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Pulse UK
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March 21, 2025
Paralegal Unfairly Fired For Contempt After Dating Client's Ex
An employment tribunal has ruled that a Welsh law firm unfairly fired a paralegal who started dating the ex-boyfriend of a client the firm valued because it botched the investigation — even if that may have been a good reason to lose trust in her.
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March 21, 2025
The Revolving Door: Gibson Dunn, Edwin Coe Make Big Hires
Over the past week, Quinn Emanuel lost a trio of lawyers from its construction and engineering practice, Edwin Coe snagged a seasoned private wealth veteran from Cripps and Sullivan & Cromwell lost an experienced duo to Gibson Dunn's restructuring practice. Here, Law360 looks at those and more of the week's most notable lateral hires around the U.K.
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March 21, 2025
Sheridans Denies Negligence In $11M PPE Commission Row
London law firm Sheridans has denied claims that it gave negligent advice to a personal protective equipment selling agent facing allegations that it unlawfully made $11 million in secret commissions.
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March 21, 2025
Radcliffe Chambers Hires Former Landmark Chief As CEO
Radcliffe Chambers said Friday that it has appointed the former chief executive of Landmark Chambers as its next CEO, ushering in a new era as its longstanding incumbent steps down.
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March 21, 2025
Former BNP Paribas Solicitor Fined Over Offensive Nicknames
A former senior solicitor at BNP Paribas has been fined by a London tribunal after he used derogatory nicknames such as Jabba the Hutt for work colleagues and used inappropriate language to describe senior staff.
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March 21, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen a sub-postmaster sue the Post Office and Fujitsu, Russian insurer Ingosstrakh hit the Financial Times with a defamation claim, and Britvic-owned Robinsons Soft Drinks file a passing off claim against Aldi. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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March 21, 2025
Property Boss' Brother Faces Prison In Fraud Recovery Case
A London court has ruled that the brother of a property tycoon who funneled £13 million ($16 million) out of his family business will face a year in prison if he continues to withhold information about the family's assets to frustrate attempts to recover the money.
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March 21, 2025
Simmons & Simmons Hires 4 Insurance Pros From Kennedys
Simmons & Simmons LLP has hired a team of four lawyers from Kennedys to boost the international insurance claims service at its London office.
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March 21, 2025
Cahill Gordon Adds Euro Crypto Pro To London Office
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP has hired a cryptocurrency expert to join its digital assets team as counsel in London, as the U.S. firm strengthens its emerging technologies team in Europe.
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March 21, 2025
O'Melveny Rehires Antitrust Partner From Gibson Dunn
O'Melveny & Myers LLP has rehired Stéphane Frank as a partner in its antitrust and competition group after he served a five-year stint at Gibson Dunn LLP, as the firm continues to attract what it describes as "boomerang laterals" back to its practice.
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March 20, 2025
Shoosmiths Introduces Bonus For Exceeding Billable Hours
Shoosmiths LLP said Thursday that it will begin offering top-performing associates and other fee-earners a bonus if they go "above and beyond" the chargeable hours that they are normally required to record.
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March 20, 2025
EY Weighs Job Cuts At UK Legal Arm Amid Strategic Shift
EY is exploring fresh cuts to its legal business in the U.K. as it moves further away from its aim to become a major disruptor in the market.
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March 20, 2025
Ashurst Reelects Global Chair, Aims For £1B Revenue
Ashurst LLP has reelected its global chair for a second term, the firm announced Thursday, amid hopes of reaching its first year of £1 billion ($1.2 billion) revenue in 2025 after eight years of growth.
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March 20, 2025
Hogan Lovells Names New Office Leaders In Singapore, Dubai
Hogan Lovells has named two new managing partners for its offices in Singapore and Dubai.
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March 20, 2025
Vedder Price Hires A&O Pro To Launch UK Litigation Team
Vedder Price has recruited an experienced litigator from A&O Shearman to head up its new U.K. litigation practice as the firm expands its dispute resolution and arbitration offerings in London and beyond.
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March 20, 2025
MoFo Threatened With UK Claim For Refusing Trans Client
Morrison Foerster LLP is facing potential litigation in England after its London office allegedly failed to honor an agreement to represent a trans man, as the law firm is one of several facing scrutiny in the U.S. over its diversity policies.
