Edward Fennell’s LEGAL DIARY
Diary news plus insights, commentary and appointments from the legal world
(As for) 12 December 2025
NOTE: Due to the Christmas season we are publishing to a slightly different schedule until the New Year
Editorial contact: fennell.edward@yahoo.com
SHORT THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: LONDON LEADS
According to the latest report from The City UK, London dominates the commercial law scene. In fact it more than dominates, it TOWERS over the regional centres . The numbers are overwhelming. With 133,000 people employed in legal services in the capital London far outstrips its nearest rivals Manchester and Birmingham both at 13,000.
Meanwhile, also out this week, new research from Chambers reports that salaries for newly qualified (NQ) solicitors at top 200 firms now average £118,000, with London firms paying almost 40% more than those outside the capital.
Of course London lawyers serve the world so it makes perfect sense. It also offers English and Welsh lawyers an enviable choice. Whether your ambitions are global or local – both equally valid – then this country offers plenty of options. For once a good story.
The LegalDiarist
In this edition
+ LEGAL DIARY OF THE WEEK
Law Biz Annual Report: ‘Keep Up the Good Work’
Who Stands with Ukraine
Opening Eyes to Disability
FIFA Faces Penalty for Own Goal
+ CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
The Challenge of Economic Abuse Facing Women with Young Children by Zoe Robinson
+ LEGAL COMMENT OF THE WEEK
on the postponement of Mayoral elections, the launch of ‘firm checker’ by the FCA, the banning of social media in Australia, European ‘Omnibus’ proposal, immigration freeze in the USA, sharing toilets, the Office of Environmental Protection review.
+ APPOINTMENTS OF THE WEEK
at Andersen LLP and Foot Anstey
LEGAL DIARY OF THE WEEK
Who stands with Ukraine?
Last week the Legal Diary featured a contribution from Kateryna Andreieva, the Business Development and PR Director of the Ukrainian law firm Ilyashev & Partners drawing comparisons between the grittiness of London’s law firms during World War 2 and the work of lawyers in Kyiv today in sustaining the country’s legal infrastructure.
So as the UK, France and Germany show their determination to continue to support Ukraine militarily parallel support for the legal community is now being offered by Clarke Willmott which has has launched a dedicated Ukraine Desk to support reconstruction efforts in the country. Headed up by London-based corporate partner Oksana Howard, an English-qualified solicitor of Ukrainian origin, the desk will assist UK companies seeking to invest in projects across the sectors identified in the UK-Ukraine ‘100 Year Partnership Agreement’. These include, among others, infrastructure, energy and renewable energy, agriculture, defence, technology and innovation all of which need foreign investment and support.
“Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy have suffered severe damage as a result of the war,” says Oksana Howard. “We provide comprehensive, ongoing legal support to UK companies looking to invest in or conduct business in Ukraine with the view to helping to reconstruct Ukraine – from the early stages of a project through to its successful completion.
Clarke Willmott has also established a ‘trusted network’ of Ukrainian law firms who offer the local business insight and legal expertise UK companies may require when operating in Ukraine. The desk will also advise Ukrainian businesses and individuals interested in operating in the UK.
Law Biz Annual Report: ‘Keep Up the Good Work’
Among all the gloom, doom and pessimistic predictions for the UK economy the legal sector (or at least the commercial end of it) can take some pleasure from its continued success and, indeed, its contribution to the UK economy through its overseas earnings.
Chapter and verse are to be found in the City UK’s annual report (just out this week) ‘UK legal services 2025: Legal excellence, internationally renowned’ and perhaps the key figures worth toasting at end-of-year office parties are to be found in the international angle. As the report points out the UK legal services market is the second largest in the world after the US, and the leading legal services market in Europe.
“The UK’s position as a global legal centre is reflected by the following market indicators:
– There are more than 200 foreign law firms from around 40 jurisdictions.
