News

Shoosmiths has become the first major law firm to link a firmwide bonus to the use of AI by its workforce.  The firm has set an annual target of one million Microsoft Copilot prompts which, once made, will unlock a £1 million bonus pot for staff in its new financial year.

The head of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has called for the abolition of crown immunity, the legal principle that legislation does not normally apply to the state. Teresa Medhurst said the SPS should be at risk of criminal prosecution over deaths in custody.

French legal bodies and government ministers have condemned threats and insults targeting the judge who convicted and sentenced far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Ms Le Pen was found guilty on Monday of embezzlement for her role in a scheme which saw European parliamentary funds used to finance her pol

The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has welcomed further improvements in Law Society of Scotland investigation timescales since it made statutory recommendations two years ago. A report published by the SLCC in March 2023 showed that the majority of complaints investigations were taking

Four new partners are among 10 senior promotions that have taken effect at Lindsays. Six other lawyers have also taken the step up to director among a total of 15 promotions announced across the partnership’s offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Perth.

TC Young has announced the promotion of Neil Matheson to partner. Mr Matheson joined the firm as a trainee in 2015 and now has vast experience in civil litigation matters at both Sheriff Court and Court of Session level.

The Register of Assignations (RoA) and the Register of Statutory Pledges (RSP) have launched. RoA allows claims to payment to legally transfer in Scotland through registration of an assignation in that register.

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) has announced the appointment of Amanda Masson as head of family law. Ms Masson, who joins from Harper Macleod, has 25 years of experience and is an experienced litigator in both the Sheriff Court and Court of Session.

MBM Commercial has announced a number of promotions across the firm. Hannah Brazel has been promoted to director in the corporate department. She has been with MBM Commercial since she qualified in 2017 and specialises in M&A and investment deals.

Blackadders LLP has promoted James Hyams to partner. Mr Hyams joined Blackadders in January 2023 as a director, working in the Blackadders’ Edinburgh office with partner Karen Phillips.

A former drug lord has launched a bid to be elected as mayor of his hometown on an anti-drugs platform. Rolan "Kerwin" Espinosa is seeking to be elected as mayor of Albuera, a town of around 50,000 people in the Leyte province of the Phiippines.

Denovo has been announced as the headline sponsor for the 2025 Scottish Legal Awards, Scotland’s premier celebration of excellence in the legal profession. As the largest independent awards programme in the sector, the event recognises the outstanding achievements of legal professionals, firms

The Law Society of Scotland has added its voice to the growing criticism of US government actions targeting lawyers both within the US and overseas. The Law Society’s governing Council, at its meeting on 28 March, unanimously agreed to support calls made by the Law Society of England and Wales

Celtic Plc has agreed compensation payouts for survivors of sexual abuse at Celtic Boys’ Club. Thompsons Solicitors confirmed that around 70 per cent of cases have now been settled for a seven-figure sum, with further settlements expected in the coming weeks.

New sentencing guidelines for England and Wales that would mean differential treatment for different races and religions will be blocked under new legislation, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood has announced. The UK government will work with Parliament to fast-track the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sent