SCG Member News Roundup: April 2026

News from the Network

In the Spotlight

L. Papaphilippou & Co (Cyprus) As of April 2, 2026, the Republic of Cyprus has enacted a new mandatory foreign direct investment (FDI) screening framework under Law 194(I)/2025, transposing EU Regulation 2019/452 and becoming the final EU Member State (27th) to implement such a regime. Dr. Thomas Papadopoulos, Associate Professor at the Department of Law of the University of Cyprus, and Pantelis Christofides in their respective capacity as CELIS Country Reporters, co-authored a CELIS Country Note examining the new FDI screening framework, related initiatives of the Cyprus Ministry of Finance, and pre-existing FDI-related mechanisms that will continue to operate alongside the new law. Click HERE to review the article.

Mills & Reeve (UK) has recently published an article detailing how English courts might differ from US courts when it comes to using AI chatbots and large language models. Click HERE to read the full article.

Robinson+Cole (US: Massachusetts) elected Boston Business Transactions Partner Michael Wirvin as the firm’s Managing Partner, marking a pivotal moment in the firm’s 180-year history. Michael is the firm’s first Managing Partner based outside of Hartford, CT, reflecting the firm’s continued evolution and expanding geographic footprint. His election underscores the firm’s deliberate, forward‑looking approach to leadership succession and long‑term strategic growth.

VBK (Netherlands) Van Benthem & Keulen has taken a significant step forward, rebranding as VBK and introducing its new positioning: “VBK partner in progress.” As legal and business landscapes grow more complex—driven by societal change, technology, and AI—VBK is sharpening its focus on combining deep legal expertise with a strategic understanding of clients’ goals. While the name evolves, the foundation remains the same: 85 years of commitment to clients. Looking ahead, VBK is doubling down on investing in its people and technology (especially AI), strengthening sector expertise, and enhancing its VBK Academy to ensure its lawyers continue to act as true strategic partners.

Wiley (US: Washington, DC) has started a podcast series, Never Tariffied. This series focuses on how businesses can prepare for and avoid disputes arising from the ever-changing tariffs and political uncertainty while navigating any complications from cross-border deals. In the latest episode, Wiley lawyers, Tatiana Sainati and Matt Lapin, along with Zain Pandit and Ananya Kumar of JSA Advocates & Solicitors, discuss why digital trade, data localization, and supply chain transparency have become central to understanding US-India trade policy and associated commercial risks and opportunities. Click HERE to listen to the full episode.

In the News

Adler Pollock & Sheehan (US: Rhode Island) welcomed Alexandra Pezzello as Senior Counsel. Alexandra joins the firm’s Banking and Financial Services, Business & Corporate, and Real Estate Groups. Alexandra represents lending institutions, including local, regional, and national banks and credit unions, as well as borrowers in a wide range of complex financial transactions. Her experience includes commercial real estate financing, asset-based lending, commercial and industrial loans, construction financing, mezzanine and bridge lending, tax-exempt financing, and hard-money transactions.

AGM Abogados (Spain) announced its recognition in the 2026 edition of the prestigious Chambers Europe guide. The firm ranked in both the Corporate/Commercial and Dispute Resolution categories. The firm also ranked in Restructuring & Insolvency. Four of the firm’s partners also received individual recognitions — Guillermo Bayas Fernández ranked Band 4 in Dispute Resolution, Jonathan Gil Mingorance ranked Band 4 in Employment, and Francisco Lacasa Lobera ranked Band 3, and Julio Menchaca Vite was ranked as an Up and Coming in Restructuring & Insolvency. The firm also strengthened its position in the 2026 edition of the international Legal 500 directory. The Dispute Resolution practice moved up to Tier 4, improving on its previous ranking. The Tax practice maintained its Tier 6 ranking. Lastly, for the first time, the firm also achieved a Tier 5 position in the Commercial, Corporate, and M&A category. Additionally, the firm has once again ranked among the law firms with the highest turnover in Spain, according to the annual ranking published by Expansión, one of the leading reference classifications within the national legal sector.

Bass, Berry & Sims (US: Tennessee) announced that Nora Katz joined as a member in the Nashville office, where she counsels clients in all aspects of immigration law with a focus on helping employers attract and develop international workforces. The firm’s Immigration Practice works alongside HR teams, in-house counsel, and business leaders to solve real workforce challenges and provide proactive, business-focused counsel on all aspects of U.S. immigration law.  

Boutin Jones (US: Sacramento, California) was recognized by Chambers and Partners in the USA: Spotlight 2026 Sacramento Guide for both Corporate/Commercial and Litigation: General Commercial. The firm was also recognized as a leading firm in California. 

