Practice Management

The earnings gap between male and female barristers is not explained by caring responsibilities, choice of practice area, or amount of legally aided work”, Bar Council research has found.

A police station representative at a North-East law firm was unfairly constructively dismissed after having problems with the partner who supervised her.

Several more law firms have become B Corporations, ranging from a long-established London firm to a niche disputes practice, taking the total to 20.

Seven out of 10 law firm leaders believe associates are “less loyal than previous generations”, while only a quarter of associates aim to become a partner at their firm in the next five years.

A law firm specialising in advice for SMEs is launching a partnership with an Australian firm in a bid to provide clients with an international service which “does not cost an arm and a leg”.

Large firms swallowing up small practices has been the theme of a spate of mergers and acquisitions, while one listed law firm has picked up a corporate advisory business sold by another.

Lawyers continue to leave traditional law firms for fee-share practices in large numbers, with one of them hiring more last year than any law firm in the land.

Interest income at small and medium-sized law firms surged by 1,000% last year, research for the Law Society has found, masking a significant fall in profits.

More than 40% of the top 200 law firms have been awarded an ‘F’ rating (the worst) for the energy used by their websites.

National firm Simpson Millar has rescued personal injury firm Novum Law out of administration, with the funder that owns the former also a creditor of the latter.