– All of the world’s top 50 law firms have offices in London, employing more than 8,500 lawyers mainly from the UK.
– Seven of the top 20 law firms in the world by revenue have headquarters in the UK.
– Eight of the top 20 law firms in the world, based on number of lawyers in 2021/22, have their main base of operations in the UK.
– There are 7,538 registered foreign lawyers practising in England and Wales.”
Moreover the UK is keeping up with the advance of technology being regarded asa global hub for the LawTech sector. “There are now 376 LawTech companies operating in the UK, 270 of which are UK-founded with investment of more than £1.7bn. Of this, £139.6m was secured in 2024 alone. Fifty-eight per cent of these companies are in London, with 42% distributed across the rest of the UK.”
Underpinning all this is the quality of our judges and the commercial courts. “London is seen as the world’s preferred centre for international alternative dispute resolution. In 2024, the number of civil disputes resolved through arbitration, mediation and adjudication in the UK exceeded 31,514.”
Gratifying though all this might be it does highlight the contrast with the criminal justice system and the existential debate now going forward about jury trials. Having one side of the legal profession going about in glorious finery while its other half is scraping by in rags is not a good look.
Opening Eyes to Disability
December is Disability History Month and Involve( a global network of leaders and experts) marks this by unveiling its annual list of business leaders who are role models in the workplace for disability, neurodiversity and mental health.
Among the select 2025 Enable Role Model List is Browne Jacobson partner Mark Blois, a member of the firm’s education team for more than 25 years, who is praised for using his platform to inspire disabled lawyers to thrive professionally and personally via mentoring, public speaking and media features.
“My personal journey living with cystic fibrosis, like the journeys of many others on this list, has not always been easy but I have now enjoyed three rewarding decades in the legal profession,” explained Blois.“I am very proud to work for a firm in Browne Jacobson that is genuinely committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which has supported me to succeed, and then provided me with the opportunity to help other current and aspiring lawyers who face their own challenges.”
Meanwhile the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)has launched a new guide to help recruit and retain blind and partially sighted people in the workplace. The national charity is urging employers to adopt its Visibly Better Employer(VBE) quality standard which RNIB can help them to achieve.
“Right now, thousands of talented people are being overlooked,” said Marie Clarkson, RNIB Visibly Better Employer Manager. “There are many misconceptions preventing employers from seeing blind and partially sighted people as potential employees. Employers can address these through training for staff and educating themselves around adjustments that can be made at work. It’s time we fix this, widen the talent pool available to employers, increase diversity and innovation and draw on the value blind and partially sighted employees bring to organisations and the workplace. Blind and partially sighted people thrive in almost all employment sectors. Just like everyone else, it comes down to the right support, training, skills and experience for the job.”
To find out more, email the RNIB Employment Team at: VisiblyBetterEmployer@rnib.org.uk or visit www.rnib.org.uk/VisiblyBetterEmployer
FIFA Faces Penalty for Own Goal
FIFA may be basking in the golden rays emanating from Donald Trump, its Peacemaker of the Year at the World Cup 2026 opening ceremony, but back down on the touchlines of football leagues around Europe there is a growing rebellion – and it is now heading for the courts.
The ‘Justice for Players’ legal action against FIFA and several EU football Associations has been making waves over recent weeks as a growing number of players’ unions join the action.
The Dutch and the Belgian professional players’ unions (VVCS and United Athletes) announced their support for the class action lawsuit last month. The French, of course, got their tackle in early back in October and the Austrians have now also signed up to the action.
As the strikers behind this class action explain it, the aim is “to obtain fair financial compensation for all professional players and former players, regardless of their nationality, who have been under contract at some point in their career with a club in an EU Member State including the United Kingdom between 2002 and the present day.”
For non-football fans who might assume that all professional footballers are over-paid thugs high on their own vanity it might be puzzling what the fuss is all about. But at this point it gets legally technnical. Financial compensation is owed, it is claimed, based on “the CJEU’s Diarra ruling (4 October 2024) – because of the wage deflation caused by FIFA rules deemed illegal by the CJEU.”
