Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Law firms “continue to threaten” journalists despite SRA warnings
Libel law firms continue to mislead journalists and others that their letters cannot be published and the SRA needs to act, high-profile tax lawyer Dan Neidle said yesterday.
“Shamelessness” of SLAPPs has grown but still no disciplinary action
The number and “shamelessness” of SLAPPs has grown but there has been no disciplinary action against the lawyers responsible for how they are run, a major conference heard yesterday.
Costs lawyers “bullish” about impact of fixed costs extension
Costs lawyers have had a good year, with a healthy proportion reporting growth in excess of 10% and many bullish about the impact of more fixed costs, according to their representative body.
Tribunal approves first post-PACCAR litigation funding agreement
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved a litigation funding agreement that was amended to take account of the Supreme Court ruling in PACCAR.
Judge penalises claimant for “unrealistic” costs budget
A judge has penalised a claimant for submitting an “unrealistic” costs budget, saying he hoped it would encourage parties to negotiate them before reaching court.
Arbitration Bill aims to retain pre-eminence of England and Wales
The Ministry of Justice yesterday published the Arbitration Bill, including a new statutory duty on arbitrators to disclose anything which might give rise to “justifiable doubts” about their impartiality.
High Court criticises firm for private prosecution disclosure failure
The High Court has criticised a leading private prosecutions law firm for the information it provided to persuade a judge to issue summonses alleging fraud against three people.
Judge acts to enforce deal between squabbling law firm owners
The High Court has made cross-examination and disclosure orders to enforce a consent order made in the wake of a nine-year dispute between solicitors over the winding down of their law firm.
Guideline hourly rates to rise in January as Vos implements CJC review
The Master of the Rolls today publicly accepted the recommendations of the Civil Justice Council’s costs review, starting with an increase in the guideline hourly rates in January.
High Court laments “wholly unacceptable” last-minute adjournment
A Commercial Court judge has blamed a claimant “in large part” for the “wholly unacceptable” last-minute adjournment of their case after he had begun pre-reading for it.
Blog
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
Material information and the case for intelligent client onboarding
Upfront information means work traditionally undertaken after an offer is accepted will need to happen earlier. And that fundamentally changes the role of client onboarding.
Reports
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