Westminster inquiry calls for evidence on joint enterprise
Commission wants to know how the common law doctrine has been applied amid concerns over prosecutions.
Bar lags behind law firms in tech take-up
Bar Standards Board research reveals ‘significant’ barriers limiting barristers' ability to use new technology effectively.
Court throws out challenge to £700,000 legal bills
Judge in costs recovery claim finds Howard Kennedy invoices were statutory interim bills clearly broken down for the client.
Lawyers brighten up north London
Law Society Art Group's annual show of members’ work returns to Lauderdale House, Highgate.
Solicitor faces £30,000 costs over SRA fine appeal
Tribunal dismisses appeal over £8,000 sanction imposed by adjudicator panel for breach of a property sale undertaking.
Government warned over new 24-week asylum target
Immigration bill will also give regulators more power to clamp down on rogue advisers.
Legal advisers 'need pay parity' with CPS
Trained legal advisers quitting HMCTS for better paid jobs in Crown Prosecution Service and local government.
Director who misled clients over failed claims struck off
Solicitor admits dishonest conduct over statements 'apt to lead' clients to believe personal injury claims had succeeded.
In depth: Could new funding models for early advice transform civil justice?
A two-year research project will explore different funding models for organisations that provide free and early legal advice ‘to move the conversation forward to an informed place’.
Gallery: Lawyers who ran the London Marathon 2025
Did you take part in Sunday's race? Send in your snaps!
Housing disrepair firm collapsed owing £6m
Cheshire practice that went under owing £1.8m in tax has few assets to generate a return for creditors.
Judge issues 'costs padding' warning after firm’s £30,000 bill
Express Solicitors says it acts in common with most firms by agreeing deductions with clients at the time of instruction.
More partner promotions as Irwin Mitchell unveils female-only cohort
Meanwhile global firm DLA Piper announces 65 promotions internationally with a quarter of UK partner promotions going to women.
Want to become a judge? Prepare for two years, solicitors advised
Former appointments commissioner says solicitors possess transferable skills, but often do not fully understand a judge's role.
Memory lane
Rising number of practitioners, single civil court fears, the need for a family court and extradition and the Stonehouse case: a stroll down Gazette memory lane.
Going the extra nautical mile to fulfil a dying wish
Adventurous seafaring lawyer's enduring wish was that his beloved yacht should not end up at the back of a boatyard.
RCJ hydrates hacks at last
Royal Courts of Justice press room has a makeover that means journalists don't need to rinse out their mugs in the toilet sinks.
Trump deal may be unlawful, firm warned
Democratic lawmakers question legality and ethics of Paul, Weiss’s $40m pro bono pledge.
DWF puts more than 100 staff at risk of redundancy
Cuts will affect lawyers in commercial division and back-office staff.
A (vice) presidential run
When Mark Evans ascends from Law Society VP to president later this year, could he be the society’s fastest president yet?
Countdown to legal walk jamboree
It is almost time for the biggest legal fundraising event of the year, which takes place on 17 June.
Jobs lost as high-profile lit funder restructures
Jersey-registered company Therium said changes were part of a strategic plan rather than a sign of financial distress.
A dollar a second? Hourly rates rocket at top global firms
Billing rates for senior lawyers are already 'exceptionally high' and fee inflation is rampant, new study finds.
Corporate clients ‘demanding firms use AI’
Percentage of firms and in-house departments saying they currently use generative AI jumped sharply in the past year.
Birmingham firm wins legal aid appeal over retrial
Interval between two trials and change of judge and defence team meant it was ‘quite unrealistic’ not to treat them as separate trials.
Trump rages at 'sick' and 'deranged' judge in law firm case
District Judge Beryl Howell placed a temporary block on president's executive order against Perkins Coie
Firm must pay former client’s costs over final bill
Senior costs judge says Chesterfield-based practice could not complain about former client commencing Part 8 proceedings.
SFO guidance offers self-reporters a route to deferred prosecutions
In a first for the agency, the guidance states what businesses can expect if they self-report suspected wrongdoing.
Firm employee paid estate monies into his own company
Private client executive faked a note from beneficiary supposedly approving transfers.
Power couple drives Anexo takeover talks
Listed credit hire and legal services company says potential bid talks were announced without its consent.
