Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Relief for litigation funders after US tax on proceeds is axed
Litigation funders are breathing a big sigh of relief after a proposed 32% tax on proceeds from successful cases was removed from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Lawyers criticised for injunction application against general counsel
The High Court has criticised lawyers who unnecessarily brought a without-notice application against an in-house solicitor and then did not present the case in a “fair and even-handed manner”.
Solicitors should include LEI in initial conversations with clients
Legal expenses insurance “should always be included in the initial conversation” between solicitor and client, the Law Society has said.
Judge criticises NHS trust for not explaining why it ignored ADR bid
A King’s Bench master has ordered an NHS trust to comply with a requirement that it provide a witness statement explaining why it had not engaged with proposed ADR.
Bank sues law firm for deluge of “poor-quality” mis-selling claims
A law firm that specialises in financial mis-selling is facing a novel claim of causing loss by unlawful means through deluging a bank with allegedly poor-quality cases.
Law Society calls for “one-stop shop” AI platform for civil justice
The Law Society has called for the creation of a “one-stop shop” platform, backed by AI, to act as a single point of entry to the civil justice system.
Mediation platform offers warring parties £25 chatbot service
A joint venture between a well-established UK mediation firm and a US-based online dispute resolution provider is offering individuals and SMEs a chatbot-based service for only £25 each.
Law firm awarded £4.2m over PPI claims lost by JV partner
A law firm specialising in PPI claims has been awarded £4.2m in damages for thousands of cases that failed because of its joint venture partner.
Law firm to pay wasted costs after failing to address claim problems
A law firm that continued cases against defendants without investigating claims they were the wrong parties has been ordered to pay wasted costs.
Solicitor fails in challenge to judge’s finding of “indefensible” conduct
The Court of Appeal has rejected a solicitor’s challenge to judicial criticism of his “indefensible” conduct, motivated by money, in using leaked privileged material to help win an arbitration.
Blog
Is it time to change how law firms view compliance?
Although COFAs often hold senior positions and play an essential role in a firm’s financial and regulatory integrity, the perception of the compliance function itself is still evolving.
From templates to culture change: Lessons from the SRA on source of funds
The SRA’s new thematic review into source of funds and wealth reveals both progress and persistent blind spots, with source-of-funds checks too often thought of as a procedural hurdle.
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
