header-logo header-logo

02 January 2026
Issue: 8144 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
printer mail-detail

Lawyers feature in New Year Honours List

Former Law Society president, I Stephanie Boyce has been awarded a CBE for services to the legal profession, diversity and access to justice, in HM The King’s New Year Honours List 2026

Boyce, who made history by becoming the Law Society’s first Black president and first person of colour president, led the team at Chancery Lane from March 2021 to October 2022.

CBEs also went to Judge Patrick Peruško, designated family judge at the Family Drug and Alcohol Court, and, north of the border, Lady Rita Rae, solicitor, advocate, former sheriff at Glasgow and former judge at the Court of Session.

Paul Lewis, firmwide managing partner, Linklaters, received an OBE for his work with Business in the Community in Newport.

In a LinkedIn post, Lewis said he was ‘extremely proud’ to receive the award, which ‘recognises the collective work of many’, and had been privileged to ‘help tackle poverty, unlock new opportunities for skill development and to position Newport as a beacon of economic development while protecting its natural assets’.

He recommended that any CEO join a Business in the Community Seeing is Believing (SIB) programme—‘I can attest that it is genuinely life-changing.’ The programme connects senior business leaders with communities to support growth across the UK.

OBEs also went to Judge Jeff Blackett, a former Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, and to corporate lawyer Barry O’Brien, who was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer before moving in-house.

Judge Jeff Blackett, a rugby player and judicial officer in three Rugby World Cups, received his award for services to justice and to charitable causes. O’Brien, a former Glamorgan chairman and chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, received his award for services to the law, to cricket and to charity.

Issue: 8144 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
printer mail-details

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

Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor

Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor

West End firm strengthens employment and immigration team with partner hire

Sidley—Jeremy Trinder

Sidley—Jeremy Trinder

Global finance group strengthened by returning partner in London

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
back-to-top-scroll