London legal giants unveil new partners - but don’t mention the ‘D’ word
Statistics and commentary on gender and ethnicity are absent from Freshfields and A&O Shearman announcements to the media.
MPs continue to row over Sentencing Council guidance
Emergency legislation on pre-sentence reports passes second reading following heated debate on role of Sentencing Council.
Family judge ‘wrong’ about overnight stays following rape finding
Order maintaining father's overnight contact 'tipped to the wrong side of the balancing scales', High Court finds.
Pay for informants on anti-fraud agenda
Second part of Jonathan Fisher KC’s disclosure and fraud offences review will also investigate whether criminal courts are equipped to hear complex fraud cases.
Irwin Mitchell ditches asset management arm after conflict criticism
Firm insists sale is not related to withering Court of Protection judgment about a conflict of interest.
Supreme Court to review complaints procedure
Highest court will also consider providing transcripts of proceedings and upgrading its broadcasting equipment.
Manchester and Yorkshire firms announce acquisitions
Express Solicitors and Ison Harrison continue their expansion strategies.
New entity takes over as debt-laden claims firm folds
Cheshire firm now operating under new entity and continues to trade.
Yorkshire firm fined £36,000 over money laundering failings
SRA finds that Holden Smith’s significant conveyancing work was an aggravating factor.
Court of Appeal dismisses mesothelioma claim from widower
Defence lawyers welcome clarification about risk principle in asbestos-related claims.
Firm directors rebuked over dormant client accounts
SRA investigators found hundreds of thousands of pounds untouched for at least three years.
Busy employment judge sanctioned over delay to written reasons
Six-month delay to produce written reasons after giving oral judgment amounted to misconduct, JCIO says.
Mishcon ordered to pay out for constructive dismissal
Award to former commercial director includes compensation for lost commission after judge brands London firm 'evasive'.
Bar voices 'serious concerns' about regulator's five-year strategy
BSB should prioritise key regulatory activities over new ‘less critical’ projects, Bar Council says.
New air traffic regime proposed for pilotless planes
Government 'determined to get these new types of aircraft off the ground'.
Supreme search begins
UK's highest court is looking to fill two places on its bench.
Solicitor who has not practised in years reprimanded by SDT
Sole practitioner did not engage with the ombudsman over a client complaint made in 2015.
Acquisition for growing south east firm
Manak Solicitors announces acquisition of private client specialist Browns.
Suspension for failure to disclose wife's property conflict
Tribunal finds experienced solicitor ought to have known about dangers of conflict of interest.
Firm fined after stolen client details leaked onto dark web
Breach at criminal law practice blamed on failure to update old case management system.
Writing wrongs: top scribe tips
Once I became editor of a legal magazine I quickly learned some lessons about writing. Here are a few thoughts about submissions.
Father does not have Article 6 right to lay advocate
Application suggested a 'fundamental misunderstanding' of right to fair trial, judge rules.
Gender and sex-based rights: Employment solicitors speak out on Supreme Court ruling
‘Landmark’ judgment ‘highlights inconsistencies’ in sex-based employment rights and ‘poses some practical issues for employers’.
Funders can take fee before damages payout, Court of Appeal rules
Claimant lawyers see off a significant threat to the future of litigation funding in opt-out class actions.
Evidence in school VAT case ‘falls under parliamentary privilege’, government argues
School fee VAT case returns to High Court over National Audit Office report cited in evidence at earlier hearing.
What is a woman? Supreme Court rules on Equality Act 2010
Supreme Court unanimously allows appeal finding terms ‘woman’, ‘man’ and ‘sex’ in EA refer to biological sex.
Exclusive: Auditor flags ‘material uncertainty’ as class action pioneer racks up £500m debt
Pogust Goodhead says portfolio of 'high-value litigation assets' provides 'solid foundation for long term revenue generation'.
Father for justice
Law Society’s most familiar face, Buildings Project Officer Richard Hopkins, retires after 37 years’ service.
Law firm ‘heavy-handed’ with witness in tribunal claim
Employment judge says firm’s conduct could be seen as 'unnecessarily aggressive and intimidating'.
Judges are plugged in to AI, new guidance reveals
Refreshed guidance also suggests how to spot submissions produced by AI - with American spelling a clue.
Immigration solicitor concealed visa rejection for more than a year
Partner at London firm had said case was on hold due to the Covid pandemic.
Supping with the Soviets
Solicitor Paul Melling is hanging up his samovar.
