Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Law firm failed to validly serve £82m claim
London law firm Forsters failed to validly serve a claim form for a claim valued at around £82m, the High Court has ruled.
Solicitor fabricated disclosure letter “to save job”
A solicitor who fabricated and backdated a disclosure letter to make it appear that he had complied with a court deadline has been struck off.
SRA set to issue Mazur guidance – but onus is on solicitors
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to publish guidance on the implications on the Mazur ruling very shortly, it has told MPs.
Junior solicitor used AI to draft misleading letters to court
A junior solicitor who used AI to draft two misleading emails to the High Court “seems to have almost entirely outsourced the thinking process”, the judge has said.
SRA ordered to make interim £200k costs payment to Dentons
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has been ordered make an interim costs payment of £200,000 to global law firm Dentons – but the Court of Appeal questioned the overall costs claimed.
Trial-hungry US law firms “have reshaped UK litigation market”
The investment of US law firms in the UK litigation market is paying off, according to new figures which show them involved in one in five Commercial Court cases.
FCA claims market review to focus on financial services and housing
The Financial Conduct Authority’s review of the claims management market will focus on financial services and products, and housing disrepair, it has announced.
LeO directs law firm to pay £49k in latest public interest decisions
The Legal Ombudsman directed London law firm Laytons to pay £49,000 in compensation to a client for failing to register her lease extension in the latest batch of public interest decisions.
High Court judge criticises litigators’ unwillingness to co-operate
A High Court judge has criticised “the instinct of litigators to object to anything proposed by the other side” when it would be better just to say ‘yes’.
Judge rebukes HMRC for “extraordinary allegation” against law firm
A judge has condemned HM Revenue & Customs for making the “extraordinary allegation” that a law firm would engage in abusive behaviour over listing a hearing.
Judge slams class action firm for bringing claim without authorisation
Class action law firm Pogust Goodhead has been ordered to make a £900,000 interim costs payment after a judge found it did not have authority to bring proceedings started in 2020.
Judge refers solicitors to SRA for fake AI-generated cases
A circuit judge has referred two solicitors to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for submitting hallucinated cases to the court.
“Significant new evidence” in employment judge misconduct case
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office has agreed to reinvestigate allegations of bullying and intimidation against Employment Judge Philip Lancaster, in light of “significant new evidence”.
Indemnity costs ordered over threat to report solicitors to SRA
A company has been ordered to pay indemnity costs because of its solicitors’ misuse of criminal contempt proceedings and threats to report their opposition to the SRA.
King’s Speech: No litigation funding, SLAPPs or AML reform
The King’s Speech yesterday was notable as much for what was not in it as what was, with significant omissions including the promised litigation funding bill.
Blog
From ‘year zero’ to £6.5m – how a law firm found its second life
In 2018, I hit what I call ‘year zero’. On paper, Olliers Solicitors was a top-tier criminal defence firm but beneath the surface, I could see we were at a crossroads.
Linklaters’ chief growth officer takes the ‘blank sheet’ challenge
In the third and final part of this series, Lucy Murphy, chief growth officer at magic circle firm Linklaters, outlines her vision for the law firm of the future.
The ‘blank sheet’ challenge, part 2 – what would you do differently?
In the second part of this blog series, Shainul Kassam, managing director of small London firm Fortune Law, sets out how she would set up a law firm now.
