Linklaters Aims to Solve ‘Otherwise Intractable’ Challenges for Clients with AI-Focused Legaltech Team
Linklaters, one of the UK’s top ten law firms, has launched a six‑person Applied Intelligence team of three lawyers and three data scientists to create custom AI tools for clients. The group will tackle data‑intensive legal tasks—such as compliance gap analysis for banks and large‑scale litigation triage—that off‑the‑shelf solutions cannot handle. Tools will draw on technologies from Legora, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic’s Claude, and Linklaters’ own platform, and will be sold on a fixed‑fee basis rather than hourly rates. The initiative signals a shift toward AI‑driven revenue streams and efficiency gains across elite legal practices.
Kirkland Recruits Antitrust Partner Quartet From Cleary Across Brussels and London
Kirkland & Ellis has hired four antitrust partners from Cleary, expanding its Brussels and London teams. The quartet—Robbert Snelders, Thomas Graf, Conor Opdebeeck‑Wilson and Henry Mostyn—brings deep experience in EU merger control, cartel investigations, abuse‑of‑dominance and digital‑regulation matters. Their arrival bolsters Kirkland’s Brussels office,...
Mining Giant Rio Tinto Lines up BP Deputy GC as Next CLO
Rio Tinto announced that Trudi Charles, currently BP’s deputy general counsel and senior vice‑president for legal, supply, trading and shipping, will become its chief legal officer in August, replacing Isabelle Deschamps. Charles brings more than two decades of experience at BP, overseeing...
UK Urged to Ratify Lawyer-Protection Treaty One Year After Signing
The Law Society of England and Wales and the Bar Council are urging the UK government to ratify the Luxembourg Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, a Council of Europe‑endorsed treaty that safeguards lawyers from harassment, threats...
SRA Investigations Rise as Misconduct Reports Jump by More than Half Since 2024
Misconduct reports to the Solicitors Regulation Authority jumped 58% to 8,955 in the six months ending April 2026, prompting a 41% rise in formal investigations. The surge has strained SRA resources, leading the regulator to propose a £111.5 million (≈$142 million) fee increase...
Baker McKenzie Announces Global Rollout of Legal AI Platform Legora
Baker McKenzie is launching its AI platform Legora globally across six practice groups. The phased rollout will initially support large‑scale document review, data extraction, drafting, redlining and checklist preparation. With more than 3,500 lawyers in 74 offices, the firm aims to...
Freshfields Shakes up London Leadership as Former UK Managing Partner Shifts to New Role
Freshfields has appointed Victoria Sigeti as its new UK managing partner, succeeding Mark Sansom who will assume the revived role of global client partner. Sigeti, a private‑capital specialist since 2015, will continue her client practice while steering the firm’s UK business. Sansom...
The Global Legal Post Launches Inaugural Cross-Border Enforcement of Judgments Guide
The Global Legal Post has launched the inaugural Law Over Borders Enforcement of Judgments guide, edited by Andrew Bartlett of Osborne Clarke. The guide offers a comparative, Q&A‑style overview of how judgments and arbitration awards are recognized and executed across multiple...
Latino Civil Rights Group UnidosUS Hires Former AmeriCorps GC as First Legal Head
UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil‑rights organization, has created a new general counsel position and hired veteran attorney Fernando Laguarda to fill it. Laguarda joins from his own practice after serving as deputy general counsel at the U.S. General Services...
Pérez-Llorca Extends Latin America Push with Peru Merger
Pérez‑Llorca announced a merger with Peru’s Miranda & Amado, adding roughly 240 lawyers and bringing its global headcount to 1,300 and its Latin America team to 700. The deal follows earlier integrations in Mexico and Colombia, completing a three‑year push to create...
Barnes & Thornburg Adds Entertainment Trio From Nixon Peabody
Barnes & Thornburg has bolstered its entertainment practice by hiring three music lawyers from Nixon Peabody—Christina S. Chang and Carron Joan Mitchell in Los Angeles, and Farrah Usmani in Nashville. The trio brings a roster that includes Tim Burton, Childish Gambino, and a slate...
‘It Doesn’t Feel Like a Bubble’: Law Society CEO on the Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence
Law Society chief executive Ian Jeffery says artificial intelligence is sparking a genuine transformation in the legal profession rather than a speculative bubble. Since ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, law firms and in‑house teams have rapidly adopted generative AI for research, drafting...
