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Pulse UK
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September 09, 2024
Barrister Loses Disability Claim Over Judge Role Rejection
A barrister who applied to become a deputy district judge and recorder has lost his disability discrimination claim against the judge-appointing body after an employment tribunal found he should have known he was not eligible.
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September 13, 2024
WilmerHale, Hanotiau Duo Launch New Arbitration Boutique
Two international arbitrators from WilmerHale and Hanotiau & van den Berg have left their previous firms after near-20-year stints to set up their own boutique practice.
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September 06, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen Rockfire Capital sue its former director, Liam Kavanagh, after he was accused of cheating cash-strapped Thurrock Council out of £150 million ($197 million), FedEx launch a claim against an Israeli supply chain business, and a legal dispute between steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta and a former colleague. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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September 06, 2024
Travers Smith Names Elmore As New Head Of Funds
Travers Smith LLP said Friday that it has appointed Jeremy Elmore as its new head of funds, as the firm looks to continue building its practice following partner exits in 2023.
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September 06, 2024
New Law Allows UK Lawyers To Register In Greece
Greek lawmakers have passed new legislation that enables U.K.-qualified lawyers to practice in the country under their home title, a move that helps to safeguard their interests after Brexit.
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September 06, 2024
A&O Shearman To Cut Partner Numbers By 10%
A&O Shearman said Friday that it is cutting its global partnership by approximately 10% as the newly merged firm plows ahead with cost-cutting measures and seeks benefits from its transatlantic tie-up.
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September 06, 2024
Ex-Akin Lawyer Can't Sue Wikipedia For Defamation In UK
A London court prevented a former Akin lawyer on Friday from suing the organizer of Wikipedia for libel, ruling that England is not the right forum for the claim because it turns on his criminal conviction in Switzerland.
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September 05, 2024
Rosenblatt Beats Ex-Partner's Race Discrimination Claims
A former Rosenblatt Ltd. partner has lost his race bias claims against the firm as an employment judge ruled that he had waited too long to sue over a former CEO's use of a racial slur at a work dinner.
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September 05, 2024
The Law Firms That Made Millions Representing ENRC
City law firms earned more than $67.8 million defending ENRC and its executives against the Serious Fraud Office’s decadelong criminal corruption and bribery probe. Here, Law360 looks into the firms, more than two dozen of them, whose expenses the SFO might have to cover.
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September 05, 2024
Notary Authorizing Russian Sale Doesn't Breach Sanctions
A notary does not breach European Union sanctions on Russia when they authenticate the sale of a property owned by a Russian firm, because they act as an independent holder of a public office, an EU court ruled Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Lawyer Fined For Sending COVID Threat Letters To Schools
A solicitor who sent hundreds of threats of legal action to schools in an attempt to stop them implementing measures against the COVID-19 pandemic was fined £2,500 ($3,290) by a tribunal Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Buchanan Ingersoll COO Jumps To Faegre Drinker
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has hired a chief operating officer who previously held that role at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, the firm said Thursday.
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September 12, 2024
Squire Patton Hires Disputes Pro From Eversheds Sutherland
Squire Patton Boggs LLP has said that a former trainee who specializes in commercial disputes has returned to the firm as a partner in its office in Birmingham, as it continues to expand its litigation practice across the U.K.
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September 05, 2024
UK Screen Directors Tap Ex-Disney GC To Seek Royalties
One year ago this month, Peter Wiley walked away from his job as chief international counsel for the Walt Disney Co., saying he wanted to "take a short break." And he did.
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September 05, 2024
Irish Law Firm Dillon Eustace Hires Innovation Director
Dublin, Ireland-based international law firm Dillon Eustace has hired a director of innovation and legal technology with more than 20 years of experience in technology at law firms, corporations and the public sector.
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September 05, 2024
Ex-Ashurst IT Worker Barred After Stealing Firm Laptops
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has banned a former Ashurst LLP information technology employee from working in the legal profession, finding that he sold two laptops stolen from the firm.
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September 05, 2024
Ex-Capsticks Partner Accused Of Hiding Costs From Client
A former housing partner at Capsticks Solicitors LLP must face a disciplinary tribunal for allegedly concealing an error he made during court proceedings that meant a client was required to pay costs to an opponent, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
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September 12, 2024
Bird & Bird Recruits M&A Partner In Frankfurt Amid Growth
Bird & Bird LLP has hired a business expert as a partner in Frankfurt as the firm bolsters its growing corporate practice internationally, with a keen eye on its new office in Japan.
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September 04, 2024
Lawyer's COVID Letters Defended As Act Of Genuine Concern
A solicitor who sent hundreds of letters warning schools not to implement COVID-19 measures was acting out of "genuine concern" and did not make legal threats, her counsel told a tribunal Wednesday.
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September 11, 2024
Hausfeld Snaps Up Litigation Pro From Covington In London
Hausfeld LLP has hired a partner from Covington & Burling LLP in London to boost its profile in commercial disputes, after its office in the U.K. capital recently underwent changes in leadership.
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September 04, 2024
ENRC Wants £240M From SFO, Dechert Over Criminal Probe
ENRC is seeking approximately £240 million ($315 million) from the Serious Fraud Office and Dechert LLP over the agency's disastrous criminal investigation into the mining giant, including huge sums of money in unnecessary legal fees to more than two dozen law firms.
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September 04, 2024
PE Firm Names Ex-Reed Smith Pro As New GC
TDR Capital LLP has named a long-time in-house counsel and former Reed Smith LLP lawyer as its new general counsel, after her predecessor in the role was recruited by U.S. law firm Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP.
