Legal news

Firms sticking to billable hours

Law firm websites talk up alternative fees but reality is somewhat different says analysis.

• LEGAL TRAINING

  

  New Clifford Chance apprenticeship scheme

  Firm launches first legal project management apprenticeship to tap new talent market.

• GENDER

  

  Baker McKenzie claims global gender first

  Firm lays to claim of being the first global law firm to set 40:40:20 gender targets.

• TRADEMARKS

  

  Patently Fuct

  US Supreme Court strikes down ban on 'immoral' or 'scandalous' trademarks, ruling against US patent office attempt to block profane-sounding Fuct brand.

• MENTAL HEALTH

  

  Getting down down-under

  Depression hits over 60 percent of lawyers in New Zealand and Australia, according to new survey.

Editor's picks

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Think-tank general counsel suspended

Minnesota think tank general counsel suspended and apologises for remarks in New York Times about Somali refugees as being “very visible.”

LEGAL MANAGEMENT

Global legal spend under pressure

Four out of five companies plan to reduce their legal spend over the next two years, EY survey finds as organizations globally plan to reduce their legal function costs.

GENDER

Research highlights gender leadership

Just 22 percent of equity partners at law firms are women, compared to 61 percent of trainees, but law firms are improving.

LEGAL MANAGEMENT

Ditching appraisals? You bet!

Law firm is ditching annual appraisals for continuous feedback in partnership with performance management company.

Blogs

LEGAL SERVICES

Niche law firms poised to benefit from artificial intelligence

Disruption has opened up a world of opportunities for the legal marketplace in the UK, says Jeffrey Catanzaro.

BLOCKCHAIN

Unlocking the blockchain enigma

With the evolution of blockchain, clients in a wide range of sectors will be impacted, says Patrick McKenna.

Business sector round up

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

New North Sea oil Industry initiative from Pinsent Masons

The law firm will run a programme helping tech pioneers develop and market their businesses.

INSOLVENCY

The business of staying in business

Commercial pressures are forcing restaurant and retail businesses to seek better deals from their landlords, says Thomas Bond of law firm Russell-Cooke.