“A preliminary analysis by economists at Compass Lexecon has estimated that affected professional footballers have earned on average approximately 8% less over the course of their career than they would have if the FIFA Regulations had not been unlawfully restrictive,” explains the campaigners. “Furthermore, the class action aims to ensure that FIFA adopts, through genuine dialogue, the governance reforms required by EU law, which include co-decision-making power for players’ unions on all matters relating to players’ working and employment conditions, in collaboration with the associations representing the clubs.”
In the unlikely event that any professional footballers are reading the Legal Diary they can find out how they can take part in the action here : https://register.justiceforplayers.com/en?ccs=111
CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
The Challenge of Economic Abuse Facing Women with Young Children
by Zoe Robinson
Economic abuse is now one of the most common forms of domestic abuse we see in family law. The research from Surviving Economic Abuse is shocking, but worryingly not surprising.
Financial abuse often starts quietly, disguised as “normal” behaviour. A partner takes control of the accounts because the other is “not good with money” or “doesn’t need to worry about bills”. Traditional gender roles can further mask the abuse: one partner earns, so they assume total control. What looks like practicality quickly becomes domination.
Victim-survivors are left without independent access to money. They need permission to buy essentials. They cannot leave the house without funds. They cannot save, plan, or escape. Their lives are financially, practically and emotionally caged, often for years.
Leaving the relationship does not necessarily end the abuse as post-separation abuse can continue for years. It can manifest as perpetrators refusing to release funds; fraudulently claiming child benefits to block the other parent; making malicious allegations to benefits agencies so payments are frozen; or weaponising the legal process with endless correspondence, court applications, and deliberately inflated legal costs. Non- payment or late payment of Child Maintenance is also used as punishment.
Even accessing legal advice can be obstructed such as refusing access to money to pay for legal fees. Legal aid may be technically available but practically out of reach because perpetrators have tied victims into joint accounts, making them appear financially supported but refusing access to them by taking cards or, for example, not allowing access to online banking.
Family lawyers play a crucial role in breaking this cycle. We can identify red flags early, particularly post-separation patterns disguised as “reasonable” financial disputes. We can help survivors secure urgent financial orders, protect their access to benefits, document economic abuse clearly for the court, and challenge litigation tactics designed to drain resources. We can also act as a shield: limiting unnecessary communication, ensuring proceedings remain proportionate, and preventing perpetrators from using the legal system as a further tool of control.
The courts are slowly becoming more alive to economic abuse, but the progress is slow, and not enough lone is not enough. Survivors need lawyers who recognise the tactics, understand the risks, and provide clear, strategic advice that empowers them to rebuild their lives, not return to the control they fought to escape.
Zoe Robinson is a Senior Associate at Stowe Family Law
LEGAL COMMENT OF THE WEEK
TOPIC: The postponement of the inaugural Mayoral elections in four regions of the country
COMMENT BY: Dmitrije Sirovica, Partner in the government team, Browne Jacobson
“The government’s simultaneous plans for local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution were always ambitious and these delays are indicative of this.
“Delivering the intended extent of LGR alongside the proposed programme of devolution requires significant resource at both a local and national level. There is a significant amount of work required in establishing the unitary authorities and this will take time.
“While there will inevitably be suggestions of the delay favouring one or other political party, there is arguably a lot of sense in mayoral elections taking place following the completion of the LGR process.
“The £200m funding at least should be seen as a positive in reaffirming the commitment to the programme of devolution.”