Tributes pour in for employment judge and solicitor Veronica Dean
Practitioner, who has died aged 65, was 'a force to be reckoned with [...] full of compassion and empathy towards others'.
Libel firm Schillings sees off costs estimate challenge
Terms of business required firm to 'endeavour to notify the client' if estimate was likely to be exceeded.
MoJ rules out wider access to sexual abuse compensation
Lawyer who represents victims says government has placed reform on the ‘too hard pile’.
Judge who helped duty solicitor dodge security sanctioned
Judge, who was sitting as a magistrate at the time, was ‘motivated by a desire to ensure that the hearing went ahead’.
Sailing solicitors go back to school
Law Society Yacht Club casts off for a busy 2025 season.
Listed firm survivor more than doubles borrowing to fuel expansion
Professional services firm says extra borrowing provides additional headroom and flexibility.
Society consults on small PC fee increase
Chancery Lane accounts for under 30% of the annual levy, which was unchanged this year at £307.
School's out for Gina
We must bid adieu to the True and Fair party, the political vehicle founded by Gina Miller.
'We need to be hungrier': SFO boss Nick Ephgrave on his 2025-26 agenda
As Nick Ephgrave publishes his first annual business plan after a full year in the role, the SFO chief tells the Gazette that he wants to deploy his policing expertise to make investigations bolder, speedier and more aggressive.
Over half of new partners are women at Eversheds, Taylor Wessing and Leigh Day
Prominent firms announce partner promotions across UK and Europe and Asia.
City watchdog probes power of attorney
Financial Conduct Authority tells banks and building societies to improve 'customer journeys', as some attorneys get lost in the system.
A&O among four more firms to cut $125m Trump deals
President says firms have committed to 'merit-based hiring' and will refrain from 'illegal DEI discrimination'.
In depth: Justice minister admits county court has not recovered from pandemic
Sarah Sackman KC has admitted to MPs that the county court has not recovered from the trauma of the pandemic. Successes such as digitisation of claims are ‘nowhere near enough’.
Pointing the finger
With lawyers’ ethics under increasing scrutiny, the profession’s regulators have come out fighting, issuing a raft of reviews and reports. But deeper cultural change may also be needed, reports Joanna Goodman.
Law firm team manager hid lack of complaint progress
Head of new client unit fabricated notes from calls with complainant.
Judge slams lack of judicial diversity progress in family courts
Her Honour Judge Khatun Sapnara says there are plenty of black, Asian and minority ethnic lawyers with the requisite merit.
Social justice champion calls time on near 50-year career
Patrick Allen qualified in 1977 and set up London firm Hodge Jones & Allen from a Euston squat.
Private equity-backed firm makes new acquisition
Owner organisation Lawfront says deal is sign of commitment to investment.
Mother argues judge 'wrong' to allow overnight stays following rape findings
Fresh allegations are ‘plainly relevant to the child’s welfare in any risk assessment’, says counsel for mother.
Top sports firm accused of copying opponent’s budget
‘Deliberately inflated’ budget filed half an hour late had ‘striking similarities’ to figures submitted earlier by claimant.
E-conveyancing coalition unveils second 'roadmap'
Action plan includes local authority pilot to digitise and open up building regulations and highways data.
Accountancy firm fires new warning on client interest threat
Prime, which conducts SRA audits, says solicitors must start making contingency plans in anticipation of losing key profit driver.
Qur’an burning case ‘threatens back-door blasphemy law’
National Secular Society writes to CPS urging it to drop prosecution for intent to cause 'harassment, alarm or distress' to Islam.
More solicitors recognised on LCJ-endorsed pro bono list
Number of solicitors featuring on second pro bono recognition list has jumped by 21%.
Slapping down misleading postie payout headline
Law firm's head of marketing calls out Telegraph headline on LinkedIn.
Wagatha Christie: Vardy loses appeal over alleged misconduct by Rooney’s solicitors
High Court finds there was ‘ample material’ before costs judge to justify his conclusion that Rooney’s legal team did not act improperly.
Jenrick lambasts law firm over ‘sickening’ Hamas application
Shadow justice secretary says it is ‘no surprise’ Riverway Law is an immigration firm.
County court enforcement branded complex, slow and outdated
Master of the rolls says enforcement reform has too often been labelled ‘too difficult’.