Molly Smith
United Kingdom
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Articles by Molly Smith
The Bar Edit: Katie’s Bar, the Glasgow basement queer women keep recommending
Our articles are sponsored and contain affiliate or sponsored links. But we only work with brands we love. Down a flight of stairs at 17 John Street, in the middle of Glasgow’s Merchant City, is a low-ceilinged basement that queer women in this city will recommend to you within about ninety seconds of meeting you.
The 50 Largest Firms by UK Revenue: American Firms Growing at Twice the Rate of British Rivals
Credit: TTstudio/Adobe Stock U.S.-based law firms are growing their U.K. revenues at more than twice the rate of their British rivals, according to Law.com's latest ranking of the 50 largest firms by U.K. revenue. The table—ranking the 50 largest firms by U.K. revenue regardless of where they are headquartered—features 23 U.S.-based firms, up from 19 a year ago. Those U.S.-based firms grew revenues by 14.7% on average, compared with U.K. firms' growth rate of 7.1%.
Latham & Watkins Hires Tech M&A Team in London
Latham & Watkins offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM Latham & Watkins has recruited a three-partner M&A team for its London office, in a move that sees two of the lawyers return to the firm where they began their careers. Andrew Boyd, Gary Brown, and Luke Rowland will join Latham's M&A and private equity practice as partners, moving from Morrison & Foerster.
Linklaters Steers Tate & Lyle Through £2.7B US Takeover Approach
Linklaters is advising Tate & Lyle PLC after the London-listed company said it had been approached by U.S. food company Ingredion in a takeover offer. According to an announcment by the U.K. company via LSEG, Ingredion has approached Tate & Lyle with a possible offer of up to 615 pence per share. Based on Tate & Lyle's 445,446,940 fully paid ordinary shares in issue, the headline consideration values the target's equity at approximately £2.74 billion.
4 Partners Exit Sidley for Akin Gump in New York, London
Akin Gump Office. Courtesy image. A four-partner team has left Sidley Austin for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, with three partners departing its New York base, and one in London. The New York contingent—partners Jeffrey Kochian, Gerald Brant and Brittany Harrison—arrived at Sidley just two years ago after being poached from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison. Brant becomes Akin's new head of U.S. private equity.
Paul Hastings Raids Covington for London Private Equity and Real Estate Team
. Paul Hastings has landed a four-partner team from Covington & Burling in London, adding a private equity and real estate group. The team is led by partners Lyndsey Laverack and Jade Williams-Adedeji, who bring with them counsels Jack Mayall and José Maria Rodrigues, along with their broader teams, according to people with knowledge of the move.
Cleary Hits Rival for Funds Partner in London
Cleary Gottlieb London office, London Wall. Courtesy photo. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is adding a funds partner in London, continuing a hiring push that has doubled the office's partner headcount since 2021. David Christmas will join the firm on May 5 from Fried Frank where he was partner for eight years.
Making Hires, Gaining Clients: Sullivan & Cromwell's London Gamble 6 Months On
Sullivan & Cromwell office sign. Courtesy photo When Sullivan & Cromwell announced in September 2025 that it had hired Kirkland & Ellis restructuring heavyweight Kon Asimacopoulos, and Weil Gotshal & Manges' former London managing partner Mike Francies, it was billed as the biggest shake-up in the U.K. legal market since rival Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison's 2023 build-out.
Making Hires, Gaining Clients: Sullivan & Cromwell's London Gamble 6 Months On
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. NewsLaw Firm Management Backed by its work on global deals and the engine of its New York office, the firm's leaders say the London base has started to win market share. 5 minute readApril 30, 2026 at 05:09 AM Sullivan & Cromwell office sign.
Kirkland & Ellis to Hire Senior Paul Weiss Partner in London
Kirkland and Ellis office in Midtown Manhattan, New York. Photo: Ryland West/ALM Kirkland & Ellis is hiring William Aitken-Davies, the head of European M&A at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison. Aitken-Davies had only been at the firm since 2023, when he moved to Paul Weiss from Linklaters.
Kirkland & Ellis to Hire Senior Paul Weiss Partner in London
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card.
Browne Jacobson Strikes Merger with 50-Strong Northern Ireland Firm
Browne Jacobson. Courtesy image. Credit: Ricky Parker Browne Jacobson is set to merge with Northern Irish firm Davidson McDonnell in a move that will add around 50 professionals to the U.K. firm. Upon closing, Davidson McDonnell will operate under the Browne Jacobson brand, with its Belfast office forming a fully integrated part of the firm's U.K. and Ireland platform. The directors of Davidson McDonnell will become partners in Browne Jacobson.
Legora and Jude Law: Will Legal Fall for Hollywood Pizzazz?
