Kennedys tops £450m global revenue as Middle East conflict helps drive growth Legal Law firm Kennedys has reported its 12th consecutive year of growth, surpassing £450m for the first time, with the Middle East conflict partly driving revenue. The City-headquartered firm, which specialises in advising the insurance sector, has generated £457m for the financial year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, up from £428m in the previous [...]
Number of claims management firms halves after FCA clampdown Regulation The number of claims management firms authorised by the UK’s financial watchdog has nearly halved since the beginning of the decade after the regulator “raised the bar” for firms in the sector. A Freedom of Information request by financial services consultancy Broadstone revealed 483 claims management companies (CMCs) operate in the sector, compared with 942 [...]
Pinsent Masons is not the only City law firm walking a dangerous AI tightrope Legal A junior lawyer at Pinsent Masons used AI to draft misleading emails for a High Court case, highlighting how generational attitudes and lack of training risk new mistakes as law firms rush to adopt new technology, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. It has been a slow burner, but we finally have the first notable UK law firm [...]
Top City law firm slammed for ‘misleading’ AI letters sent to court May 26, 2026 A well-known London-headquartered law firm has been criticised by a High Court judge after a lawyer sent the court AI-generated letters containing false legal information. A judgment handed down on 22 May found a junior solicitor at Pinsent Masons used AI to draft two “misleading” emails containing so-called hallucinations sent to the High Court [...]
Lawyers say fee hikes punishes profession for regulator blunders May 21, 2026 The legal watchdog plans to raise its funding by increasing lawyer fees to address past shortfalls, but the legal profession is frustrated, arguing they are being forced to pay for the regulator’s own failures and legacy issues, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. Lawyers are not chuffed at the regulator’s plan to increase its fees in the upcoming [...]
Regulator under pressure as solicitor misconduct reports soar nearly 30 per cent May 18, 2026 Reports about solicitors’ misconduct have spiked by nearly 30 per cent in the past year, new data from the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed. The watchdog, which regulates more than 200,000 solicitors in England and Wales and 9,000 law firms, said there is “a large increase” in misconduct reports and the number of investigations [...]
City watchdog eyes new laws for claimant firms accused of ‘harm’ May 6, 2026 The City watchdog has threatened enforcement action and new laws to impose “stronger compensation mechanisms” against the claims management market, including law firms that cause harm. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a fresh review of “the root causes of poor practices” across the market, as claims management companies and law firms come under [...]
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 [...]
Law firm ‘hopeful’ staff are back in Middle East office in May April 28, 2026 A major US law firm with a large London headcount is ‘hopeful’ staff will be returning to their desks in its Middle East office in less than a week, City AM understands. The firm is keen for lawyers to return to their seats in the Abu Dhabi office from 4 May, and has agreed to [...]
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 [...]