Richard Simmons

Richard Simmons

Rich is The Lawyer’s deputy editor. He has a particular focus on firms outside the UK top 50.

He was previously editor of The Lawyer’s student publication Lawyer 2B, and as such also has an interest everything to do with legal education, training contracts and pupillage, as well as lawyers’ ongoing career development.

Poaching staff

Start poaching planning partners

As Sir Keir Starmer settles into Number 10, so law firms must adapt to the new political order. With that in mind, it is worth taking note of a couple of lateral moves that have taken place in the mid-tier in the last couple of weeks. Alex Madden, the head of planning at South West […]

Election 2024: LIVE

This blog will be updated with results for lawyer candidates as they come in. Then follow us in the morning for reaction.

Here’s every lawyer in the UK you can vote for tomorrow

Tomorrow, the country speaks. Let the chips fall where they may. Whatever your party affiliation, you have lawyers to vote for in this election – in fact, we’ve found no fewer than 193 of them standing. In a quartet of seats (Birmingham Ladywood, Finchley & Golders Green, Newark and Tottenham) voters even have a choice […]

Political transition: what politics can learn from law firms

Reflecting on the time since the last general election it’s hard to imagine, at least in recent times, a more chaotic period in British politics. There are many government and parliamentary functions that are not serving us; we would not run a successful business this way, so why do we allow our country to be […]

“Seemed very good:” Reform Party KC under fire for praising Putin in Salisbury

A King’s Counsel standing for the Reform UK party in Salisbury has come under fire after describing his encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an election hustings. Asked if a Reform government would continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, Julian Malins KC said: “I have actually met Putin and had a 10-minute […]

scotland

Blackadders goes forth to the UK200

Every year we bid goodbye to famous old names from Britain’s legal scene. Whether by merger or misadventure in the last few years the likes of BLM, Coffin Mew, Ince, RadcliffesLeBrasseur and Taylor Vinters have made graceful or not-so-graceful exits from the ranks of the UK200. But every mighty tree that falls in the forest […]

Browne Jacobson hikes turnover by double digits

National firm Browne Jacobson saw turnover grow by 12 per cent in 2023/24, passing £118m. The Midlands-heritage firm has made a number of strategic moves in the last financial year, opening in Cardiff in the second half of 2023 and bagging a commercial and technology team from EY as it attempts to scale up in London. […]