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Articles by John Malpas
IBA honours three lawyers for outstanding contributions to justice
Three outstanding lawyers dedicated to human rights and the public interest were recognised at the International Bar Association's annual conference in Copenhagen today. The IBA Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights, the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award and the IBA Pro Bono Award were presented at the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest's Annual SPPI Awards breakfast on Thursday morning.
Fieldfisher hires medical cannabis expert to boost German life sciences practice
Fieldfisher has boosted its German life sciences practice with the hire of medical cannabis expert Franziska Katterbach. Katterbach is joining Fieldfisher in Frankfurt as a partner from German independent Oppenhoff, where she led the healthcare and life sciences team. Joining with her is associate Nadine Müller. Katterbach advises medical cannabis clients on M&A transactions, authorisation and appeal proceedings, as well as compliance issues.
DWF closes Saudi Arabia office
DWF has closed its office in Saudi Arabia in favour of working with local law firms. The UK firm was among 44 international businesses which signed a deal to set up their regional headquarters in the Kingdom in 2021 under its Future Investment Initiative. However, a spokesperson confirmed that since earlier this year, it had been supporting its clients’ requirements “through collaboration with local independent firms, and via our colleagues elsewhere in the region”.
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. The reports were received between July 2025 and July 2026, with the regulator saying a number of investigations are ongoing into issues including inaccurate legal citations, supervision and confidentiality.
Northern Ireland law society to hold special meeting over chief exec’s character reference for paedophile cousin
The Law Society of Northern Ireland is to hold a special general meeting next month to debate the circumstances surrounding the provision by its chief executive, David Lavery, of a character reference for his paedophile cousin following his conviction for sexual assault.
Miura & Partners to open in ‘gateway to Asia’ Okinawa
Miura & Partners (M&P) is set to open an office in Okinawa, marking a rare foray by a top Japanese international law firm into the prefecture. The Tokyo-based firm says it will open in Naha, Okinawa's capital, on 5 January, extending its regional network to a fourth location alongside Nagoya, Hiroshima and Osaka, which opened in October last year. The office will be led by associate Shun Watanabe, who is currently based in Tokyo. According to Asia Business Law Journal, it will have two lawyers.
Mental health charity LawCare urges vigilance after data breach
UK mental health charity LawCare has warned anyone on its database to be on their guard following a cyberattack at one of its key suppliers. LawCare is one of a number of charities to have been impacted by a data breach at Beacon CRM, which provides customer relationship management (CRM) software for more than 1,000 charities and non-profits.
Northern Ireland law society council member resigns as pressure mounts over chief exec’s reference for paedophile cousin
A senior member of the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s council has resigned as pressure mounts on the society and its chief executive, David Lavery, over Lavery’s decision to provide a character reference for his paedophile cousin following his conviction for indecent assault.
Northern Ireland law soc chief sacked from human rights body over reference for paedophile cousin
The chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland has been sacked as a Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner for providing a character reference for his cousin, who was jailed earlier this year for committing sexual offences against school pupils in the 1970s.
Clifford Chance builds 400,000-document AI knowledge library with Epiq and Microsoft
UK Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has partnered with alternative legal services provider Epiq and Microsoft to create an AI-powered knowledge management library containing more than 400,000 curated documents. Epiq’s Epiq Advisory for Law Firms unit advised on the six-month project alongside input from Microsoft to ensure the library can operate inside CC's existing IT set-up.
KPMG launches Portugal law firm after hiring from four local firms
KPMG has launched a legal arm in Portugal with a team of seven partners recruited from five law firms. KPMG Law will be led by longstanding tax partner Luís Magalhães and have offices in Lisbon and Porto. To kick off the venture, which aims to have more than 70 lawyers within the next two years, the firm has recruited senior lawyers from Morais Leitão, Cuatrecasas, Deloitte Legal Telles, GPA and Vieira de Almeida.
Ashurst revenue rises 11% to £1.15bn ahead of Perkins Coie merger
Ashurst has hailed its “strong financial foundation” after reporting an 11% increase in revenue to £1.15bn ahead of its merger with US firm Perkins Coie. Profit-per-equity (PEP) partner at the Anglo-Australian firm jumped by 15% to £1.59m for the year ended 30 April. The results, which kick off the financial reporting season for the top UK firms, mark an acceleration of Ashurst's growth from last year, when revenue grew by 8% and PEP by 4%.
