Welcome to this week’s update, where we bring you the latest moves, promotions, and strategic appointments shaping the legal industry.
Partner Moves
Individual
UK & Ireland
Paul Duggan joins Browne Jacobson as Banking & Finance Partner
UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson has appointed Paul Duggan as Partner in its Banking and Finance practice in Cardiff, further deepening the firm’s expertise in debt finance and reinforcing its commitment to building sector-leading teams across its UK and Ireland network. Paul joins from Blake Morgan.
Maebh Doyle joins William Fry as Banking & Finance Partner
William Fry has appointed Maebh Doyle as a Partner in its Banking & Finance team in Ireland. A dual-qualified solicitor in Ireland and in England and Wales, she brings more than a decade of experience advising investment banks, investment managers, credit institutions, private equity funds, debt funds and corporate borrowers on domestic and cross-border transactions. Maebh joins from A&L Goodbody where she was a Senior Associate.
Hugh Tebay joins Mills & Reeve from Mishcon de Reya
Hugh Tebay has joined Mills & Reeve as a Partner in its Oxford office from Mishcon de Reya. He advises technology-focused businesses on a broad range of commercial and transactional matters.
Edwin Coe hires Paul Henson from Irwin Mitchell
Edwin Coe has strengthened its London property litigation practice with the hire of Partner Paul Henson from Irwin Mitchell. The move comes as the firm continues its wider growth strategy.
Mishcon de Reya has announced the expansion of its Real Estate department through the addition of new Partner, Roshni Kotecha Chadda. Roshni joins from CMS.
Ryan Morton joins Drummond Miller as Partner
Drummond Miller has strengthened its Private Client team with the appointment of experienced solicitor Ryan Morton as Partner. Mr Morton will be primarily based at the firm’s Bearsden office, bringing more than a decade of experience advising individuals and families on Private Client and conveyancing matters. Before joining Drummond Miller, he spent almost five years with Jones Whyte in Glasgow,
Flint Bishop recruits Corporate Partner from Knights
Law firm Flint Bishop has made a further investment in its Corporate practice in Sheffield with the appointment of a new Partner. Russell Bainbridge has joined from Knights and brings more than a decade of experience advising businesses, shareholders and lenders on a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, employee ownership trusts, corporate restructurings and governance matters.
Laura Hasson joins Stephenson Harwood as a Partner
Laura Hasson has joined Stephenson Harwood as a Partner in its London-based Private Wealth Disputes team. She joins from Clifford Chance, where she was a Senior Associate, and advises clients on high-value private wealth and commercial disputes.
Lateral hire programme continues with Leeds Corporate Partners
Hill Dickinson has expanded its Corporate team in Leeds with the appointments of Partners Mike O’Halloran and Thomas Mieszkowski from Walker Morris. The pair join alongside former colleagues Jamie Guy and Adhiraj Gupta as the firm continues to grow its Corporate offering in the region.
Bristows scales up Litigation offering with hire of Partner Laura Steen
Laura Steen, a leading expert in commercial disputes, will be joining the firm in London on 1 September 2026. Laura joins from Morrison Foerster where she was Of Counsel.
Europe
Norton Rose’s well-known M&A lawyer joins K&L Gates
Nils Rahlf is moving to the corporate practice of K&L Gates. The Partner and experienced M&A lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright will move to K&L Gates’ Frankfurt office in September.
Promotions & Appointments
Dillon Eustace appoints Keith Robinson as Managing Partner
Dillon Eustace in Dublin is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Robinson, a Partner in the Firm’s Banking and Capital Markets team, as Managing Partner, with effect from 1 August 2026. He succeeds Donnacha O’Connor, who, after six years, returns to full-time practice in the Firm’s Asset Management and Investment Funds and Financial Regulation teams.
Byrne Wallace Shields makes promotion announcements
Byrne Wallace Shields has announced that this year six lawyers have been promoted to Partner, one to Of Counsel, seven to Managing Associate level and two to a Senior Associate level.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
DWF pulls out of Riyadh after five years
DWF has closed its Riyadh office, making it the first UK-headquartered firm to do so ever since Saudi Arabia opened the legal sector to foreign firms in 2023.
