2025 will be remembered as the year of mega-mergers, with a rush of huge deals rounding off a hectic 12 months for the legal industry. While Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, Winston Taylor and Ashurst Perkins Coie have dominated the headlines over the last month, there was plenty of other big news over the year.
Here, we round up the the stories which resonated with our readers in 2025 – here are the year’s most-read articles on Legal Business.
Interviews
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- Freshfields’ Charles Hayes on emotional intelligence, Formula One deals, sheep and daring to press the button
- ‘Full-service firms all say the same thing – but we’ve been opportunistic’ – John Quinn on AI, funding and suing banks
- ‘Unlocking the full power of our offering’ – Pinsents senior partner on sharpening the firm’s competitive edge
- Betting big on the US: HSF Kramer chiefs on what’s next for their $2bn merger
Features
- I want to invest a billion dollars in a UK law firm’ – has private equity and law’s big moment arrived?
- From bellwether to perfect storm: can Travers pull through choppy waters?
- Off the hook: why Gen Z isn’t answering your calls
- The silk class of 2025: ten names to note
Data
- Client favourites: ranking the most highly recommended LB100 firms
- Global 100 2025: elite tier set the pace as powerhouse firms pull away
- Global London data highlights City split as half retrench while Paul Weiss and others soar
- The top firms for value, billing and efficiency – and how they do it
- The £40bn club: LB100 push revenues to new high
- More than just size: the Global London firms making the best impression on clients
News
- Revealed: A&O Shearman partner exits pass 100 mark since merger announcement
- A&O Shearman, Freshfields and Hogan Lovells in crosshairs as Trump administration escalates DEI attacks
- McDermott and Schulte Roth merger set to create near-$3bn firm
In-house
- The banking crisis, Brexit and why he prefers in-house: HSBC’s GC on a career of once-in-a-lifetime experience
- From Credit Suisse to the credit crunch: UBS’s Simon Croxford on a career of unprecedented moments
- Revealed: The UK’s top general counsel 2025
Lateral moves
- Former Weil London head and top Kirkland restructuring partner join Sullivan & Cromwell
- Gibson Dunn takes heavyweight Sullivan & Cromwell duo in major London play
- Clifford Chance snaps up Skadden M&A heavyweight Embley
- Gibson Dunn to launch Swiss base led by leading arbitration silk
Deals
