The legal scene
it intends to close its Moscow office. Allen & Overy LLP, Clifford Chance and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner are among other firms to confirm plans to stop operating in Russia’s capital. However, many firms are facing ethical dilemmas as they make efforts to break away. It’s worth continuing to follow the impact of the war in Ukraine, not only on the geopolitical landscape of the world, but also on businesses and the economy. Brexit As of 1 January 2021, several changes came into effect impacting solicitors in England and Wales with clients in the EU. According to the Law Society, they’re “now subject to 31 different regulatory regimes, one for each jurisdiction”. With freedom of movement terminated in the EU, new rules have been introduced to control how solicitors can cross the border to each EU member state, European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland. Those interested in working in the law should be engaged with Brexit and its impact over the months and years ahead. This will involve analysing its ongoing effect on the business and legal worlds, and more specifically understanding the aspects that could affect your shortlisted firms, their clients and particular practice areas. Britain might now be out of the EU, but the full consequences and impact of Brexit remains to be seen. Diversity in the profession Looking inwards, the legal profession is still nowhere near as diverse or as accessible as it should be, although important progress has been (and is being) made. Ethnicity Of solicitors and partners in England and Wales, around 17% and 16%, respectively, are from an ethnic minority background, according to the SRA’s latest statistics. At firms with 50 or more partners, only 8%
Now, trainees are more likely to manage the process of referring the initial document review to a third party that does the work at a lower cost, undertaking a secondary review of the document later. It’s likely that trainees will be interacting more with AI in the future. Management skills and an understanding of technology – and how to resolve technical problems – are increasingly important to showcase in both an interview and training contract. Russia sanctions Since the invasion of Ukraine, the UK has imposed a number of sanctions on Russia – the “sanctions regime is aimed at encouraging Russia to cease actions destabilising Ukraine or undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine”, according to the UK government. The SRA states that the current financial sanctions restrict “law firms from providing services or access to financial markets, funds or economic resources to listed entities or ships without a licence”. As a result, it’s crucial that law firms remain up to date on these sanctions and their impact on their operations. Many firms were also quick to review their client lists in response to the conflict, forcing some Russian litigants with cases at London’s High Court to look elsewhere for representation. The SRA has made it clear that firms can choose their clients and said that it’s unlikely to become a regulatory matter: “The general position is that firms can choose who they act for, and can choose not to act for any reason (unless unlawful, for example under equalities legislation)”. As many organisations, including retailers like H&M, revealed plans to stop trading in Russia, so too did law firms. White & Case LLP announced that it would be closing its office in Moscow, while Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, which said it planned to terminate its relationship with Russian clients, also said
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