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September 04, 2024
Latham Appoints Corporate Pro As New London Head
Latham & Watkins LLP said Wednesday that it has appointed a new managing partner for its London office, as part of its ongoing expansion in the U.K. capital.
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September 04, 2024
Lawyer Must Face Tribunal Over Claims He Misled Over Costs
A solicitor accused of being misleading about costs has lost his attempt to escape the charges as a tribunal ruled on Wednesday that it was still in the interests of justice to try the case, seven years after the alleged wrongdoing.
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September 04, 2024
Slaughter And May Boosts NQ Lawyers' Salaries To £150K
Slaughter and May said on Wednesday that it has raised salaries for newly qualified solicitors to £150,000 ($197,000), matching its Magic Circle rivals as they battle to keep up with the U.S. firms setting the pace in London.
Expert Analysis
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Translating The Plan For English-Language German Courts
The German Ministry of Justice is aiming to do away with the mistakes of the past and overhaul the German civil procedure in order to accommodate English-language disputes, but the success of these proceedings will depend very much on factors that the proposal does not address, say Jan Schaefer and Rüdiger Morbach at King & Spalding.
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A Breakdown Of The SRA's Proposed New Fining Powers
Thanks to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's pending new fining framework, which includes guidance on unsuitable fines and a fixed penalties scheme for low-level breaches, firms can expect to see more disciplinary findings leading to an SRA fine rather than referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, say Graham Reid and Shanice Holder at RPC.
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Russian Bank Ruling Clarifies UK Sanctions Regime
The recent U.K. High Court judgment of PJSC National Bank Trust v. Mints, a case brought by two Russian banks, is significant in clarifying that the U.K. sanctions regime does not deprive designated persons of their fundamental common law right to bring a claim in an English court, despite their assets being frozen, says Zoe O’Sullivan KC at Serle Court.
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Preparing For EU's Pay Gap Reporting Directive
An agreement has been reached on the European Union Pay Transparency Directive, paving the way for gender pay gap reporting to become compulsory for many employers across Europe, introducing a more proactive approach than the similar U.K. regime and leading the way on new global standards for equal pay, say attorneys at Lewis Silkin.
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Has The Liberalization Of Legal Services Achieved Its Aims?
Although there is still some way to go, alternative business structures are now an increasingly prominent feature of the legal services landscape, and clients can expect greater choice, improved quality and more manageable costs, as was intended by this shake-up of the profession's regulatory frameworks 15 years ago, says Dana Denis-Smith at Obelisk Support.
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How Overseas Property Verification Poses Risks To Attorneys
The recently launched register of overseas entities, requiring verification of foreign owners hoping to purchase U.K. property, could expose attorneys to criminal prosecution, professional negligence claims and reputational damage if they do not complete these checks to the required standard, which nevertheless remains murky, says Harriet Holmes at Thirdfort.
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What To Expect From UK's New Economic Crime Bill
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency bill, if passed, will reform aspects of Companies House and strengthen government anti-money laundering efforts, but it is also raising questions about how new information sharing requirements will affect businesses, say attorneys at Signature Litigation.
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A Trusted Cybersecurity Framework Is Imperative For Lawyers
The recent increased risk of cyberattacks has a number of profound implications for law firms, and complying with government guidance by embedding a cyber-savvy culture and adhering to a security framework will enable lawyers to add extra layers of defense and present their clients with higher levels of protection, says Marion Stewart at Red Helix.
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Opinion
Law School Admissions Shouldn't Hinge On Test Scores
The American Bar Association recently granted law schools some latitude on which tests it can consider in admissions decisions, but its continued emphasis on test scores harms student diversity and is an obstacle to holistic admissions strategies, says Aaron Taylor at AccessLex.
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New FCA Listing Rules May Start Regulatory Shift On Diversity
Listed companies that fail to meet new Financial Conduct Authority rules for minimum executive board diversity currently risk reputational damage mainly through social scrutiny, but should prepare for potential regulatory enforcement actions, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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What UK Professional Regulation Looks Like In A #MeToo Era
Two recent rulings from U.K. courts and tribunals reveal the increasingly shifting line between professional misbehavior and bad actions that would previously have been considered outside the scope of professional regulators, says Andrew Katzen at Hickman & Rose.
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How Immune Are State Agents From Foreign Courts?
The ongoing case of Basfar v. Wong is the latest to raise questions about the boundary between commercial or private activity and the exercise of sovereign authority that shields state agents from foreign judicial scrutiny — and the U.K. Supreme Court's upcoming decision in the matter will likely bring clarity on exceptions to the immunity doctrine, say Andrew Stafford QC and Oleg Shaulko at Kobre & Kim.
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Opinion
Justice Gap Demands Look At New Legal Service Models
Current restrictions on how lawyers structure their businesses stand in the way of meaningful access to justice for many Americans, so states should follow the lead of Utah and Florida and test out innovative law firm business models through regulatory sandboxes, says Zachariah DeMeola at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.
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Opinion
New NJ Fed. Rule On Litigation Funding Should Be Welcomed
The District of New Jersey's new local civil rule on litigation funding disclosure has faced exaggerated criticisms when it is a logical extension of the current practices in many U.S. jurisdictions, leads to greater transparency for the parties and the court without unduly burdening the parties, and is a positive development particularly in product liability cases, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Lessons In Civility From The Alex Oh Sanctions Controversy
Alex Oh’s abrupt departure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and admonishment by a D.C. federal judge over conduct in an Exxon human rights case demonstrate three major costs of incivility to lawyers, and highlight the importance of teaching civility in law school, says David Grenardo at St. Mary's University.