Kennedys Strengthens in London with Double Partner Hire From DLA Piper and Cripps
Kennedys announced two senior London hires, financial‑crime specialist Will White from DLA Piper and corporate lawyer Lowri Jones from Cripps, shortly after a 20‑partner promotion round. White brings nine years of cross‑border investigations and compliance expertise, while Jones adds more than...
Quinn Emanuel Co-Founder John Quinn Steps Down From Management After 40 Years at Helm
John Quinn, co‑founder of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, is stepping down from his managing partner role after four decades, remaining as non‑executive chair and partner to focus on firm promotion and client development. The firm’s leadership now rests with...
US Nuclear Innovator NuCube Energy Hires Oklo Deputy GC as First CLO
NuCube Energy appointed Michael Green as its first chief legal officer to guide legal strategy, partnership development, and regulatory engagement for its high‑temperature modular microreactor. Green joins from Oklo, where he was deputy general counsel, and previously held senior roles...
MoFo Builds in London with Tech Transactions Trio From Morgan Lewis, Baker McKenzie
Morrison Foerster has bolstered its London tech‑transactions practice by hiring a trio of senior lawyers from Morgan Lewis and Baker McKenzie. Will Holder joins from Baker McKenzie, while Mike Pierides and Oliver Bell arrive from Morgan Lewis, with associates expected to follow. The hires bring deep experience in...
RPC Elevates 10 to Partner in One of Its Largest Promotion Rounds on Record
RPC announced its 2026 promotion round, elevating 10 lawyers to partner and four to of counsel – the firm’s largest partner promotion since 2022. All new partners are UK‑based, split evenly between London and Bristol, with women representing two of...
The Global Legal Post Launches Class Actions Comparative Guide
The Global Legal Post has released the first edition of its Law Over Borders Class Actions guide, a comparative analysis of collective redress mechanisms in major jurisdictions. Edited by Ashurst’s Sarah‑Jane Dobson and CORLA founder Guy Robson, the guide highlights...
DAC Beachcroft Launches in Dubai with Clyde & Co Partner Trio
DAC Beachcroft is opening its first Middle East office in Dubai's International Financial Centre, staffed by three insurance partners recruited from Clyde & Co. The trio—Michael Morris, Michael Ducker and Mark Beswetherick—bring deep expertise in commercial liability, healthcare, and dispute...
How Commercially-Minded Lawyers Can Enhance Deal-Making and Get More Sales Contracts over the Line
Mark Sherwood‑Edwards argues that lawyers must move beyond ritualistic risk aversion and become "sales‑side" partners who actively help close deals. His new book, The Sales‑Side Lawyer, outlines how commercial‑focused behavior—making risk judgments and streamlining contracts—accelerates revenue and improves customer goodwill....
US Fintech Basic Capital Hires Inaugural GC From Goldman Sachs
Basic Capital, a New York‑based fintech that streamlines 401(k) plans, has hired Jake Eigner as its inaugural general counsel and head of regulatory affairs. Eigner arrives from Goldman Sachs, where he was a vice president in the legal department specializing...
A&O Shearman Cuts Business Services Roles in London
Allen & Overy’s merger with Shearman & Sterling has led A&O Shearman to eliminate roughly 20 business‑services positions across finance, marketing and IT. The cuts, confirmed on 7 May, target only non‑partner, non‑fee‑earning staff, reflecting a broader effort to streamline after heavy investment...
King & Spalding Adds Two London Partners in as Many Days
King & Spalding announced the addition of two senior lawyers to its London office within 24 hours, bolstering its antitrust and real‑estate private‑equity capabilities. Jade‑Alexandra Fearns, formerly of Paul Hastings, joins as the firm’s sole antitrust partner, covering technology, pharma,...
Fox Rothschild Promotes Deputy GC to Become Firm’s In-House Legal Head
Fox Rothschild has elevated partner Richard Coughlin from deputy general counsel to the firm’s chief legal officer, replacing Rachelle Bin. In his new role, Coughlin will direct risk management, ethics, compliance and litigation strategy across the firm’s U.S. operations. Bin,...
