Sydney, Australia | 5 February 2026 Baybridge Lawyers has appointed Gus Skavronskas as a Partner in its Intellectual Property and Brands practice, adding significant depth to the firm’s existing specialist capability. The appointment comes in response to sustained growth across the firm’s franchising and commercial portfolio. As client demands regarding brand protection become more complex,
AI-driven software stocks have slumped as investors suddenly re-price the risks and disruption posed by legal-focused models like Anthropic’s Claude.
But for law firms, this is a reset, not a retreat, in the legal AI market. The money is shifting from “AI at any price” to “AI that can survive the coming copyright and compliance storm”—and that is clearly where serious firms should now be focusing.
What Actually Happened in Markets
The numbers are staggering. On 3 February 2026, a Goldman Sachs basket of US software stocks sank 6% in a single session—its biggest one-day decline since April’s tariff-fueled selloff.
A parallel index of financial services firms tumbled almost 7%. The Nasdaq 100 Index fell as much as 2.4%.
The trigger? Anthropic released new AI automation capabilities targeting legal, sales, marketing, and data analytics—sectors previously thought insulated from AI disruption.
The carnage was immediate and global:
Legal AI’s First Reality Check: What the Claude Shock Means for Law Firms Read More »
>> A new law job? Check LawFuel’s Job Board Here The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has filed charges in the Auckland District Court against a television producer for allegedly obtaining fraudulent lending and funding for television productions. The SFO has filed 33 charges against Alexander Breingan, alleging he made false representations and used forged documents to obtain
Hesketh Henry has appointed Simon Gray as a partner to lead our banking and finance practice and further strengthen our capabilities across key sectors. Simon joins from MinterEllisonRuddWatts, where he was a Special Counsel. He brings substantial international experience, having previously served as a Local Principal in the finance and projects team at Baker &
Former MinterEllisonRuddWatts Counsel Joins Hesketh Henry Read More »
Taylor Wessing’s highest-earning partner managed to haul in a whopping £200,000 a week in the latest financial year — that’s roughly the same as a Premier League striker on a good bonus season. It highlights just how ludicrous top-end pay has become in London’s legal market.
According to Law Society Gazette, the top-paid LLP member at Taylor Wessing managed to net that £200k-a-week haul as profits were dished out across the partnership. That kind of pay packet makes even the notorious Cravath scale seem almost modest.
Sure, mid-market firms can cry “but we’re all about work-life balance,” but when your top partner’s annual take amounts to north of £10m, it’s hard not to feel the sting of disparity.
Reed Smith have secured former corporate and technology partner at Gowling WLG, David Brennan as a partner in the firm’s corporate group in London. Brennan is an experience corporate finance and technology lawyer who has worked on numerous tech, startup, media, biiotech and other deals and is a major acquisition by Reed Smith. The media
Reed Smith Recruit Former Gowling WLG Tech and Corporate Lawyer in London Read More »
Partners at Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing have voted decisively in favour of their landmark transatlantic merger, clearing the path for the creation of Winston Taylor—a new legal powerhouse set to launch in May 2026.
The combination, reported last month, will create a firm with more than 1,400 lawyers worldwide and combined revenue exceeding $1.75 billion, positioning the newly-formed entity just outside the Global 200’s top 40 firms.
The merger responds to increasing client demand for seamlessly integrated US–UK–EU counsel for the businesses, people, and markets driving capital and innovation.
Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing Partners Greenlight £1.2bn Transatlantic Law Merger Read More »
Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon is very proud to announce it has been named (in joint 1st place with Michelmores) ‘Best Law Firm to Work at 2025’, an accolade that the firm has achieved for the fourth year in a row. The rankings are based on a survey made available by legal news site RollOnFriday
UK Law Firm Takes RollOnFriday ‘Best Firm’ Title Read More »
Russell McVeagh Rankings News The Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide has once again recognised Russell McVeagh as a leading New Zealand law firm. In the 2026 rankings, the firm has been ranked across 16 practice areas with 42 individual lawyer rankings. We are delighted to have received 11 Tier 1 rankings, including Banking and Finance, Competition, Real Estate and Construction, Corporate
NZ Law – Russell McVeagh recognised in Legal 500 Asia Pacific Guide 2026 Read More »
Widely recognised for her strategic judgement and client care, Claire Gordon takes the helm of Farrer & Co’s Family team following a period of sustained growth and success for the practice. Claire trained at Farrer & Co and has been a Partner at the firm since 2007. The eight-partner practice is one of the largest
UK Law News – Claire Gordon appointed Head of Family at Farrer & Co Read More »