Image: Legora, courtesy image The legal AI market's two most valuable companies are engaged in an escalating brand contest, and the weapons of choice are celebrities, sports partnerships, and prime outdoor real estate. Legora fired the loudest shot last week, when the $5.6 billion company, freshly valued following a $550 million series D, launched a global campaign fronted by actor Jude Law.
Blackstone-Backed AI Firm Norm Law Hires Ex-Sidley Partner Amid Rapid Build-Out
Norm Law. Courtesy image Norm Law, the AI-native law firm backed by Blackstone, has appointed a senior former Sidley Austin partner as the newfangled law firm continues its rapid build-out. Alan Weil, former global head of real estate at Sidley Austin, joins Norm after retiring in 2024 after more than 30 years as a partner, some of which he served as the firm's head of real estate.
Freshfields Doubles Down on US Ambitions With Partner Class Weighted Toward America
Freshfields. Courtesy photo Freshfields is promoting 43 lawyers to the partnership effective May 1, alongside four others promoted in recent months, bringing the firm's latest partner class to 47 in all. Thirteen of the 47 promotions are based across U.S. offices—spanning New York, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley and San Francisco—while 10 are in London, meaning nearly half of the entire partner class is concentrated across the two countries, with the balance tipped toward America.
Reach Sues Hogan Lovells Over Alleged £7M Blunder
Hogan Lovells' Washington, D.C., offices. Hogan Lovells is being sued for nearly £7 million by media company Reach. The claim, issued on 1 April 2026 in the London High Court's Business and Property Courts, Pensions List, arises from advice Hogan Lovells gave during Reach's 2018 acquisition of Express Newspapers from Northern & Shell Media Group for £130 million. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, acting for Hogan Lovells, denied the claim in full in October 2025.
Winston Taylor Incorporates in Delaware in Shift Away From Legacy UK LLPs
Taylor Wessing, Winston & Strawn. Courtesy images A new company, Winston Taylor International LLP, has been incorporated as a U.S.-based entity, indicating the formal creation of a new law firm, following the merger of Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing, which partners at both firms voted through in February.
Winston Taylor Incorporates in US in Shift Away From Legacy UK LLPs
Taylor Wessing, Winston & Strawn. Courtesy images A new company, Winston Taylor International LLP, has been incorporated as a U.S.-based entity, indicating the formal creation of a new law firm, following the merger of Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing, which partners at both firms voted through in February.
Clyde & Co to Pay Out Six-Figure Sum After Client Mix-Up
Credit: Stanislav Komogorov/Adobe Stock Clyde & Co has been ordered to pay £127,577 in wasted costs after London's High Court concluded that the firm incorrectly claimed it was representing a large insurer, which caused the defandant in the case to spend outsized sums on legal representation.
White & Case Launches Legal Action Against BAE Systems Over African Aid Flight Disruption
BAE systems. Credit: Mztourist via Wikimedia Commons White & Case is bringing a lawsuit against BAE Systems after it pulled its support for a type of aircraft used to deliver aid and cargo to some of the most remote parts of Africa. The claim is being brought by flight company Encomm Aviation; White & Case partner Swati Tripathi is heading the matter.
Scams Impersonating Law Firms Rocket 21%
Credit: patcharin.inn/Adobe Stock Fraud alerts issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority jumped 21% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with scammers hijacking the identities of a range of firms including some of the U.K's most top law firms. The SRA posted 134 scam alerts to its website between January and March 2026, up from 111 for the same time period in 2025. March alone saw 50 alerts—a 16% rise on the 43 issued in March 2025.
AXA Rehires Former Insider as General Counsel
Caroline Riddy, AXA. Courtesy image. AXA U.K. & Ireland has hired a veteran financial services lawyer as its general counsel, turning to a former insider to fill a role vacated after its previous occupant spent 24 years working across AXA’s various U.K. entities Caroline Riddy will assume the role from April 7, and this isn't her first role with AXA. She spent 12 years with the insurer between 2012 and 2024 in company secretary and counsel positions before leaving for Lloyds Banking Group.
Linklaters Elevates 37 to Partner
Linklaters Sign Linklaters has elected 37 new partners globally, with London dominating the round and litigation emerging as the most promoted practice area. The firm's latest round represents a modest but steady increase on recent year's cohort of 34—which was seven more than the year before, a rise of over 25%. This year's uplift of three partners represents growth of around 9%. The promotion round spans 13 offices. London leads with 14 new partners, though that is three fewer than last year.
UK Appeal Court Clears Paralegals to Handle Cases Under Supervision, Ending Legal Industry Chaos
U.K. Supreme Court. Credit: chris2766/AdobeStock The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling that had thrown the working practices of law firms and law centres across England and Wales into crisis, confirming that paralegals and unauthorised staff can lawfully conduct litigation tasks under proper solicitor supervision.