TOPIC: The launch by the Financial Conduct Authority of ‘Firm Checker’, a tool to help consumers avoid scams
COMMENT BY: Lisa Mckinnon-Lower, Partner, Spencer West LLP
“The launch of the Firm Checker sounds to be an extremely positive and necessary step in strengthening consumer protection against fraud. In practice, once funds have been transferred, the legal and practical avenues for recovery are all too limited. I regularly advise clients who have fallen victim to professional-looking schemes only to find that tracing assets is extremely difficult and the cost of pursuing legal action is prohibitive. It is often difficult to encourage engagement by prosecution authorities for the same reason. This means that by the time advice is sought, the opportunities for meaningful intervention have often passed.
Whilst the full details of the tool’s functionality are not yet clear, my primary concern is that those most frequently victimised by these scams are not always equipped to navigate digital verification systems, particularly when they are being pressured in real time by sophisticated fraudsters. Even where consumers do check authorisation, cloned firms and misleading permissions could continue to create confusion and a false sense of security.
If designed well and used correctly, this tool could be extremely useful at tackling fraud, perhaps beyond the scope currently envisaged.”
TOPIC: The ban in Australia on access to social media for under-16s
COMMENT BY: Mark Jones, Partner, Payne Hicks Beach
“Australia’s U16 social media ban is a bold swing at a complex problem, but it risks becoming the digital equivalent of locking the front door while leaving every window wide open. The whole scheme hinges on age verification systems that are notoriously unreliable – able to read the same teenager as 14 or 43 depending on the angle, and apparently no match for a Beyoncé filter. “Once you ban something, you invite workarounds: VPNs, alternate accounts, and whatever creative loopholes young people invent next. More importantly, a ban sidesteps the deeper issue of dangerous content and lax platform accountability. If we simply exile under-16s from mainstream platforms without fixing the ecosystem, we’re not creating safety; we’re simply delaying exposure until their 16th birthday. In a world where kids learn, socialise, and play online, this blunt tool may look decisive, but it’s unlikely to deliver the safer internet we all actually want.”
TOPIC: The provisional agreement by the European Parliament and Council on the ‘Omnibus’ proposal to simplify and reduce sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements for companies.
COMMENT BY: Lucy Blake, partner at Jenner & Block LLP
“[This week’s] deal to scale back the EU’s sustainability reporting and due-diligence laws underlines how fragmented the EU still is on this agenda. After months of uncertainty, companies are left with a diluted framework and still no clear view of what will ultimately be required.
For global businesses, the challenge is planning against moving targets: expectations shift, timelines slip, and political compromises rewrite the rules mid-process. Organisations want to prepare responsibly, but without a stable set of obligations, long-term compliance becomes guesswork.
This agreement may ease pressure in the short term, but real certainty on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is unlikely before 2026.”
TOPIC: The decision by the Trump administration in the USA to freeze immigration applications filed by people from 19 countries
COMMENT BY: Margy O’Herron, an immigration law and policy expert at Cornell Law School and the Brennan Center for Justice and a former Senior Policy Advisor for Immigration at the Executive Office of the President of the United States
“This action hurts American employers and families as well as the immigrants who have waited in line — often for years — and are trying to follow the rules.
“The administration’s actions do not consider the harm to Americans and seem to be part of a long-term effort by the president and his supporters to exclude certain populations from the country, including Muslims, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Africans.”
TOPIC: The case of the female engineer who took Leonardo UK to an employment tribunal for having to share women’s toilets with transgender colleagues and then lost a claim for discrimination. She had alleged harassment related to sex, direct sex discrimination and indirect sex discrimination.
COMMENT BY: Jo Mackie, Employment Partner, Michelmores
“On the face of it this does not apply the law after For Women Scotland, and finding the risk of an assault, however small, as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim is an interesting decision. I am sure this will appeal and we will see strong opinions on both sides.”
NOTE: The case came after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex.”
TOPIC: The designation and protection by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) of sites such as the Fens and the Broads in order to support ecosystems
COMMENT BY: Richard Broadbent, environmental lawyer, Freeths
“It is fantastic to see the publication of the Office for Environmental Protection’s (OEP) comprehensive review of the implementation of laws for terrestrial and freshwater protected sites in England. It was a pleasure working with the OEP on this important report. This report demonstrates yet again why it is so important that we have the OEP post-Brexit.
