Litigation/Dispute Resolution

More than half of professional indemnity cases issued in the High Court over the past five years were against solicitors, according to new figures.

Two former partners of a law firm did not vary their 50/50 partnership after it was set up so that one would be in sole control, the High Court has ruled.

The Arbitration Act received Royal Assent yesterday, with the government declaring it would keep the UK “ahead of the rest” and practitioners welcoming the new law.

The High Court is to reconsider its intention to allow a Manchester law firm to restrain a claims provider from presenting a winding-up petition.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal last week approved the £200m settlement of former solicitor Walter Merricks with Mastercard, in a case once valued at £14bn.

Barristers doing government work will see a 25% increase in rates from 1 April, in some cases the first rise since the panels were first introduced in 1997.

The unsuccessful claimant in the first opt-out collective action decided by the Competition Appeal Tribunal has been ordered to make an interim costs payment of £14m.

There needs to be a new early disposal mechanism for SLAPPs, academics have said, describing existing anti-SLAPP provisions as “a false dawn that will not address the problem”.

Claimant lawyers yesterday celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to reject HM Treasury’s bid to intervene in the motor finance appeal.

A barrister was not negligent in his advice over possession proceedings and the law centre that instructed him was entitled to rely on his expertise, the High Court has ruled.