Taylor Wessing’s UK arm and international firm Winston & Strawn LLP have confirmed that they’re currently in merger discussions. If finalised, the merger could create the latest transatlantic force with over 1,300 lawyers and revenues of around $1.63 billion – placing this new firm within the top 40 in the Global 200.

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Speakers at LawtechUK advocated for AI use, arguing that it could improve access to justice, both by increasing the capacity to solve issues outside of court and making changes within the court to judges’ processes.

The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) 2025 diversity of the judiciary report revealed that progress on improving diversity has been mixed. While findings showed that the number of judges from ethnic minority backgrounds gradually increased from 2015, the proportion of Black judges showed no improvement.

National firm Irwin Mitchell is offering free 20-minute consultations to domestic abuse victims until the coronavirus crisis ends. According to the Law Gazette, the firm said it feels “duty bound” to support domestic abuse victims as UK lockdown continues in a bid to slow down the spread of the pandemic.

National Accident Helpline has announced 10 aspiring lawyers as finalists in its annual award scheme, Future Legal Mind Award 2021.

Online legal tools for women to protect themselves from domestic abuse and a chatbot designed to help people with special educational needs access legal advice are among the eight Legal Access Challenge finalists.

As reported in the Telegraph and the Guardian, Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly has handed responsibility for regulating claims management firms to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke after a conflict of interests was exposed.

New legislation has passed allowing Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members to apply for a range of senior judicial positions for the first time.

The UK’s status as a global hub for legal services will continue after Brexit, but securing a “bespoke” deal that gives UK and EU lawyers maximum mutual access to each other’s markets is key for future growth, a City lobby group has said.

Stephenson Harwood LLP has launched global fertility and pregnancy loss policies for its employees. All partners and global employees can benefit from the policy which aims to emotionally support people through their parenthood journey.

The Ministry of Justice has downgraded the pilot project to extend court working hours, to the relief of the Law Society.

International law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has announced the introduction of three new social mobility benefits for trainee hires and vacation scheme students in response to the rising cost of living and inflation. 

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A new conference aimed at anyone hoping to land a training contract with one of the international firms in the City has been announced.

On 18 September, the seventh National Paralegal Awards, hosted by CILEX, recognised paralegals across 14 individual and three business categories, such as Paralegal of the Year and National Paralegal Business of the Year

The number of in-house lawyers will have grown much further by 2020, while technological advances could mean a legal profession with fewer solicitors and more paralegals and computers, a landmark report by the Law Society has predicted.

LawWorks has announced the winners of the LawWorks and Attorney General’s Student Pro Bono Awards 2025, sponsored by LexisNexis UK. The awards celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by students and law schools across the nation. The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the House of Lords on Wednesday 23 April.