BigLaw • Analysis The Karp Collapse: David Lat Dissects the Emails That Ended an Era at Paul Weiss Five takeaways from Brad Karp’s Epstein correspondence—and what BigLaw should learn from this masterclass in how not to manage a client relationship By LawFuel Staff • February 16, 2026 When the DOJ released millions of Jeffrey Epstein […]
Diversity in law is still being discussed like it’s a favour, not a competitive advantage.Jayne McGlynn, senior M&A partner at DWF made a point on LinkedIn that is brutally simple. After two decades at the sharp end of deals and boardrooms, she still gets asked whether she’s a “diversity hire”. The implication being that talent
Nothing like another tranche of Epstein documents to remind the profession that “reputational risk” is not just a line in the partnership deed. The latest release from the US Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act has surfaced a series of emails between Jeffrey Epstein and a former junior lawyer at Clifford Chance.
Epstein Emails Cast Shadow Over Ex-Clifford Chance Trainee Read More »
If you ever wondered how the LawFuel editorial team might sanitise a legal soap opera, consider this your briefing note. A sitting (well “former” but still pretty judge-y) High Court judge has successfully steered a squabble over her share in the family bach away from the glaring lights of open court and into the subdued
Bach, Bench and Backrooms – NZ High Court Judge Wins Private Arbitration Over Open Court Read More »
The legal profession has a mathematics problem. Women now constitute the majority of law school graduates, comprise over half of associates at major firms, and represent 47% of all lawyers globally.
Yet when the elevator reaches the executive floor, the numbers tell a different story: just two in ten law firm leaders are women (although when they do reach the top women legal leaders are making a difference).
The latest research from the International Bar Association’s Raising the Bar: Women in Law project confirms what many practitioners have long suspected – the profession is experiencing a spectacular leakage of female talent somewhere between the mid-career mark and the managing partner’s office.
The Numbers That Should Keep Managing Partners Awake
The IBA’s December 2024 Progress Report, synthesizing data from 11 countries across five continents, reveals the uncomfortable arithmetic:
Women In Law Firm Leadership: The Stubborn 20% Ceiling That Won’t Crack Read More »
Latham & Watkins has hired a team of leading energy and infrastructure lawyers from Clifford Chance for its Paris office. This follows the firm’s aggressive moves last December when it targeted Freshfields to recruit four top deal-making lawyers in Germany and reflects Latham’s continued aggressive moves to attract leading legal talent. The Paris team are
Latham Scoops Up Leading Energy Lawyers From Clifford Chance Read More »
The unprecedented Judicial Conduct Panel hearing into District Court Judge Ema Aitken’s conduct has entered its evidentiary phase, with NZ First officials providing testimony about events at Auckland’s Northern Club in November 2024. Video footage was played to the panel on Wednesday showing Auckland barrister Michael Reed KC being asked to leave the NZ First
Judge Aitken Hearing: Video Evidence of Michael Reed KC at NZ Conduct Panel Read More »
Fountain Court Chambers is delighted to announce the arrival of Ashley Cukier and Maurice Holmes. Ashley and Maurice are both recognised as leading sports law juniors by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. Ashley Cukier is a former Legal 500 Sports Law Junior of the Year, specialising in football disputes. He has appeared before the FIFA Football Tribunal, the Court of
UK Law News – Sports Lawyers Join Fountain Court Chambers Read More »
Sydney silk Mark Philip Dennis, 60, has been found dead at his Leichhardt unit in Sydney’s inner west on Monday evening, NSW Police confirmed. A report will be prepared for the coroner. His death comes three weeks after he was arrested at Sydney Airport upon returning from Cambodia, where he operated a youth charity. He
Sydney Senior Counsel Found Dead Weeks After Child Abuse Material Charges Read More »
Let’s cut the corporate speak: your legal department is bleeding talent, and pretending it’s just about billable hours versus work-life balance isn’t going to stop the hemorrhage.
Here’s what’s really happening in Q1 2026; and if you’re a General Counsel, CLO, or corporate counsel, you need to pay attention because the landscape just shifted beneath your Italian loafers.
LawFuel took a look at recruitment strategies for in-house counsel and what recruiters and corporates can do to attract in-house legal talent in the face of BigLaw’s big money advantage.
What Is the Current Salary Gap Between BigLaw and In-House Counsel?
First-year BigLaw associates are now pulling in $240,000. Read that again. First. Year. Meanwhile, your mid-level in-house counsel with five years of actual business experience, the one who just negotiated that complex vendor agreement and actually understands your company’s risk tolerance, is making $175,000. Maybe $185,000 if they negotiated hard.
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BigLaw vs In-House Counsel Salaries 2026: The $75K Gap Driving Legal Talent Crisis Read More »
