Nearly 100% of senior commercial property law professionals said it will be ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ that administrative tasks involved in commercial real estate transactions will be fully automated in the next three years, according to a report published by SearchFlow. 

Today is International Women’s Day, undoubtedly a time to celebrate the achievements and fortitude of women everywhere. However, it is also a time to reflect on women’s place in the world of business and law – for example, the number of female CEOs is still woefully low and female partners in law firms remain underrepresented. And dare we mention gender pay parity – not yet a reality, despite legislation requiring it. Gender politics aside, read on for this collection of interesting business news from the past week.

Global law firm DWF Group Limited has partnered with technology business Stellar Omada through its 5 STAR Futures programme, a social mobility initiative DWF runs to inspire young people to explore careers in law and technology.

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.

A merger has been announced between US law firm Perkins Coie and British silver circle firm Ashurst LLP, establishing a transatlantic union that’s expected to generate more than £2 billion revenue and will result in a combined total of 3,000 lawyers across 52 offices in 23 countries.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, A&O Shearman and Linklaters LLP have announced the retention rates for their trainees due to qualify this spring, reaching 88%, 84% and 75%, respectively. 

Swedish fintech company Klarna has revealed that its in-house lawyers are using ChatGPT to draft time-consuming contracts, which has “massively” saved time.  

BARBRI has announced the innovative funding initiative, BARBRI Bridges, to support and enhance diversity inclusion and wider access to the legal sector.

What is the appropriate remedy for a landowner whose rights to light will be adversely affected by a proposed development?

Can a retailer's unique store layout be protected from copycats?

As technical and regulatory issues pile up, the UK government’s timetable for launching London’s robotaxi service looks set to encounter further delays, while Danish company LEGO is storming ahead in sales. In other news, data suggests over 3,000 dissolved UK companies could be operating as money launderers. Elsewhere, ClientEarth prepares to bring legal challenges against companies allegedly responsible for causing the pollution that’s created France’s ‘Chemical Valley’, while Shein seeks a valuation of $27 billion. Read on for LawCareers.Net’s pick of this week’s top commercial stories.

How will the implementation of Lord Justice Jackson's new costs management rules affect litigation cases?

Could my first-year exam results affect my chances of securing a vacation scheme or training contract, even if they don’t count towards my final degree?

As we get ready to head to Manchester for LawCareersNetLIVE on 29 November, we should remind you that a great way to top up your commercial awareness is to watch our panel of top law firm partners discuss the issues affecting the legal profession in 2020, including legaltech and Brexit. 

Parliament may be prorogued, but the business world keeps turning and this week there are several news stories that aspiring lawyers should be keeping up with. Spending a couple of minutes researching each of these stories will result in a broader knowledge of the industry and should lead to some questions about where the law – and your future employers – might fit in.

The government is using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – which modernises EU data protection law – as cover for its attempts to remove key rights from people subject to UK immigration procedures, a Labour MEP has alleged.

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

A quarter of women working in the legal profession have had their incomes reduced from pre-coronavirus levels, with one in five working reduced hours, a snap poll has found.