Welcome to August’s edition of Byfield Bites: bringing you the biggest stories and issues impacting the business of law. Given we are in holiday season we’ve kept it short and sharp this month.
The new UK Government has announced an ambitious legislative agenda. The revived Arbitration Bill, which fell due to the election call, is back among the 40 bills, but the Litigation Funding Agreements (Enforceability) Bill and the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill did not make the cut. Also missing from the legislative priorities were regulations for estate agents and an AI Bill to manage artificial intelligence use.
The Employment Rights Bill is highly anticipated, proposing day-one entitlements for parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal, along with default flexible working arrangements. Notably absent is the Labour proposal to merge ‘worker’ and ‘employee’ categories, a change that could impact LLPs significantly.
Back into the business of law, BDB Pitmans and Alvarez & Marsal Legal Services plan to launch Broadfield, focusing on mid-market private capital and corporate clients. It will be interesting to see which other firms join Broadfield across Europe.
As we celebrate South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) this year, with the theme ‘Free to be me,’ it’s a wonderful time to commemorate and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities. SAHM, which runs from 18 July to 17 August, is a chance for firms to highlight the importance of recognising the contributions of South Asian communities and promoting a more inclusive profession.
On the litigation side, Mozambique has substantially won its $3.1-billion lawsuit against Privinvest over the “tuna bond” scandal. Judge Robin Knowles ruled in favour of Mozambique, awarding over $825 million and indemnity for $1.5 billion. This case underscores the systemic threats to Mozambique’s economy and the ongoing challenges of tackling corruption.
Big Questions for August
- How will the UK Government’s new legislative measures impact the legal sector?
- Will the remaining UK headquartered firms’ results be as robust as those who have already reported?
- How will the UK Law Commission’s proposed law clarifying crypto as personal property impact its treatment in legal matters?
Post of the Month
Find the post here: https://x.com/faiselsadiq/status/1818525731712082114?s=46&t=f8cwVDhO5SNUF2Rwm86mgg
Lawyer Quote of the Month
Read the full piece here: https://www.globallegalpost.com/news/lawyers-celebrate-2024-south-asian-heritage-month-753457102
Byfield Spotlight
Byfield is proud to sponsor the “Law Firm of the Year Award” category at this year’s Legal 500 Legal Business Awards.
The Legal Business Awards celebrate excellence from all over the legal industry, and we are thrilled to recognise and honour the outstanding achievements of the most exceptional, high-performance, innovative law firms from across the country.
We look forward to celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of this year’s nominees and winners. See you there!
We are thrilled to announce that Byfield will be sponsoring The Lawyer ‘s Marketing Leadership Summit 2024! The event brings together over 70 senior marketing and business development professionals from some of the most successful and innovative law firms.
The summit will explore crucial themes such as navigating geopolitical risks, adapting to global economic shifts, futureproofing leadership skills, and crafting successful marketing strategies in the legal sector. Join us in discussing the trends and challenges shaping the future of the legal industry and how marketing and business development can drive this transformation.
Joint Managing Director, Ben Girdlestone, and Associate Director, Bethaney Durkin, are excited to attend and engage with industry leaders at the various organised sessions.
To find out more information about the event, visit: https://www.thelawyer.com/event/marketing-leadership-summit/
📢 Join our team as a Senior Account Executive! 📢
If you’re looking for an exciting career opportunity with significant growth potential and the chance to collaborate with some of the most talented and dynamic professionals in legal communications, apply now!
For more information, contact Cooper@byfieldconsultancy.com or visit our LinkedIn job section: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?currentJobId=3989607800&f_C=2059314&geoId=92000000&origin=COMPANY_PAGE_JOBS_CLUSTER_EXPANSION&originToLandingJobPostings=3989607800
Account Manager Lena Diamond looks back at the Netflix smash ‘Baby Reindeer’ and examines what the furore around the show can teach us about truth and its intersection with the law 👇
https://byfieldconsultancy.com/2024/07/baby-reindeer-a-legal-examination-of-truth/
Account Manager Matilda Lloyd Williams explored the significance of brand for mid-market firms and its impact on growth, profitability, and talent acquisition, drawing insights from the recent PRCA Legal group event, chaired by myself: “How Does ‘Brand’ Affect the Bottom Line.”
https://byfieldconsultancy.com/2024/07/the-importance-of-brand-for-mid-market-firms/
We sat down with Dina Hudson, Senior Consultant, Disputes & Investigations, to speak about her return to Byfield, her work since rejoining, how she manages the demands of the job and more.
🎙 At the start of the month, Michael Evans joined Méganne Tillay to discuss the UK and French elections, UK law firms’ financials so far, Law.com International’s piece on the global elite law firms and recent offices closures in Asia and the US in our first episode of Counsel Culture for July. More here: https://byfieldconsultancy.com/2024/07/counsel-culture-elections-financials-and-the-global-elite/
Here’s a few things you might have missed…
A few weeks ago, Meg was joined by myself to discuss the return of deals, Kirkland and Ellis Partner moves and diverse lawyers being used as “window dressing” in client pitches for another instalment of the Counsel Culture Podcast.
Associate Director Liam McCafferty also joined Meg for an episode of Counsel Culture to discuss how the legal industry (and others) can use the Labour Cabinet as an example for increasing socio-economic diversity, what an increase in UK-focused infrastructure and planning work means for law firms and A&O and Linklaters’ financial results announcements.