Arnold & Porter Hires Former Wilkie EU Antitrust Partner in London
Arnold & Porter has added dual‑qualified competition litigator Nicola Chesaites as an employed barrister and partner in its London office. Chesaites brings over 17 years of experience in EU competition damages, collective actions, and cross‑border litigation, having previously served as...
DLA Piper Makes up 62 Partners
DLA Piper announced the promotion of 62 lawyers to partnership, a slight decline from 65 last year. The promotions, effective May 1, are heavily weighted toward the United States with 24 new partners, followed by Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia....
Greenberg Traurig Boosts London Corporate Bench with Baker McKenzie Partner
Greenberg Traurig hired Robert Gray, a former Baker McKenzie partner, as a shareholder in its London corporate practice. Gray brings 18 years of cross‑border M&A experience, notably the €12 billion (≈$13 billion) Danish biotech merger and a GSK‑Pfizer joint venture. The move adds...
Dentons Adds Seven-Lawyer Disputes Team From PwC Legal in Germany
Dentons has bolstered its German litigation capability by hiring a seven‑lawyer disputes team from PwC Legal, joining the Berlin office in early May. Led by partners Roman Dörfler and Martin Beckmann, the group adds corporate, insolvency, model declaratory and class‑action...
McDermott Boosts Italian Presence with Five-Partner Team Hire in Milan
McDermott Will & Schulte has hired a five‑partner, seven‑lawyer team from Gitti & Partners in Milan, led by former co‑managing partner Vincenzo Giannantonio. The group adds transaction, employment and IP expertise, positioning the firm to service mid‑market private‑equity deals across Europe. The move follows similar...
Pillsbury Debuts in Boston with Latham Litigation Hire
Pillsbury is opening its 17th U.S. office, the 25th worldwide, in Boston with a five‑partner team that includes former Latham litigator Robert Gilbert. The launch brings together leaders in intellectual property, insolvency, tax, and patent‑infringement litigation. Pillsbury cites Boston’s vibrant...
London’s 39 Essex Chambers Adds Addleshaw Goddard Construction Co-Head to Open in Dubai
London‑based 39 Essex Chambers is launching a Dubai annex to deepen its Gulf presence and signal confidence in the UAE as a global disputes hub. The office will be led by former Addleshaw Goddard construction co‑head Stephen Burke, joined by ex‑Pinsent Masons barrister...
London International Disputes Week Reveals Final Programme for Flagship June Conference
London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2026 has released the final agenda for its flagship conference on 2 June at the QEII Centre in Westminster. The programme will explore AI’s growing role, mass claims, law‑geopolitics interplay, and the rule of law’s resilience. High‑profile...
Davis Polk Launches Los Angeles Office with Longtime Skadden Partner
Davis Polk is opening its first Southern California office in Los Angeles, led by former Skadden partner Jason Russell, who spent 24 years at the rival firm. The new office will also house finance partner Rob Morrison, extending the firm’s...
Paul Hastings Hits Covington for PE Real Estate Team in London
Paul Hastings has recruited a senior private‑equity and real‑estate team from Covington & Burling in London, led by partners Lyndsey Laverack and Jade Williams‑Adedeji, with Jack Mayall and José Maria Rodrigues joining as partners. The group previously advised marquee investors such as Apollo,...
Global M&A Guide Edited by Sullivan & Cromwell Dealmaker Frank Aquila Launches Today
The Global Legal Post has released the first edition of its Law Over Borders Global M&A guide, edited by Sullivan & Cromwell senior partner Frank Aquila. The guide offers a jurisdiction‑by‑jurisdiction analysis of legal frameworks across 34 markets, supplemented by essays on...
US Government Services Company Maximus Names Interim as Permanent GC
Maximus, a leading U.S. government services firm, has promoted Elizabeth Moellering from interim to permanent General Counsel. Moellering, who joined Maximus in 2024 as head of litigation, brings nearly two decades of legal experience, including stints at Optum and as a...
Reed Smith Grows in Germany with Three-Partner Corporate Team From Dentons
Reed Smith has bolstered its German presence by hiring a six‑lawyer corporate team from Dentons, adding partners Thomas Strassner, Richard Fagerer and Christopher Mayston to its Munich office. The new hires expand Reed Smith’s German transactional bench to 16 lawyers...