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March 20, 2025
Herbert Smith Fined £465K For Violating Russia Sanctions
The U.K.'s sanctions enforcer fined Herbert Smith Freehills CIS LLP £465,000 ($600,000) Thursday for breaching financial restrictions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine after finding that its Moscow office was responsible for paying out almost £4 million to three major Russian banks.
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March 19, 2025
Clifford Chance Extends Partnership With Legal Tech Biz
Clifford Chance LLP plans to continue to make the most of new artificial intelligence technology from Wexler following a pilot to free up lawyers' time on complex disputes, the two organizations confirmed Thursday.
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March 19, 2025
BT And Paralegal Co. Deny Conspiring In £8.75M Spat
A paralegal firm and British Telecommunications PLC have hit back at a retired real estate lawyer's £8.75 million ($11.4 million) London claim for allegedly conspiring to exclude him from a system he created to find real estate asset risks, saying it is "entirely speculative."
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March 19, 2025
Ex-Postmaster Sues Post Office, Fujitsu Over Horizon Scandal
A former sub-postmaster has become the first person to bring legal action against The Post Office and Fujitsu for withholding evidence about faulty software in the Horizon IT system, his lawyers at Simons Muirhead Burton LLP said Wednesday.
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March 19, 2025
CMS Promotes 56 Lawyers To Partnership Globally
CMS has promoted 56 lawyers from around the world to its partnership, nearly half of whom are women, the law firm said Wednesday.
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March 19, 2025
Ex-CBA Chief Jo Sidhu Disbarred For Sexual Misconduct
A disciplinary tribunal disbarred the former head of the Criminal Bar Association, Jo Sidhu KC, on Wednesday after concluding that he was guilty of sexual misconduct toward a young aspiring lawyer who he invited to his hotel room during a mini-pupillage.
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March 18, 2025
Oligarch's Ex-Wife Can't Split Payne Hicks Negligence Trial
The ex-wife of a Russian oligarch lost on Tuesday her bid to have a split trial of her claim that Payne Hicks Beach LLP negligently failed to advise her to seize her ex-husband's $200 million superyacht in a divorce battle.
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March 18, 2025
Barrister Sued For Mishandling Whistleblower's Tribunal Case
A barrister at Cloisters Chambers has been sued by a junior doctor he represented in a whistleblowing claim against an NHS trust, after the whistleblower accused him of initiating settlement talks with his employer without his knowledge.
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March 18, 2025
Staff Showing 'Dunkirk Spirit' At Struggling County Courts
The chair of a parliamentary committee noted on Tuesday that workers are showing a "Dunkirk spirit" to deal with difficult circumstances at toiling county courts as the head of England and Wales' civil judiciary defended the service they were providing.

UK Firms Could Win Recruiting Edge From US DEI Crackdown
The Trump administration's clampdown on diversity programs has already begun to spill over to the U.K.'s legal industry, and some experts warn that the changes big U.S. and Magic Circle players are making could give firms with less exposure in America a competitive edge in recruiting.

Sidhu Ban Shows Tougher Takes On Sexual Misconduct
The disbarment of the former head of the Criminal Bar Association is the latest example of professional disciplinary tribunals increasingly handing down the harshest penalties for sexual misconduct, even when the behavior in question does not cross the line into criminal conduct.

Spencer West Hunts Growth Via 'Collaborative' Fee-Sharing
Spencer West LLP is pursuing growth through its fee-sharing model, enabling expansion across the pond and into far-flung jurisdictions where traditional law firms have struggled, all the while maintaining a collaborative ethos
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Right To Switch Off May Not Provide Respite For Lawyers
While lawyers are split on whether a more formal right to switch off can ever be feasible in a traditionally workaholic profession, many already find that after-hours emails can often wait until the next business day for a response.
Editor's Picks
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The Revolving Door: Gibson Dunn Adds A&O Real Estate Pro
Over the past week, A&O Shearman lost a real estate pro to Gibson Dunn, Clyde & Co. snagged a white collar crime team from RPC, and Deloitte Legal's head of trademarks moved to Lewis Silkin.
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The Revolving Door: Skadden's McCarney Returns To Eversheds
Over the past week, a Skadden private capital lawyer rejoined Eversheds Sutherland, Freshfields added a pair of energy and infrastructure lawyers from Paul Hastings, and A&O Shearman lost a finance partner to DLA.
