Daily Briefing Podcast

Regulation

FCA Partially Suspends Motor Finance Compensation Scheme Pending Legal Challenges, and Warns Insurers Over Poor-Value Legacy Pension Products

Motor finance liability is paused, not resolved — lenders face months more of balance-sheet uncertainty before compensation quantum is settled.

M&A

CMA Escalates nexfibre–Netomnia £2bn Fibre Merger Directly to Phase 2 Competition Review

Altnet consolidation meets Phase 2 scrutiny — geographic overlap makes competition clearance far from automatic.

Capital Markets

UK Domestic Firms Reclaim Top Four Spots in H1 2026 M&A Adviser Rankings as UK Deal Value Surges 111% to $332.4 Billion

UK deal value doubling year-on-year cements Magic Circle dominance — domestic relationships beat US challenger momentum.

Energy & Tech

Linklaters Advises on Genel Energy's $360m Acquisition of Capricorn Energy

E&P consolidation at $360m turns on licence transfer consents — jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction regulatory risk is the deal-breaker.

International

Macfarlanes Raises NQ Solicitor Salaries to £150,000, Matching Magic Circle Pay Benchmark

At £150k NQ, pay is no longer a differentiator between Magic Circle and elite independents — culture and partnership odds now dominate the choice.

AI & Law

Big Law Race for AI Directors Intensifies as Firms Struggle to Fill New Role Requiring Decade of Experience

AI directors are Big Law's hottest hire — but a decade-long experience threshold makes the talent pool nearly non-existent.

Banking & Finance

Lenders Warned to Sharpen Fraud Due Diligence in Private Credit and Asset-Based Lending as Fabricated Collateral Cases Mount

Private credit's bilateral flexibility is also its fraud blind spot — verification rigour is now a front-end underwriting requirement.

Disputes

Hill Dickinson Defeats Wasted Costs Order in UK Appellate Tribunal as Document Non-Disclosure Falls Short of Negligence

Non-disclosure alone won't ground a wasted costs order — negligence requires a higher threshold than procedural error.