Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Court finds law firm negligent over “simple human error”
A Manchester law firm has been ordered to pay damages to a former client after a partner accidentally deleted a key part of a charge on a property.
No costs for solicitor who left LiP in “intolerable position”
A council will not recover its costs “in any circumstances” after its solicitor’s late compliance with orders left a litigant in person in an “intolerable position”, a judge has said.
Judge aghast at law firm’s objections to draft judgment
A judge has described a letter from a claimant’s solicitors on his draft judgment as “about as far away from the conduct expected of solicitors conducting litigation as it is possible to get”.
Law firm can keep acting in dispute after partner swapped sides
A law firm representing a woman in a dispute with her ex-husband can continue to act despite hiring the partner who previously supervised the legal work for him, the High Court has ruled.
Specialist credit hire firm lands £2m in funding to back MBO
A law firm that specialises in credit hire litigation has secured a £2m funding package to support a management buyout.
High Court dismisses Irwin Mitchell negligence claim
Irwin Mitchell has fought off a professional negligence claim, with the High Court finding it had given proper advice and was also entitled to rely on the views of counsel.
CPS puts another fictitious case before High Court
The CPS has again cited a fictitious authority to the High Court, which decided that, while “unsatisfactory”, it did not matter to the outcome.
Court voids claim brought by solicitors assigned client’s cause of action
An £11m claim has fallen foul of a 242-year old rule that a solicitor with conduct of litigation may not take an assignment of their client’s cause of action, the High Court has held.
Dieselgate claimants whose solicitors served form too late live to fight on
The High Court has refused to strike out cases brought by 5,000 Dieselgate claimants after their law firm failed to serve the claim form before the cut-off date.
Witnesses of fact and experts “should have to declare AI use” to court
The use of AI in preparing witness statements and expert reports should be declared to the court, the Civil Justice Council has recommended.
Hammer home rules of embargoed judgments to clients, lawyers told
Lawyers need to explain to their clients, “even more clearly and fully than they already do”, what they can and cannot do with embargoed judgments, the High Court has warned.
Claimant motor finance lawyers back call for advertising ban
An influential law firm’s call for a temporary ban on advertising motor finance claims has found support from other leading solicitors in the field.
Government using buying power to push diversity at the Bar
Chambers must ensure barristers have “equitable access” to work as part of being members of the Attorney General’s civil panel of counsel, the government has said.
Court of Appeal “astonished” by £2m brief fee for four-day case
The Court of Appeal has described as “astonishing” a £2m brief fee for leading counsel, plus refreshers of £20,000 a day, to act on an appeal set to last four days.
Split over need for new top band in guideline hourly rates
The working group charged with introducing a new higher band to the guideline hourly rates for heavyweight commercial work is split over whether it is needed.
Blog
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
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.
Reports
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