US Biopharma Company Avalyn Pharma Hires Freshfields’ Global Head of Life Sciences as GC
Avalyn Pharma, a Boston‑based clinical‑stage biotech developing therapies for pulmonary fibrosis and other rare respiratory diseases, filed for an IPO targeting roughly $258.7 million to fund late‑stage trials and commercial expansion. To steer the complex legal and regulatory landscape of a...
Bird & Bird Promotes 19 to Partner in Latest Promotions Round
Bird & Bird promoted 19 lawyers to partnership in its latest global round, a slight increase from 17 last year. The cohort includes five women, representing 26 % of new partners, and spans a broad range of practices, with employment and intellectual...
Clifford Chance Promotes 28 to Partner in US-Heavy Round
Clifford Chance announced 28 new partners in its latest global promotion round, including six in the United States and nine in London. Women account for nine of the new partners, representing 32% of the cohort. The firm highlighted a sharp...
Former Berwin Leighton Paisner Head Neville Eisenberg Launches Consultancy Firm
Former Berwin Leighton Paisner managing partner Neville Eisenberg has founded ClarityX Advisory, a consultancy aimed at guiding law‑firm leaders through the sector’s current disruption. The firm offers a structured diagnostic and decision‑support tool to help firms navigate AI adoption, rising...
Kirkland, Skadden, Freshfields Guide €29.4bn Deal for Germany’s TK Elevator
Finnish lift maker Kone is set to acquire Germany's TK Elevator in a €29.4bn ($32bn) takeover, one of Europe’s largest recent deals. The transaction will involve $5.5bn in cash, $16.3bn of Kone shares and the assumption of roughly $10bn of...
London Set 7 King’s Bench Walk Lures Ex-Harneys Partner Out of Retirement
Former Harney’s partner Peter Ferrer has come out of retirement to join London’s 7 King’s Bench Walk (7KBW). Ferrer, who led Harneys’ litigation, insolvency and restructuring team and served on its global executive committee, will bolster the chambers’ offshore and...
Taylor Wessing Adds Product Liability Specialist From Cooley in London
Taylor Wessing has added Jamie Humphreys as a partner to its London disputes team, recruiting him from Cooley to strengthen its product liability and safety practice. The move comes as the firm prepares to merge with Winston & Strawn, creating the combined...
Baroness Harman to Speak at Conference on Impact of Employment Reforms on Legal Sector
Baroness Harman KC, former Labour deputy leader, will keynote the Change Management Present and Future Conference in London on May 5, focusing on the Employment Rights Act 2025’s new workplace harassment provisions. The Act introduces third‑party liability and obliges employers to take...
Nine Make the Grade in Simmons’ Latest Partner Promotions Round
Simmons & Simmons announced nine new partners, five of whom are women, fulfilling its 2026 target of 50% women in partner promotions. The promotions cover seven global offices, with London receiving the most new partners. Financial markets and real estate...
London Law Firm Private Equity Partner Hires Almost Double in 2025 – Report
London’s private‑equity partner market hit a record 50 moves in 2025, almost twice the activity of 2024. The surge reflects a broader talent strategy, with external promotions and in‑house transitions rising to a third of all moves while traditional lateral...
Linklaters, White & Case and DLA Piper Guide Porsche’s Bugatti Sale
Linklaters, White & Case and DLA Piper are advising Porsche on the sale of its 45% stake in Bugatti Rimac and its 20.6% share of the Rimac Group to a consortium led by HOF Capital. The transaction, which also involves BlueFive Capital...
US Drug-Maker Ardelyx Hires Long-Time Bristol Myers Squibb Lawyer as Next CLO
Ardelyx announced the appointment of Felecia Ettenberg as its new chief legal officer, succeeding retiring Elizabeth Grammer. Ettenberg arrives from Bristol Myers Squibb, where she spent nearly 25 years and most recently served as deputy general counsel for pipeline‑to‑patient global law. In her new role...
Majority of US Business Leaders Not Confident They Could Pass AI Audit – Study
A Grant Thornton 2026 AI Impact Survey of 950 U.S. executives reveals that 78 % lack confidence they could pass an independent AI governance audit within 90 days. Nearly half of boards (48 %) have set no AI governance expectations despite large...