Brydon, Swearengen & England (US: Missouri) is pleased to announce that Kinzi Harvis has been promoted to shareholder in the firm. Kinzi maintains a general civil practice with an emphasis on Family Law. She is active in the community and, specifically, the Jaycees, where she is currently the State Legal Counsel and a member of the local Jefferson City Chapter. Kinzi is the current 2026 Cole County Bar Association Secretary and Treasurer and a graduate of Leadership Jefferson City. Additionally, as an active member of Jefferson City Zonta, Kinzi collaborates with a community of women in various professional fields and contributes to the community with events like the Yellow Rose Luncheon and programs like the 2nd Chance Scholarship Program. 

Clark Wilson (Canada: British Columbia) associate, Braeden Rahn, TEP, will be presenting at The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia’s event “Advising Trustees, Beneficiaries and Others: Practical Advice in Settling and Administering Trusts 2026” on June 4th. For more information on this event, click HERE.

CNPLaw (Singapore) announced that its Capital Markets Practice was recognized in the Chambers Global Guide 2026. This was the fourth time the firm has been featured in this guide. Equity Partner, Min-Li Tan, also received individual recognition in this guide.

Dunton Rainville (Canada: Quebec) announced that it has once again been named one of the top 10 law firms in Quebec, according to Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s biennial ranking. Additionally, the firm announced that it has been selected as an Excellence Awardee for the prestigious Regional Law Firm of the Year – Québec award at the annual Canadian Law Awards 2026 ceremony.

GOLAW (Ukraine) has been recognized in the Chambers & Partners 2026 ranking among the leading law firms in Europe. This recognition reflects GOLAW’s continued commitment to supporting clients and international partners on complex, cross-border matters, including transactions involving Ukraine. The firm’s Corporate Law and M&A practice is also highly ranked in the Chambers Global Guide 2026 (Ukraine), with individual recognition awarded to Managing Partner Sergii Oberkovych. Head of Corporate Law and M&A practice Oleksandr Melnyk also played a major role in this recognition. This distinction underscores GOLAW’s commitment to delivering clear, commercially focused legal advice to clients and partner law firms in a rapidly evolving market environment.

Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe (US: Colorado) is pleased to announce that Shannon Bell has joined the firm as a Director in their litigation practice group. Shannon brings extensive experience representing businesses and professionals in complex civil litigation, with particular strength in construction-related disputes and contract matters. Her addition further enhances the depth of their litigation team and the value they provide to clients across the region and beyond.

Robinson+Cole (US: Massachusetts) has expanded its firmwide artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities by integrating Thomson Reuters’ Deep Research directly into Newcode.ai, the agentic AI platform implemented last year by the firm to support legal workflows across practices. With this integration, Robinson+Cole is one of only two law firms with direct access to the Deep Research API—and the only firm deploying it through Newcode.ai. Building on its 2025 partnership with Newcode.ai —making Robinson+Cole the first Am Law 200 firm to adopt the platform—the firm has continued to expand its AI capabilities as part of a broader strategy focused on secure deployment, ethical use, and seamless integration into daily legal work. In other news, the firm has once again been recognized for its workplace culture, innovation, and commitment to inclusion by Vault in its 2027 Best Law Firms to Work For rankings. The firm was ranked #26 in the overall Best Large Law Firms to Work For category, reflecting continued momentum across many of the survey’s quality-of-life categories. The firm achieved fifteen total top rankings, underscoring the firm’s longstanding history of respect, belonging, and meaningful professional development. Highlights from the firm’s 2027 Vault “Best Law Firms to Work For” rankings include:
#4 – Best Law Firms for Overall Inclusion
#4 – Best Law Firms for Women
#4 – Best Law Firms for People of Color
#5 – Best Law Firms for People with Disabilities
#5 – Best Law Firms for LGBTQ+ Individuals
#6 – Integration of Laterals & Clerks
#6 – Technology & Innovation
#10 – Wellness

Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher (US: Hawaii) is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized as Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Hawaii Litigation Law Firm of the Year. The firm has been named Hawaii Litigation Law Firm of the Year from 2020-2022 and 2024-2026, and a Highly Recommended Firm since 2010. Terence O’Toole, Sharon Lovejoy, and Andrew Lautenbach accepted the award for the firm. The firm is especially proud to announce that Terence was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 Hall of Fame. Terence manages the firm’s litigation department and has over 50 years of experience in the areas of commercial and complex litigation. The Benchmark Litigation event recognizes the most distinguished litigators and their firms across the US, based on extensive peer and client research interviews.

Veil Jourde (France) had a strong start to the year with rankings in the 2026 editions of Chambers and Legal 500. In Chambers & Partners France 2026, the firm solidified its positions in Litigation and Corporate M&A, and advanced in Real Estate and Public Law, with eight partners receiving individual rankings (including three Senior Statespeople recognitions for their most senior litigation partners). Additionally, in Legal 500 EMEA 2026, they have expanded their rankings across all key practices, with four partners earning individual distinctions, including a Hall of Fame recognition in M&A.

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