#9 The Legal Profession This Week - China sanctions, the SQE, and Oatly's IPO​

By Dheepa​

The Bar Council of England and Wales, the Bar of Ireland, the Bar Council of Northern Ireland and the Faculty of Advocates of Scotland have released a joint statement condemning China’s sanctions against Essex Court Chambers (The Lawyer). The sanctions were issued in March in response to an article published on the chambers’ site. The article stated that there is a credible case that the Chinese government’s actions against the Uighur people amount to genocide (The Lawyer). The joint statement urges the Chinese government to reconsider its sanctions, asserting that the sanctions are an “unjustifiable interference with the professional role of lawyers and an attack upon the rule of law internationally” (The Lawyer).

The sanctions prohibit several barristers at Essex Court Chambers from entering China, Hong Kong and Macao, while citizens of China are also prohibited from doing business with them. The measures have resulted in approximately eight notable practitioners departing the chambers (The Lawyer). Most recently, Allen & Overy arbitration partner Matthew Gearing QC has opted to join Fountain Court Chambers merely a week before his slated start date with Essex Court (The Lawyer). As one of the leading chambers in the City, Essex Court receives work from many commercial law firms including Stephenson Harwood, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells, and Mischon de Reya (The Lawyer). If the sanctions remain in place and the string of barrister departures continue, City firms are likely to turn to other chambers for support on disputes work, particularly when the work involves Chinese law.

Aspiring solicitors starting their law degree this year will have to undertake the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). As the LPC begins to be phased out, several overseas providers are stepping into the professional legal education market. Spain’s IE Law School, the PSL University of France and Singapore’s Asia Bar Review have all partnered with BARBRI to offer SQE prep courses to international students (The Lawyer). Australia based College of Law also unveiled its own prep course in February, and has already secured a partnership with Reed Smith (The Lawyer). While BPP and the University of Law have traditionally dominated the space, the influx of new entrants provides law firms with additional choice and creates new competition in the market.

‘Business as usual’ – the notable deals and cases which went ahead this week:

US law firms White & Case, Latham & Watkins and Weil Gotshal & Manges (“Weil”) are involved in Blackstone-backed Oatly’s US initial public offering (IPO). Latham & Watkins is advising Oatly on its listing in the US while White & Case’s Stockholm offices represented the company on issues regarding its Swedish shares. Weil is advising the nine investment banks underwriting the IPO (SEC.gov).

The Joint Council on the Welfare of Immigrants has launched a free legal advice initiative in collaboration with eight City law firms to support victims of the Windrush scandal in applying for compensation (Law.com). The law firms offering pro bono advice are Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Charles Russell Speechlys, Debevoise & Plimpton, Dechert, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Taylor Wessing and White & Case (Law.com).