“The report is so important because it is a timely and thorough piece of research, providing a clear-eyed assessment of the current state of our protected sites and offering a suite of sensible, evidence-based recommendations. In essence, we have too few protected sites in this country, we have slowed the rate at which we create them, and for those that we do have, we don’t look after them properly.
“In particular, the OEP’s analysis confirms that while the legal framework for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) is robust, its implementation has not delivered the outcomes that nature and society need in light of continued biodiversity declines. The report identifies persistent challenges – for example insufficient government action, the urgent need to correct underinvestment in site designation and management, the lack of incentives for landowners, and gaps in monitoring and evidence – all of which that have left many of England’s most important sites in unfavourable condition.
“In light of its careful analysis of the facts, the OEP offer key recommendations which are both practical and would, if implemented, significantly strengthen the protection and recovery of our natural heritage. Key recommendations include the introduction of statutory, long-term and interim targets for the extent and condition of protected sites, to drive progress and accountability and also for Defra and Natural England to work together to produce and publish a national strategy and delivery plan that are incorporated within the Environmental Improvement Plan for achieving those protected site targets. This would drive accountability, and regulatory burdens could help create new compliance markets which may bring private investment into nature recovery.
“I hope that the Government will give these recommendations the serious and careful consideration they deserve and move swiftly to implement them. This is precisely the sort of heavy weight analysis that is needed to properly understand the problems affecting our protected sites and to help us devise concrete solutions for dealing with them.”
LEGAL SECTOR APPOINTMENTS OF THE WEEK
ANDERSEN LLP
Dhruv Tanna has joined Andersen LLP as a Director within the firm’s Global Mobility practice. With more than a decade of global mobility experience (mostly at Deloitte) Dhruv has particular expertise in advising multinational clients on International Social Security and the EU Posted Workers Directive. He also has extensive experience with the implementation and delivery of global business travel & remote work compliance technology solutions.
“I’m delighted to welcome Dhruv to the firm,” said Robbie Wigley-Jones, Partner and EMEA Head of Global Mobility at Andersen LLP. “His deep technical expertise combined with commercial acumen will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our Global Mobility offering.”
Tanna commented, “I am thrilled to be part of realising Andersen’s bold new vision for Global Mobility in the UK and across the EMEA region. Managing the complexities of global mobility, from remote work and evolving regulation to talent retention, has never been more critical for employers, and I’m excited to help our clients navigate this challenging landscape.”
FOOT ANSTEY
Stephen Arnold has joined Foot Anstey as the firm’s first-ever Chief Client Officer (CCO).
Formerly with Linklaters and subsequently with Clifford Chance he has had experience of shaping global client strategy and working with some of the world’s most significant financial institutions. More recently he was Global Business Development & Marketing Director at Clyde & Co where he was responsible for delivering major growth initiatives, strengthening global client programmes, and supporting integration activity during a period of active expansion.
At Foot Anstey, Arnold’s role will entail leading the firm’s client function and helping to develop its next phase of growth by strengthening how the firm serves clients, deepening collaboration across teams, and sharpening the clarity and direction of its go-to-market approach. This follows expansion into Northern Ireland and a growing emphasis on the role of its Manchester office.
“Foot Anstey has a clear strategy and strong momentum,” said Arnold. “I’m excited to join at this stage and to work closely with the firm’s impressive partners to strengthen how we support clients and build the next phase of our market position.”
Martin Hirst, Foot Anstey Managing Partner, observed, “Stephen’s appointment reflects the scale of our ambition at a critical moment for the firm. His experience in shaping client strategy at leading international firms will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our market position.”
We hope that you’ve been interested or amused by something in this week’s LEGAL DIARY. If so do send on to colleagues.
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fennell.edward@yahoo.com