Ben Thomson

Steve Witkoff’s Career From Lawyer to Billionaire to Peace Dealmaker

The Stunning Steve Witkoff Career Moves Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Before Steve Witkoff became a commanding presence in international real estate, and an unlikely Middle East diplomat, he was doing what thousands of law graduates do: practicing law at a New York firm, navigating contracts, and learning the intricate mechanics of deal-making. But Witkoff,

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Funders, Fallout, and a High Court Headache as Pogust Goodhead Seeks to Hand Lead Role to Leigh Day

Pogust Goodhead has told the High Court it wants out of the driver’s seat in the diesel emissions group action, a case so large it needs its own traffic management plan. The firm represents roughly 750,000 of the 1.8 million claims lodged against 14 manufacturers over alleged cheating on diesel emissions, but now wants Leigh

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Abbas Wants Britain’s Chequebook: The Reparations Gambit After UK Recognition

The Great Palestine Money-Grab Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The UK recognised a Palestinian state on 21 September 2025, all warm words and zero line items. Within days, the bill arrived. Mahmoud Abbas’s camp is pushing a “Britain Owes Palestine” petition: acknowledgment, apology, reparations, the lot. It’s a litigation-shaped press release, sharpened by serious counsel,

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What Does The Forbes 2025 Top Lawyers List Tell Us About The State of the Law Business?

Wide banner reading Top Lawyers 2025 in bold serif font, with silhouettes of suited lawyers standing before courthouse columns and scales of justice. Professional dark blue and white palette designed to convey authority and prestige in the legal profession.

Takeaways from Forbes’ 2025 Top Lawyers List Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Forbes’ 2025 edition of America’s Top Lawyers came out last week and once again showed the changing nature of law in the US. The List, which premiered last year you may recall, focuses on “private practice attorneys” who have distinguished themselves through trial

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Italy’s AI Law – A Wild West Game Changer (And Not Just for Lawyers)

Is Italy Reining in The AI Wild West? Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributor Italy has just made history. Its parliament passed a sweeping AI law, becoming the first member of the EU to implement comprehensive national regulation that mirrors and, in many respects, outdoes the EU’s AI Act. Reuters report that the new regime emphasizes human-centred,

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Deputy PM David Lammy’s Return to the Law

From Global Diplomacy to Leaking Courthouses David Lammy has swapped the trappings of global diplomacy for the joys of leaking court lavatories and backlogged justice. The former foreign secretary is now justice secretary, taking on a role that’s less about international summits and more about fractured legal aid, crumbling court estates, and prisons stuffed to

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The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows About

The Law Firm Billing Myth Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The legal profession has always been fond of a long lunch, a late night, and a generous definition of billable. But every now and then, someone pushes the grift so far it becomes a morality tale, which is what just occurred with an associate at

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Addleshaw Goddard Freezes Junior Pay While Partners Pop Champagne

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Addleshaw’s Pay Freeze Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Addleshaw Goddard decided to turn up the chill factor on its own junior lawyers as the UK-based firm has frozen the £100,000 starting salaries for newly qualified (NQ) lawyers, choosing instead to divert an extra £1 million into its already-healthy bonus pool for senior lawyers. So much

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Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44m

Perplexity AI sued by Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun over copyright infringement claims — $44m at stake.

Bezos-Backed Perplexity AI Accused of Free-Riding on Journalism Journalists aren’t thrilled about being turned into free training fodder for Silicon Valley’s latest obsession. Now Japan’s Nikkei, owner of the Financial Times, and the Asahi Shimbun have filed a lawsuit accusing US-based Perplexity AI of industrial-scale plagiarism dressed up as “answer search.” Nikkei and Asahi Take

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