Company & Commercial
Law firm to pay 10% of commercial fees into social justice fund
A well-known London law firm has launched a fund to receive 10% of the firm’s fees from non-contentious commercial work and then hand over the money to two legal charities.
UK lawtech firm raises $30m to expand use of agentic AI
A lawtech contract specialist has raised $30m in Series B funding to further develop its use of agentic artificial intelligence as it expands outside the UK.
Three out of 10 GCs plan to cut spending on external lawyers
Nearly three out of 10 corporate general counsel plan to cut spending on external lawyers – the highest proportion since 2020, a report has found.
City giant seeks to shift blame for errors that cost client £83m
City giant A&O Shearman can make the argument that others were to blame for a mistake that has so far cost its client Nationwide £83m, the High Court has ruled.
Law firm owned by accountancy consolidator to become ABS
The law firm set up last year by a fast-growing accountancy consolidator has applied to become an alternative business structure so as to expand its range of services.
Law firms urged to put ethics at heart of deciding who to act for
Law firms should adopt a ‘legitimate provenance of wealth test’ when taking on clients as part of an ethics-based approach that goes beyond legal or regulatory tests.
Legal market’s strong growth in 2024 set to continue this year
The UK legal services market grew by 10% to £52bn last year and is heading towards a strong 2025 too, according to new research.
Exclusive: Australian firm eyes major UK expansion with PE backing
An Australian law firm offering SMEs unlimited, on-demand legal services on a subscription basis is set to expand its UK operation after taking private equity investment.
Court allows City giant to progress ex-client’s claim on assignment
A major City law firm can continue bringing a case it took on assignment from former clients which could mitigate a possible professional negligence claim.
“Accusation without evidence” – tribunal slams SRA prosecution
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has castigated the Solicitors Regulation Authority for prosecuting a law firm and two partners based on “accusation without evidence”.
Blog
Why is Andrew Malkinson still paying for a crime he didn’t commit?
Like many in my profession and beyond, I have been moved by the case of Andrew Malkinson, the man who spent 17 years in prison for an awful crime he did not commit.
What is tech bloat and why is it a problem for law firms?
Too many law firms are adopting shiny new tech without first retiring their legacy systems, causing duplication and unnecessary costs.
The civil courts and the digital divide
Despite the government’s decision to increase Ministry of Justice funding, its budget for 2025-26 is still 14% lower in real terms than in 2007-08.