Moore & Van Allen to debut in DC with hires from Seyfarth, Haynes & Boone
Moore & Van Allen (MVA) is set to open an office in Washington DC with hires from Seyfarth Shaw and Haynes & Boone, expanding its government contracts and national security capabilities as it continues to grow beyond its Carolinas base. The office – set to open at the beginning of October – will be the firm’s fifth and second outside the Carolinas after its launch in Atlanta earlier this year.
Mergers & Alliances
Knights expands Thames Valley footprint with THP Solicitors acquisition
UK regional firm Knights is further expanding in the Thames Valley area with the acquisition of THP Solicitors. The deal will see Knights add a staff of 30 to its roster, bringing expertise in advising local businesses, families and private individuals. The incoming group will join Knights’ office in Reading. Knights will acquire THP for £4m on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to customary working capital adjustments. The deal is expected to complete on 25 September.
Law firm set to expand after being acquired by four experienced legal professionals
Four experienced legal professionals have snapped up a 34-strong law firm which operates from Darlington and Northallerton. Angie Papprill, Robyn Carroll, Vicky John and Emma Huscroft have taken ownership of Clark Willis Solicitors, with plans to grow the practice through the expansion of its services to both individuals and businesses.
Knights seals £27m Moore Barlow deal
Knights has finalised its long-expected acquisition of the commercial and private wealth practices of South of England firm Moore Barlow, with the personal injury division hived off to Fletchers. The separate disposal of its personal injury, clinical negligence and Court of Protection business will take place immediately prior to the deal, which is set to complete on 1 November. Knights will acquire the teams for £ 27m, with £18m payable on completion with the remainder paid over the following three years.
Financial Results
Pinsents sees PEP slide at the end of investment year
Pinsent Masons has posted a modest 3 per cent rise in turnover for the 2025/26 financial year, with average Profit Per Equity Partner sliding back to a level last seen at the firm in 2021/22. Turnover for the year was £703.1m – up from £680.1m – while net profit nudged down from last year’s restated figure of £156m to £154m. PEP, meanwhile, fell from £797,000 to £740,000, just £1,000 more than the £739,000 the firm achieved four years ago.
Market Commentary
Ashurst drops non-exec roles from board post-merger
After years of having Non-Executive positions on its Board, Ashurst has decided to drop the role from its newly merged C-suite, announced last month, to make room for Perkins Coie representatives.
SRA issues AI hallucination warning after 42 reports of potential misuse
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed that it received 42 reports about the potential misuse of AI over the last 12 months. The disclosure accompanies the SRA’s publication today of a ‘warning notice’ to solicitors, alerting them to the dangers of AI misuse.
Away Resorts appoints Luke Golding as Senior Legal Counsel
Luke Golding has joined Away Resorts as Senior Legal Counsel in London, marking his first in-house role. He joins from Deloitte, where he was a Director, and brings experience gained over several years in private practice.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Legaltech giant Harvey launches next-generation AI platform
Legaltech giant Harvey has announced the launch of Harvey II, creating a platform that promises to accelerate personalised AI work for lawyers and move towards a greater focus on agentic legal tasks. The firm says the new platform brings together features including Memory, an AI lawyer personalisation tool that enables individual preferences to be carried across Harvey, Word, Outlook and agents.
Legora announces integration agreement with content management intelligence platform Box
Legaltech giant Legora is partnering with content management intelligence provider Box to integrate their services where mutual customers have access to both platforms. The integration will allow their shared clients to browse and select relevant documents that are stored in Box from inside Legora, where they can be applied to routine tasks including legal analysis, drafting and due diligence. Additionally, Legora’s agentic system can be applied to the documents that are managed in Box.
Harvey enters into partnership with AI legal drafting platform Avvoka
Harvey has agreed a strategic partnership with UK-based AI legal drafting platform Avvoka, combining the legal tech giant’s expertise with Avvoka’s document engine. The partnership allows legal teams to draft from their own firm’s bespoke templates that are powered by Avvoka within Harvey’s AI platform, making it easier to incorporate approved clauses and details. This means a document can be carried through the full case process without having to leave Harvey.