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The Revolving Door: Memery Crystal Exodus Continues
Over the past week, the departures from Memery Crystal continued with moves to Edwin Coe and Lawrence Stephens, while Walker Morris tapped an Addleshaw Goddard lawyer for its newly created innovation lead role and Gibson Dunn snagged a DLA partner to lead its new London funds practice.
Expert Analysis
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Series
PR Perspectives: 3 Misconceptions Around Law Firm Brands
Despite an implicit understanding of the value of brand, misconceptions around logo and financial value have resulted in law firms being slow to manage and build this valuable asset, without which it becomes difficult to attract the same caliber of client or recruit the best lawyers, says Daniela Conte at Gibson Dunn.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights From Covington's Sonia Campbell
Sonia Campbell, head of the U.K. insurance recovery practice at Covington, discusses the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, why cyber underwriting risk will be critical for sector reform, and how junior lawyers need to be resilient and tenacious.
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Roundup
Practice Leader Insights
In this Law360 U.K. Expert Analysis series, leaders of employment, intellectual property, insurance and transactions practice groups share thoughts on keeping the pulse on legal trends, tackling difficult cases and what it takes to make a mark in their area.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights: Bird & Bird's Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard
Rebecca O'Kelly-Gillard, who co-heads Bird & Bird's international copyright group, discusses the challenges of working on long cases with complex issues, whether current copyright law is fit for purpose in light of artificial intelligence, and why understanding technology makes it easier to argue the nuances of the law.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights From Birketts' Maria Peyman
Maria Peyman, who heads Birketts' intellectual property team, discusses the challenges of cases involving multiple patents, the need to reform legislative provisions in light of artificial intelligence, and why junior lawyers should take opportunities to get a broad range of experience before specializing.
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Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises
“No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights: Mishcon de Reya's Daniel Naftalin
Daniel Naftalin, who chairs the employment practice at Mishcon de Reya, discusses the challenges of working on multijurisdictional litigation, the need to show consideration for lawyers' well-being, and why employment law offers unique opportunities to specialize in a commercial field with a high degree of human interest.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights From Baker McKenzie's David Scott
David Scott, head of the London mergers and acquisitions practice at Baker McKenzie, discusses the excitement of working on a highly complex transaction, the need for a harmonized approach to deal regulatory scrutiny, and why deal work can become addictive.
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Transatlantic Law Firm Mergers Are Transforming UK Market
With the current prevalence for high-profile U.K.-U.S. law firm mergers likely to continue, a new type of firm could emerge that strikes a balance between U.K. culture and working style, but with the global ambition that U.S. firms offer, says Ria Karnik at Major Lindsey.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights: Taylor Wessing's Paul Callaghan
Paul Callaghan, who leads Taylor Wessing's employment, pensions and mobility group, discusses the challenges of clients who take matters personally, why discrimination based on socioeconomic background needs to be addressed by the law, and how being contracted as an independent investigator is becoming a new trend for senior employment lawyers.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights From BCLP's Benjamin Lee
Benjamin Lee, who co-leads BCLP's global corporate transactions practice, discusses the value of face-to-face meetings, how aspects of English company law could align with a more global approach, and what junior lawyers can learn by observing their senior colleagues.
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Opinion
Defunding Lawyer Apprenticeships Could Have Hidden Costs
In proposing to reform the U.K. apprenticeship system, it is crucial that the government gives sufficient consideration to how funding changes could reduce opportunities for underrepresented groups and negatively affect firms' ability to deliver effective training, says Carrie Laws at The Family Law Co.
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Series
Practice Leader Insights From Eversheds' Diane Gilhooley
Diane Gilhooley, who leads Eversheds Sutherland's employment, labor and pensions practice, looks at the multifaceted challenges of advising clients during pandemic lockdowns, the need to reform U.K.'s whistleblowing law, and why it's important for lawyers to enjoy their work.
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'Revolving Door' Model Can Help Bridge Legal Sector Gaps
The ability for lawyers to move freely between private and public sectors, a long-time feature of the U.S. legal landscape that was recently embraced by the U.K. Government Legal Department, offers valuable career experience and an effective way to close talent gaps at either end, say James Lavan and Thomas Hanlon at Buchanan.
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Pros And Cons Of Nonequity Partnership For English Firms
With Cleary recently announcing a new nonequity partner category, it is an opportune time for firms governed by English law to examine the advantages and disadvantages of this position from the perspective of both the firm and the lawyer, says John Gould at Russell-Cooke.