From WikiLeaks to Venezuela: Barry Pollack Takes on the Maduro Defense in a Case That Could Reshape International Law Tom Borman, LawFuel contributor Fresh from orchestrating Julian Assange’s dramatic release from a British prison cell, Washington power lawyer Barry Pollack has now assumed what may prove to be the most geopolitically important defense case of […]
Big Law’s Seven-Million Pound Question: Who’s Really Winning? A senior partner at a global law firm took home just over seven million pounds last year, according to newly disclosed figures. That is not a LawFuel typo, a bonus anomaly, or a rogue spreadsheet error. It is the modern upper limit of elite legal pay, written
One Partner, Seven Million Pounds: Inside Big Law’s New Pay Reality Read More »
The legal profession has always had a peculiar relationship with money. Partners, after all, are supposed to be owners of their firms, yet increasingly, they’re being asked to prove their commitment with their wallets.
Welcome to the world of capital contributions, where making equity partner isn’t just about your billable hours anymore. It’s about how much cash you can pony up to join the club.
Here’s the thing about Big Law’s approach to partner capital: there isn’t one.
Survey data from about 80 Am Law 200 firms reveals a system that’s, to put it charitably, all over the shop.
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Big Law’s Capital Squeeze Sees Partners Pay Up, Firms Power On Read More »
US law firms have turned London into their most important international bridgehead, increasing their lawyer ranks in the City by nearly 60 percent over the past decade and reshaping the U.K. legal market in the process.
The number of lawyers working in London offices of U.S.-headquartered firms rose from 4,889 in 2015 to 7,710 by the end of 2024, a 58 percent increase over ten years.
In total, 84 U.S. firms now have a London presence, underlining the City’s role as the key European hub for U.S. practices.
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US Law Firms Double Down on Super Size London Takeover Read More »
And a Warning for Clients in BigLaw Megamergers Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing writer Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader have agreed to merge into a firm with about three thousand one hundred lawyers and 3.6 Bn in revenue, a scale play that will push the combined shop into the global top five and it will also force
What The New Cadwalader Hogan Lovells Legal Giant Means Read More »
European law firms have finally found something that can draft faster than a sleep‑deprived mid‑level – and it doesn’t ask for a bonus or threaten to lateral. New research from The Global Legal Post and LexisNexis shows leading firms in Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands quietly handing first‑draft duty to generative AI tools, especially for contracts and complex commercial documents.
The focus is not sci‑fi robot lawyers, but something far more radical for BigLaw, making use of the knowledge the firm already has.
By plugging Gen AI into internal precedents, know‑how banks and document automation systems, these firms are generating “house style” drafts that reflect prior deals, client preferences and jurisdiction‑specific quirks rather than yet another generic template no one quite trusts.
Senior partners say the attraction is simple providing better quality at lower cost, delivered with guardrails around confidentiality and auditability that won’t make the GC’s risk committee choke either.
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Top European Firms Are Letting Gen AI Draft First – And Partners Aren’t Complaining Read More »
Cadwalader’s planned merger with Hogan Lovells is less a love story and more a rescue mission with excellent branding, creating a 3,100‑lawyer, US$3.6 billion outfit that will instantly sit in the global top five by revenue.
For Hogan Lovells, it is scale and New York depth; for Cadwalader, it is survival with dignity and a new logo.
The combined Hogan Lovells Cadwalader will have about 3,100 lawyers and more than US$3.6 billion in annual revenue based on 2024 figures, making it the world’s fifth‑largest firm by revenue and one of the largest law firm mergers ever attempted. – Register to read more . . .
3,100 Lawyers, One Story Get Big, Get Niche, or Get Bought Read More »
Sigrid McCawley: The Lawyer Who Made the Untouchables Touchable Why She’s Our 2025 Lawyer of the Year Sonia Hickey, LawFuel contributing writer In a legal landscape where justice often moves at glacial speed, Sigrid McCawley is the wrecking ball nobody saw coming. The power lawyer who takes on the most powerful fortresses is LawFuel’s US
Why CEO Weinberg Says “We Can’t Win It All” If you blinked in 2025, you probably missed a Harvey funding round. The legal AI darling has spent the year defying gravity (and perhaps logic), closing out December with a fresh $160 million Series F led by a16z that pins its valuation at a staggering $8 billion. For those keeping score
Even an $8B LawTech Unicorn Like Harvey Can’t Eat the Entire Legal Market Read More »
In 2025, high-profile trials, political firestorms, and blockbuster corporate battles didn’t just dominate courtrooms—they dominated Google, TikTok, and every search engine in between. From Alec Baldwin’s dismissed manslaughter case to Elon Musk’s regulatory battles, people weren’t just looking for “a lawyer near me.”
After analyzing search volume data, media mentions, social engagement, and legal industry reports from BTI Consulting, Legal Brand Marketing, and The Lawyers Global, we’ve assembled the definitive ranking of 2025’s most-searched legal talent.
The ranking blends raw search metrics (e.g., Google Trends spikes) with viral moments on platforms like X, Reddit, and Instagram. The common thread for the list being that scandal sells along with wins for controversial clients – including the all-time heavyweight on both counts: President Donald Trump.
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The Most Searched Top Lawyers and Law Firms of 2025 Read More »
