Litigation/Dispute Resolution
City solicitor avoids jail after criminal contempt finding
A senior City partner who told a client to “burn” a private messaging app after it was served with a search order has avoided jail for criminal contempt of court, in part because of the impact on his career.
The driving forces behind the class action revolution: setting the industry in motion
Jen Dickson explores the explosion of class actions in the UK, looking at it from all angles to discuss the key factors that have built the market up to reach record levels of activity
Solicitor’s libel defence struck out for “persistent failure to engage”
A High Court judge has struck out a solicitor’s defence to a libel claim following a “persistent failure to engage” with the litigation.
Law Commission seeks ban on discrimination in appointing arbitrators
Arbitration agreements requiring that the arbitrator be a “commercial man” or otherwise specifying a protected characteristic will be unenforceable under Law Commission proposals published today.
Claimant to pay indemnity costs after latest witness statement failure
The High Court has ordered a claimant who seriously breached the rules on witness statements to pay indemnity costs, having exacerbated the situation by dismissing the defendant’s concerns.
Litigation funder’s share price slumps after adverse High Court ruling
Shares in specialist insolvency litigation funder Manolete Partners slumped by 15% on Friday in the wake of a “rare” adverse High Court ruling and concerns over the wider economy.
Solicitors cannot use lien to block disclosure of file in negligence claim
A law firm being sued by for negligence cannot use its lien over a file for unpaid fees to overcome its obligation to disclose the file to its former client, the High Court has ruled.
Firm had no duty to advise prospective client before CFA was signed
Leading law firm Irwin Mitchell was not under a duty to advise a prospective client to notify their travel agent about an accident on holiday until the retainer was signed, the High Court has ruled.
Time taken to get civil cases to trial reaches all-time high
The time between issue and trial for fast- and multi-track claims has hit 75 weeks, the longest this century, according to government figures published yesterday.
Need for specialist IP solicitors meets new “clear and compelling” costs test
A party that needed specialist intellectual property advice was justified in using lawyers who charged significantly above the guideline hourly rates, the High Court has decided.
Blog
How does the legal profession become neuroinclusive?
My learning journey as mum to an autistic son with profound additional needs completely changed the way in which I work as a child protection lawyer.
The real cure for inequality at law firms? Listening
How can men, as one male panellist put it, “get out of the way of people coming up through the ranks?”
Most of these conversations only happen after the men leave the room.
Andy Burnham and the Hillsborough Law: should solicitors be worried?
Now that Andy Burnham has become prime minister, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law, will receive a real boost of political capital.
