Monday morning round-up
The top legal affairs news stories from this morning and the weekend Freshfields culls partners after pay shake-up [Financial Times] (£) I’ve never seen a judge so angry as in Prince Harry v the Mail [The Times] (£) 50 Cent…
Lawyers risk being sued for failing to use AI
Taskforce warning Lawyers who fail to use artificial intelligence (AI) could find themselves on the wrong end of a negligence claim, according to a new legal statement from the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT). Published this week, the taskforce’s Legal Statement…
Sir Colin Birss named next Master of the Rolls
Judge with AI-background appointed to top judicial post Sir Colin Birss A senior judge with a background in artificial intelligence (AI) has been named as the next Master of the Rolls. His Majesty King Charles III has approved the appointment…
City lawyer charged with insider dealing
Financial watchdog takes action A City solicitor has been charged with five counts of insider dealing after allegedly using confidential information gained through his job to trade shares in a maternity wear company. Richard Bloomfield, 38, faces the charges from…
Better together? The hidden challenges of mega mergers
What happens when two become one? Law firm mergers are often presented as a neat equation: bigger platform, bigger clients, bigger profits. But behind the slick press releases and carefully worded announcements, the reality of combining two major firms is…
Junior lawyers split: Is AI ‘eating’ their jobs, or just an above-average paralegal?
Hype or threat? Junior lawyers have been airing their anxieties about artificial intelligence (AI) online, with the responses suggesting the profession is nowhere near agreement on whether the tech is a genuine threat to legal careers as we know them…
Suits’ Harvey Specter chats to A&O Shearman partner in surreal interview
AI bubble indicator? Harvey Specter has sat down with a top Magic Circle lawyer to discuss how he uses AI in his day-to-day work, begging the question: where does the world of legal AI marketing go from here? The interview,…
Womble Bond Dickinson slaps £300 levy on business class flights in bid to protect oysters
Funds restoration project Womble Bond Dickinson has introduced a £300 charge on business class flights taken by its lawyers and staff, with the funds raised going towards restoring native oyster populations along the south coast. The firm’s latest responsible business…
Free ‘Rule of Law’ lessons to be offered in schools
Backed by Attorney General The goverment has launched free ‘Rule of Law’ lessons for schoolchildren aged five to 16, with a view to helping them understand their legal rights and how the legal system works. Forming part of a “practical…
DLA Piper bumps NQ lawyer pay to £140k in London and £84k in regions
More rises DLA Piper is the latest law firm to announce an increased pay packet for its newly qualified (NQ) solicitors. The firm has raised its newly qualified (NQ) salary from £130,000 to £140,000 — an increase of £10,000, or…