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,
Italy’s AI Law – A Wild West Game Changer (And Not Just for Lawyers) Read More »
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
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
The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows About Read More »
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
Addleshaw Goddard Freezes Junior Pay While Partners Pop Champagne Read More »
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
Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44m Read More »
How Top Legal Rates Are Reshaping the Legal Market in 2025 Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The legal profession recently witnessed a historic milestone that raised eyebrows through the industry. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan recently broke the $3,000-per-hour barrier, with partners like Alex Spiro commanding unprecedented rates that would make even seasoned attorneys do
A Hedge Fund Lifeline – With Strings Attached Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Pogust Goodhead, the claimant firm spearheading the £36 billion Mariana dam class action against BHP, has drawn another £65 million from hedge-fund backer Gramercy, taking its overall debt north of $1.7 billion, once interest is factored in. The chief Executive and co-founder
£65m Lifeline or Financial Casket? Pogust Goodhead’s Hedge-Driven Drama Unfolds Read More »
Dhillon DOJ: A Purge or a Reset? Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The appointment of Harmeet Dhillon as the top government lawyer for civil rights law is the kind of reshuffle that resets enforcement priorities, unsettles BigLaw practice groups, and sets the stage for an increase in DEI litigation. Most DOJ appointments don’t trend outside
Burford Capital the litigation finance behemoth wants not just to bankroll lawsuits but to buy stakes in actual U.S. law firms. The move isn’t your garden-variety PE play; it’s a direct challenge to the profession’s no-capital-external-to-the-firm orthodoxy.
Burford, under the ever-quotable Jonathan Molot, (pictured above) told the Financial Times he is floating a structure ripped from healthcare and accounting playbooks: split a law firm into two entities, a lawyer-owned practice handling client work, and a Managed Service Organization (MSO) holding assets and providing back‑office muscle in exchange for a cut. It’s a classic “external capital without violating ethics rules.”
Burford Capital Isn’t Just Financing Suits Anymore; It’s Trying to Own the Firm Too Read More »
Following months of market uncertainty, the summer bonus season at BigLaw has exceeded expectations with Milbank’s announcing special bonuses ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 for associates, a cascade of firms has followed suit. But a new trend is also emerging in the way compensation is being handed to associates.
While partners enjoy increased PEP rates with premium work, the competitive world of associate recruitment is seeing some major changes in the way law firms handle the compensation for their top performers at associate level.
The summer bonus season is seeing that trend play out.
