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Briefing Notes
International
Allianz warns of major marine war risk claims as $125bn in vessels and cargo remains trapped in the Persian Gulf following Iran conflict
A $125bn trapped-assets figure means London marine war risk lawyers face years of contested claims work ahead.
M&A
Private equity exit backlog swells to 13,000 companies as DPI pressure redefines deal success in 2026
DPI pressure is forcing PE exits at any price — M&A advisory pipelines benefit directly.
AI & Law
New study finds legal AI has shifted from novelty to core infrastructure, but law firms are failing to discuss efficiency gains with clients
Firms keeping AI efficiency gains silent risk losing pricing power as clients start reading the hours themselves.
Banking & Finance
PitchBook LCD publishes inaugural Q1 2026 direct lending league tables as private credit market formalises its benchmarking infrastructure
Direct lending league tables will accelerate deal standardisation and concentrate mandates among the top few European lenders.
Energy & Tech
EU moves to embed customs codes for recycled plastics in amendment to Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, shifting compliance checks to the EU border
Border-based recycled plastics checks create a hard EU-UK divergence point that UK exporters must address now.
Disputes
Estée Lauder owner presses Jo Malone trademark infringement claim against Zara in London court, rejecting personal-capacity defence
Luxury brands are testing whether a personal-capacity defence can excuse what looks commercially like brand appropriation.
Regulation
Australia's ACCC sues two Credit Clear subsidiaries over 320,000 allegedly misleading debt collection notices
Template debt collection notices sent at scale create systemic regulatory exposure — legal review of automated communications is not optional.