Mass claims divide opinion as lawyers defend rule of law at London International Disputes Week
The future of mass claims in the UK and strategies to extol the benefits of the embattled concept of the rule of law were key topics at London International Disputes Week’s main conference last week. A panel of senior legal practitioners and policy advisers was in broad agreement over the need to push back against US President Donald Trump’s challenge to the liberal world order built on long-standing alliances and established norms.
Northern Ireland law soc chief executive apologises over character reference for paedophile cousin
The chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland has apologised “unreservedly” for providing a character reference for his cousin ahead of his sentencing for committing sexual offences against school pupils in the 1970s. The incident has reportedly sparked widespread concern among the society’s membership, with one prominent recently retired solicitor, employment specialist Rosemary Connolly, describing David Lavery’s apology as “completely inadequate”.
Anthropic extends legal reach with launch of 12 Claude practice area plugins
Anthropic has made a significant move into the legal sector, with the launch of 12 practice area plugins via its Claude AI-agent technology. At the same time, it has forged agreements to connect Claude with the software of more than 20 leading legaltech suppliers. Anthropic's direct provision of legal tools - alongside its partnerships with long-established legaltech companies - has been described as highly significant by legaltech commentators.
Quinn Emanuel co-founder John Quinn steps down from management after 40 years at helm
John Quinn, one of the founding partners of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, is stepping down from managing what has grown into a top-20 US firm under his leadership. Quinn, who is 74, will stay on as chair of the firm in a non-executive role while remaining a partner, a move the firm said would allow him “to focus his efforts on continuing to promote the firm and on client development activities”.
DLA Piper makes up 62 partners
DLA Piper has promoted 62 of its lawyers to its partnership, a slight dip from the 65 made up in 2025. The largest proportion of the promotions, which are effective from 1 May, is concentrated in the US, where 24 partners are being made up, followed by continental Europe (14), the UK (nine), Canada (six), and Australia (five).
Former Berwin Leighton Paisner head Neville Eisenberg launches consultancy firm
Neville Eisenberg, the former managing and senior partner of legacy UK firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, has launched a law firm consultancy practice. ClarityX Advisory aims to help law firm leaders and investors “make high-stakes decisions in the most disruptive period the legal sector has ever faced”.
Addleshaw Goddard makes up 17 partners
Addleshaw Goddard has promoted 17 lawyers to partner in its latest round, marking a slight increase on last year. The cohort is up from 15 promotions in 2025, when the firm saw a dip from a record 26 the previous year, and spans the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Just three of the 17 promotions are women, compared with seven out of 15 last year.
High Court Q1 claims volume hits record levels
A surge in Commercial Court claims has helped push the volume of High Court filings to its highest level for an opening quarter since before 2019, according to Solomonic’s latest litigation data. Litigation claims in the High Court and the Competition Appeal Tribunal jumped 15% in Q1 from the same period a year ago, with 2,192 claims filed.
UK-listed Knights in talks to acquire leading South East firm
Listed top-50 UK law firm Knights is in talks to acquire South East firm Moore Barlow. If the two sides reach a deal, the acquisition of Moore Barlow, which reported a turnover of £42.4m for the financial year ending in April 2024, would be Knights’ largest to date. Knights confirmed the talks earlier today in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.
Harvey enlists Gibson Dunn AI practice group co-head for senior strategy role
Legal AI platform Harvey has hired a co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s AI practice group in the role of chief strategy officer. Keith Enright is making the move after a year and a half at Gibson Dunn, which he joined from Google, where he was chief privacy officer.
Top media lawyer receives High Court apology over ‘lawfare’ allegation
Prominent Northern Ireland media lawyer Paul Tweed has received a public apology from an academic who accused him of conducting “lawfare” in order to intimidate critics of the United Arab Emirates. In an apology read out in the Northern Ireland High Court yesterday (19 March) on his behalf, Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies, admitted to making a “number of false, unfair and defamatory allegations and inferences” relating to Tweed’s legal work.
Kirkland’s revenue jumps 20% to top $10bn
Kirkland & Ellis has posted another barnstorming performance, with gross revenue increasing by 20% to hit $10.56bn in 2025. The preliminary results, published by Law.com, saw average profit per equity partner also increase by 20% to reach $11.1m. The results are comparable to 2024, when revenue increased by 22% with PEP up by 16%.
Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader unveil $3.6bn merger deal
Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft have agreed to merge in a deal they are dubbing the “largest law firm combination in history”. The deal, which is expected to go to a partners’ vote in the spring, will create the world’s fifth largest law firm by revenue with combined turnover of more than $3.6bn, based on their 2024 performance, and 3,100 lawyers. The combined firm will be known as Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.