Ex-Crystal Palace Owner Cries Foul as Macfarlanes-Advised Ares Moves to Seize Control
Adobe stock/ courtesy image composition. Macfarlanes is advising U.S. finance giant Ares Capital Corporation as it places multi-football club owner Eagle Football Holdings Bidco into administration, in a move the holding company has condemned as "predatory" and unlawful. The Macfarlanes case is led by restructuring and insolvency partner Jat Bains, disputes partner Lois Horne and M&A partner Felicity Powell.
The Revolving Door at Paul Hastings in London
What explains the revolving door at Paul Hastings in London? Credit: Adobe Stock Few places typify the intensity of Big Law's hiring war as well as London. All major firms operating in the U.K. capital have experienced partner flux of some kind, with partners coming and going, driven in large part by U.S.-headquartered firms which continue their relentless assault on rivals in a bid to win market share.
The Revolving Door at Paul Hastings in London
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. AnalysisLaw Firm Management Deep dive: Despite posting strong U.K. revenue, the firm is seeing far higher partner churn than its rivals. But what explains it?
The Revolving Door at Paul Hastings in London
Search Input Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. AnalysisLaw Firm Management Deep dive: Despite posting strong U.K. revenue, the firm is seeing far higher partner churn than its rivals. But what explains it?
Four-Partner Bracewell Team Heads to Merger-Bound Ashurst in New York
Ashurst. Courtesy photo Ashurst is building out its practices on both sides of the Atlantic ahead of its proposed merger with Perkins Coie, adding a four-partner New York finance and restructuring team from Bracewell. In New York, partners Jeris Brunette, Mark Dendinger, Rebecca Keep and William Ebert are joining bringing Ashurst's U.S. finance and restructuring headcount to 30.
Ashurst Adds 4-Partner New York Finance and Restructuring Team Ahead of Merger
Ashurst. Courtesy photo Ashurst is building out its practices on both sides of the Atlantic ahead of its proposed merger with Perkins Coie, adding a four-partner New York finance and restructuring team from Bracewell. In New York, partners Jeris Brunette, Mark Dendinger, Rebecca Keep and William Ebert are joining bringing Ashurst's U.S. finance and restructuring headcount to 30.
Ex-Jones Day Partner McKeeve Handed 2-Year Suspension, £20K Fine
Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Courtesy image Former Jones Day partner Raymond McKeeve has been suspended from practice for two years and fined £20,000 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, in the latest development in a long-running saga that involved allegations of the destruction of evidence in a litigation brought by Ocado.
Harvey Expands Across Law Firms, Banks, and Sports in Rapid Tie-Up Spree
Harvey logo courtesy image. Adobe Stock computer. Harvey, the AI platform, has spent the opening months of 2026 on an aggressive partnership spree, inking deals across an unusually broad range of sectors. The company has today adds Fulham FC to its clientele in a multiyear deal. The London football club makes Harvey its official legal AI partner, with the platform expecting brand visibility at both the men's and women's first team home matches at Craven Cottage.
Becker's Big Bet: Gibson Dunn's Chair on How the Firm is Supercharging its London Base
Barbara Becker, London. Courtesy image/Adobe Stock composition. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has made no secret of its London ambitions. Alongside rivals like Sidley Austin and Paul Hastings, it is among the City's fastest growing U.S.-headquartered firms. What began as a plan to bolster the office’s transactional capabilities alongside its longstanding disputes strength has evolved into a broader push to make London a hub for the firm’s work across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
AI Law Firms Gun for Big Law Partners
Credit: khunkornStudio/Adobe Stock A new class of AI-focused law firms is starting to compete directly with traditional elite firms for senior legal talent, as several partners and practice leaders make the jump from traditional players to technology-driven ventures. In Europe, Jelle Drok has left Freshfields Amsterdam after more than 20 years to co-found a new EU-first, AI-powered litigation law firm called Arvid.
Former Hedge Fund Boss to Face FCA in Conduct Ruling Appeal
Robin Crispin William Odey. Credit: YouTube Hedge fund veteran Crispin Odey began a three-week Upper Tribunal hearing on Monday to overturn an FCA ruling that would fine him £1.8 million and ban him from financial services, in one of the U.K.'s biggest recent regulatory cases. In its Decision Notice dated 3 March 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority said Odey had breached the basic rule requiring regulated individuals to "act with integrity".
King & Spalding Wins Back-to-Back Tennis Anti-Doping Cases
Credit: NDABCREATIVITY/Adobe Stock King & Spalding has notched two anti-doping victories for professional tennis players in the space of two months, securing 'no fault or negligence' findings from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Both cases have been led by U.K. partner Tom Sprange KC.
