Litigation/Dispute Resolution

The Court of Appeal has rejected a bid by two public access barristers to be paid nearly £125,000 in fees after the lower courts found a key term in their retainers unfair.

The Court of Appeal yesterday closed off claimant solicitors’ hopes of reopening payment protection insurance claims which they allege were undersettled.

A former credit control manager at a major London chambers has admitted to stealing £2.75m from the set over the past five years, it emerged in the High Court yesterday.

The High Court has criticised a solicitor’s “disorganised and unhelpful” conduct of a claim in refusing to set aside an order that his client’s costs budget be limited to the court fees.

The next steps to implement the Civil Justice Council’s 2023 costs review are underway, although it is not yet certain how far the guideline hourly rates will be extended to counsel.

A claims management company has worked with Salford University to launch an app, backed by artificial intelligence, that identifies housing disrepair.

The former law lord who presided over the arbitration whose $11bn award was later found to have been obtained by fraud has said there was nothing the panel could have done differently.

Another party has fallen victim to the rules on witness statements, but the High Court has declined to order their solicitor to explain how the failure to comply came about.

A mere 135 cases had been allocated to the intermediate track by the end of June, while delays for the other tracks remain close to all-time highs, according to new figures.

Listed insolvency litigation funder Manolete said it was enjoying “the most attractive trading conditions” since the business was formed in 2009 as it announced strong financial results.