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17 September 2025
Issue: 8131 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Risk management
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Economic caution urged despite legal gains

UK legal sector revenue grew 7.86% in July to £4.87bn, outperforming the services sector as a whole, which was only 0.3% higher at £249bn

Compared to July 2024, UK legal rose 9.4% while the overall services sector grew 2.3%. Both legal and services as a whole compare favourably to the overall economy which flatlined in July with zero growth.

However, Julie Norris, partner at Kingsley Napley, warned: ‘While Legal’s performance was positive this month, this must be viewed against a worrying backdrop because the overall economic picture for the UK is less rosy.

‘We know that some legal services can be counter-cyclical, but clearly a stalling economy will impact investment and demand from many clients. To that end law firm leaders must be hyper-vigilant about the opportunities and threats for their firms.’

Issue: 8131 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Risk management
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson

NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson

Daniel Burbeary, office managing partner of Michelman Robinson, discusses launching in London, the power of the law, and what the kitchen can teach us about litigating

Wedlake Bell—Rebecca Christie

Wedlake Bell—Rebecca Christie

Firm welcomes partner with specialist expertise in family and art law

Birketts—Álvaro Aznar

Birketts—Álvaro Aznar

Dual-qualified partner joins international private client team

NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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