AI takes over from talent attraction as legal profession’s top priority, research finds
Change management and AI training have taken over from talent attraction to top the global legal profession’s short-term priorities, as the pace of change in the legal sector accelerates. This is a key finding of the Future of Legal Services Global Heatmap Survey Report 2025, which will be unveiled tomorrow at the International Bar Association's annual conference, held this year in Toronto.
Taylor Wessing to ‘decouple’ from Hong Kong office
Taylor Wessing is parting company with its Hong Kong arm, which will relaunch as an independent firm. The new Hong Kong firm, H.M. Chan & Co, is currently a member of Taylor Wessing’s Swiss Verein, which it joined in 2021, having operated in association with it before then. What the two sides have dubbed a “decoupling” will take place on 17 November, after which they will continue to work together.
‘We can’t keep losing talent’ - African law firms urged to build sustainable careers for women
African law firms must create sustainable career paths for women lawyers if they are to retain their best female talent as work pressures continue to increase, delegates at the International Bar Association’s African Regional Forum Conference heard today.
Lawyers will play key role as Africa adapts to US tariff shock, IBA regional forum hears
African lawyers will have a key role to play in helping their business clients respond to the disruption caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, the International Bar Association’s African Regional Forum Conference heard today.
Dentons appoints UK banking partner as global chair to help lead ‘next phase’ of development
Highly rated UK banking partner Susan Kelly has been appointed as Dentons’ next chair, helping to lead what she describes as “the next phase” of the global giant’s development following a period of rapid expansion. She will take up the position as non-executive chair of Dentons’ global board on 10 November, taking over from Seoul-based Nick Park at the end of his two-year term.
London partner welcomes progress of campaign in son’s memory to end university zero-tolerance drug policies
A leading London-based commercial litigation partner has welcomed the positive response from universities as he seeks to transform their approach to tackling drug use among students following the death of his son from an accidental overdose.
Kennedys ‘deeply sorry’ after Church of England abuse redress scheme data leak
Kennedys has apologised and launched an internal investigation after a data leak relating to its administration of the Church of England’s redress scheme for abuse victims. The leak happened on Tuesday evening when the firm sent an email to 194 individuals and law firms that had registered to receive updates about the scheme, which was approved by the Church of England's General Synod in July.
Freshfields’ Dawson elected to serve a second term as senior partner
Freshfields’ senior partner, Georgia Dawson, has been elected to serve a second term as senior partner alongside a trimmed-down team of co-managing partners. Dawson’s second five-year term will begin in January, when Rafique Bachour, one of the firm’s three co-managing partners, will step down, leaving Alan Mason and Rick van Aerssen in post to continue working alongside her.
Court of Appeal endorses revised litigation funding agreements in 'emphatic boost for funders'
The Court of Appeal has delivered a boost to the UK litigation funding industry by approving litigation funding agreements (LFAs) set up to comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 PACCAR ruling, which rendered traditional LFAs unenforceable.
Court of Appeal dismisses challenge to enforceability of revised litigation funding agreements
The Court of Appeal has delivered a boost to the UK litigation funding industry by approving litigation funding agreements (LFAs) set up to comply with the Supreme Court's 2023 PACCAR ruling, which rendered traditional LFAs unenforceable.
Cherie Blair KC calls on disputes lawyers to challenge “deeply concerning” attacks on rule of law
Leading human rights lawyer Cherie Blair KC has called on lawyers to defend the rule of law in the face of "deeply concerning" attacks on its principles that she said were undermining enforcement and eroding compliance in international disputes.
Civil Justice Council calls for ‘light touch’ regulation of funders and urgent reversal of PACCAR
The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has recommended the introduction of a “light touch” regulatory regime for litigation funders in its eagerly awaited final Litigation Funding Working Party report.
Judge questions wisdom of law firm deals with Trump in striking down executive order against Perkins Coie
A federal judge suggested that some clients may “harbour reservations” about deals struck by top law firms to fend off attacks by President Trump as she struck down the executive order levelled at Perkins Coie. Granting Perkins Coie’s motion for summary judgment on Friday (2 May), Judge Beryl A. Howell of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia declared the order, which characterised the Seattle-based firm as a security risk, unconstitutional on numerous counts.
Judge questions wisdom of law firm deals with Trump in striking down executive order targeting Perkins Coie
A federal judge suggested that some clients may “harbour reservations” about deals struck by top law firms to fend off attacks by President Trump as she struck down the executive order levelled at Perkins Coie. Granting Perkins Coie’s motion for summary judgment on Friday (2 May), Judge Beryl A.
