In a [...]