Former Clyde & Co Leader Dies
Michael Parker. Courtesy image Michael Parker, a former senior leader of Clyde & Co who spent almost 40 years at the firm, has died this week. Widely regarded as one of Clyde & Co’s most internationally minded figures, Parker played a defining role in shaping the firm’s Asia-Pacific strategy and was known for mentoring generations of lawyers across multiple jurisdictions. He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1976 and qualified as a solicitor three years later.
Nominations Open For The African Legal Awards, 2026
African Legal Awards, 2025. Credit: Rich Photography Nominations have opened for the African Legal Awards 2026, celebrating standout achievements and best practices across the continent’s legal profession. The awards recognise excellence in private practice and in-house teams, shining a spotlight on the lawyers, departments and firms delivering exceptional results, innovation and leadership over the past year.
DLA Piper, Proskauer Lead as BrewDog Enters Administration
BrewDog Aberdeen. Wikimedia Commons. Pic: UltrasonicMadness DLA Piper and Proskauer Rose are advising as BrewDog, the Scotland-based brewery and pub chain, enters administration and the divestment of elements of its business and assets, as U.S. cannabis and drinks group Tilray Brands its acquires core assets for £33 million. DLA Piper’s team is being led by Rob Russell, head of restructuring, and Sarah Letson, a restructuring partner in the firm’s finance practice.
Slaughter and May Wins First CPPIB Mandate on $4bn Deal
Courtesy images. Slaughter and May is advising Equinix and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on the pair's $4 billion acquisition of data centre provider atNorth, marking the firm’s first mandate for CPPIB. U.K. corporate partners James Cook and Hem Sumanasuriya are leading the Slaughter and May team on the deal, which involves a U.S.-listed buyer and a Canadian pension investor but is being conducted under U.K. law.
Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May Lead on £9.5B Schroders Sale
Clifford Chance. Slaughter and May. Courtesy images. Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have taken leading roles on the £9.5 billion recommended cash offer for Schroders. The acquisition is expected to create one of the world's largest active asset managers with nearly $2.5 trillion in assets under management.
Glassdoor Reviews: Big Law vs PE, Banks and the Big 4
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics AnalysisLaw Firm Management Law firms score broadly in line with their professional services peers on Glassdoor, but the data highlights a few clear areas where they stand apart.
Glassdoor Reviews: Big Law vs PE, Banks and the Big 4
Credit: 13_Phunkod/Shutterstock The largest law firms compare favourably with other professional services institutions in compensation and benefits but trail behind in work-life balance and diversity and inclusion, according to a Law.com analysis of reviews on company rating website Glassdoor.
How Elite New York Firms Measure Up In London
New York and London Adobe Stock composition by Molly Smith The skyscrapers of Manhattan house some of the most elite firms in the profession—institutions synonymous with power, pedigree and the most lucrative mandates on earth. They are consistently viewed as the leading names in the world's leading legal market. Yet even with that prestige and profitability at home, many Wall Street names are now looking across the Atlantic.
Linklaters' New London HQ in Pictures
Linklaters has opened its new global headquarters at 20 Ropemaker Street in London, moving into a 360,000-square-foot development in the City, after spending 30 years at Silk Street. 20 Ropemaker. Courtesy photo. The firm will take 17 floors at its new headwaters, including collaborative workspaces, a fitness centre, yoga and spin studios, a high-spec events space, roof terraces and balconies, and a terrace café with City views. Refreshment area. Courtesy photo.
Linklaters' New London HQ in Pictures
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Topics NewsLaw Firm Office Launches and Closures After 30 years on Silk Street the firm has moved to its new office.
Akin Adds Leveraged Finance Partner Adrian Chiodo to London Finance Practice
Akin Gump. Courtesy photo Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired leveraged finance partner Adrian Chiodo in London from Covington & Burling, where he led the firm’s leveraged finance practice in Europe. He was at Covington for nearly two years, and prior to that at Paul Hastings for just over two years. Akin co-chair Daniel Walsh said Chiodo’s background aligns with both the London finance team and the firm’s broader corporate platform.
Mishcon de Reya Unveils New-Look Management Team
L-R Daniel Levy, Daniel Naftalin and Johanna Walsh. Mishcon courtesy photo. Mishcon de Reya has elected a new-look leadership team, naming longstanding employment partner as managing partner to take over from incumbent James Libson in the summer, following a competitive election process.
A&O Shearman Partner Leavers Face Longer Notice Periods as Exits Mount
Law.com CompassLaw.com RadarVerdict SearchScholar .China Law & PracticeLegal Dictionary Click to enter your existing username and password or create a new account. Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card.
A&O Shearman Partner Leavers Face Longer Notice Periods as Exits Mount
Adobe Stock. Composition Molly G Smith A&O Shearman is holding its departing partners to longer notice periods than it has previously enforced, according to six people with knowledge of the matter, as the number of partner exits since its merger announcement nears 200.
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