City law firms ‘sleepwalking into a crisis’ over AI overreliance June 18, 2026 As legal tech valuations skyrocket, and AI dominates the airwaves, City law firms have been warned they are ‘sleepwalking into a crisis of judgment’ by treating AI as a definitive authority rather than a collaborative tool. A report by Positive Group, exclusively shared with City AM, stated that the legal sector faces a potential crisis [...]
Ex-Lush chief’s lawyers hike costs to ensure their AI model isn’t trained by juniors June 16, 2026 Lawyers for the former chief executive of cosmetics giant Lush, Andrew Gerrie, have hiked their fees ahead of a trial this month, partly as they will not allow junior staff to train their AI model, City AM can reveal. A court heard this morning that Gerrie’s legal team from Brown Rudnick have pushed up a [...]
Mayer Brown defends ‘do not disturb’ policy despite criticism from rivals June 15, 2026 When the US law firm Mayer Brown, based in the City, implemented a policy that partners should not disturb associates during their holidays, its London office managing partner said some rival partners criticised the move. Speaking to City AM, Dominic Griffiths said: “When I introduced that policy [three years ago], there were one or two [...]
‘Bogus claim’: Ryanair hits back at watchdog probe into family seating policy June 11, 2026 Ryanair is under investigation by the British competition watchdog over its policy that parents must pay to sit with their children. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a probe into Ryanair’s terms and conditions (T&Cs), which require at least one parent to sit with their children aged 2-11 when they fly and make [...]
Rising salaries for junior lawyers put pressure on senior associates’ pay packages June 11, 2026 US law firms continue to drive a fierce salary war in London, leaving UK firms scrambling to keep up with soaring pay for junior lawyers, but as starting salaries rise, growing pay gaps threaten to unsettle senior associates, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. As of next month, London associates at Quinn Emanuel will see their salaries increase [...]
World Cup office sweepstakes could leave employers facing legal red cards June 10, 2026 With the World Cup set to kick off on Thursday, many offices across the City will be gearing up to offer employees the chance to participate in competitions – known as sweepstakes – to place informal bets on who might win. Sweepstakes involve participants paying a fee into a cash pot and being randomly assigned [...]
Banks ‘not ready’ for motor finance scheme, says City watchdog June 9, 2026 The City watchdog has warned that motor finance lenders are “not as ready as we would expect” for the introduction of its long-awaited redress scheme. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has written to the Treasury Committee following inquiries around the legal challenges to its car mis-selling scheme. The regulator published [...]
City law firm Shoosmiths invests extra £1m in firm’s bonus pot June 8, 2026 City law firm Shoosmiths has doubled down on its commitment to AI after setting aside a second £1m for its bonus pot to help staff become AI-fluent through its new internal accreditation programme, City AM can reveal. Last year, the firm exclusively told City AM that it set a “clear and ambitious annual target” of one million [...]
Deputy PM to unveil AI labs to drag legal sector out of ‘analogue’ age June 8, 2026 The UK government is launching a new AI growth project aimed squarely at dragging the UK’s billion-pound legal sector out of its “analogue” age. Ahead of London Tech Week, City AM can reveal that Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will unveil ‘AI growth labs’, a regulatory safe space designed to cut through bureaucratic red tape [...]
City law firm boosts junior lawyer salaries to £189k in London June 5, 2026 City-based law firm Quinn Emanuel has increased salaries for its most junior lawyers by 5 per cent for the 2026 financial year, as its London office aligns with pay increases at its US counterparts. Effective from 1 July 2026, London associates’ salaries will increase 5 per cent across the board, with newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers set [...]