Practice Management
SRA issues M&A warning to law firm buyers and sellers
Solicitors have been warned by their regulator about undertaking adequate due diligence on mergers and acquisitions and putting client interests first when striking the deal.
One in four SME law firms yet to embrace SQE
More than a quarter of SME law firms (27%) have not yet embraced the Solicitors Qualiying Exam, and nearly a half are not offering solicitor apprenticeships, research has found.
Law firm fails with defamation claim over Trustpilot reviews
A law firm has failed in a defamation action over negative reviews about it on Trustpilot, with the High Court ruling that it could not prove they caused any financial loss.
Muslim students “uncomfortable” with law firm drinking culture
Muslim students on vacation schemes at City law firms say the “drinking culture” makes it hard for them to take part in social events because of their religion.
GenAI helps lawyers overcome ‘blank page syndrome’
Three-quarters of lawyers agree that using generative artificial intelligence helps them “get to a first draft quicker”, according to a report on trials run by a leading City law firm.
Seven out of 10 lawyers say being a carer damaged their health
More than seven out of 10 lawyers have said that being a carer has damaged either their mental or physical health, a report to mark Carers Week has found.
Number of complaints to law firms up 20% in five years
The number of complaints received by law firms went up by about a fifth between 2019 and 2023, the SRA has found – but averages out only at four per practice.
UK law firms “turn to tech rather than job cuts” to adapt to future
UK law firms are preferring to adopt new technology rather than cut staff to address the current economic climate when compared to their US and Australian counterparts.
London calling: Three capital deals lead way in latest M&A
Leading south coast law firm Lester Aldridge is boosting its London presence after agreeing a deal to acquire Mackrell, the largest of the deals announced recently.
Smaller law firms to prioritise spending on recruitment and AI
Smaller law firms have recovered their confidence in the future, with hiring more lawyers their joint top spending priority the next 12-18 months.
Blog
Why law firms are getting AI supervision wrong
The profession’s response to AI supervision failures misunderstands the nature of LLM output – there needs to be for a shift in the culture.
Beyond the PII premium – rethinking risk
Professional indemnity insurance renewal is often treated as an annual pricing exercise. But it is also a chance to show how effectively you identify, manage and mitigate risk.
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Reports
Associates