‘Lessons have been learned’: Judge sounds warning over FieldFisher’s judgment embargo breach
A High Court judge has warned that the use of draft judgments for marketing and PR planning is strictly forbidden, in a case involving a series of embarrassing embargo breaches by Fieldfisher. Delivering a narrative judgment exploring how Fieldfisher came to send the confidential embargoed draft judgment (CEDJ) in a high-profile judicial review to four national journalists, Mr Justice Fordham said a PR executive had made a “big mistake” in treating a CEDJ like an embargoed press release.
More than 700 Big Law partners file brief backing Susman Godfrey’s bid to overturn Trump executive order
A group of more than 750 partners at top 200 US law firms have teamed up to file an amicus brief in support of Susman Godfrey’s bid to quash President Donald Trump’s executive order against it. The brief was submitted to the US District Court for the District Court of Columbia on Friday (25 April) by newly formed grouping Law Firm Partners United (LFPU).
Moroccan independent URITI hires UGGC partner to open Paris arm
Moroccan law firm URITI has hired a partner from UGGC Avocats to co-lead the firm from a new office in Paris. At URITI, Africa specialist Laurent Sablé will team up with Kenza Bounjou, a former Dentons partner who founded the Casablanca-based firm in 2022. Sablé, who worked out of UGGC‘s Paris and Casablanca offices, brings nearly 30 years of experience advising clients on M&A, private equity, corporate matters and international arbitration, with a focus on Africa.
Fenwick opens Boston office with trio of Cooley partners
Fenwick has opened an office in Boston with the hire of a prominent three-partner IP team from Cooley. Alongside Drs Matthew Pavao, Heidi Erlacher, and Chen Chen, Fenwick is also adding more than 20 professionals, 14 of whom will be based in Boston. The hires bolster Fenwick’s capabilities in advising life sciences and technology companies – core areas of focus for the firm.
Eversheds Sutherland’s international arm makes up 23 partners
Eversheds Sutherland’s international arm has made up 23 partners in a significantly reduced round compared to 2024, when there were 40 promotions. At 52% the proportion of women making the grade is also down from last year, when the figure was 60%, although this still means that women have been in the majority for the past four years.
Weil adds private equity secondaries partner from Ropes & Gray in London
Weil Gotshal & Manges has added secondaries specialist Simon Saitowitz to its private equity team in London, marking the third partner hire for the office this year. Saitowitz joins Weil after nearly three years at Ropes & Gray, where he was a partner in the private equity transactions group, having trained at Weil before moving across to Fried Frank. His practice focuses on sponsor-side work and portfolio company deals, with particular expertise in complex GP-led transactions, preferred...
Patrick Allen to retire after 48 years leading London's Hodge Jones & Allen
Patrick Allen, co-founder and senior partner of Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA), is to retire in October after 48 years leading the London-based civil rights-focused firm. Allen set up the Camden-based firm in 1977 with Henry Hodge – who went on to become one of the first solicitor High Court judges - and Peter Jones.
Brown Rudnick opens in Los Angeles with four-partner team hire
Brown Rudnick has launched an office in Los Angeles with the hire of four partners from California firm Stubbs Alderton & Markiles. The incoming team – Daniel Rozansky, Nicholas Rozansky, Jonathan Friedman and John De La Merced – bring expertise spanning litigation, corporate, privacy and brand management. They advise clients across sectors including media, fashion, real estate, technology and consumer goods.
Ashurst chair Davies elected to serve a second term
Karen Davies has been re-elected to serve a second term as Ashurst’s chair. The Anglo-Australian firm’s former UK head of corporate will begin her second term on 1 August. When she took up the role in 2021, she became the first woman to lead the firm. At Ashurst, the chair role is a non-executive one, meaning Davies will continue to oversee the firm’s strategic direction while also maintaining her practice as a corporate partner.
making a geotiff with java8 and geotools 28 -- longitude should be negative
I'm trying to make a geotiff file with an envelope at longitude -124.1. It works, but when I load the file into QGIS, all of the longitudes are positive. At a point that should have longitude -124.05, QGIS shows the longitude as (positive) 55.95. (124.05 + 55.95 == 180.0). See code below. Is there something I can do so that the negative values are preserved by the time QGIS gets the file?
Associates’ open letter calls on US law firm leaders to speak out against Perkins Coie executive order
An open letter is being circulated among associates at leading US law firms calling on their bosses to speak out against an “all-out attack” by the Trump administration “aimed at dismantling rule-of-law norms”. The Associate Open Letter, which is anonymous, asks supporters to list their firms and class year and had 278 signatories at 2pm EDT listed as representing an array of top firms.
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