Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Time from issue to trial in county court hits record high of 80 weeks
The number of claims lodged at the county court has returned to near pre-Covid levels but the time between issue and trial has reached a new all-time high.
High Court rejects claims against law firm over corporate restructure
The High Court has rejected claims made against a law firm which advised a medical services company on a restructure which claimants alleged was designed to put its assets beyond the reach of creditors.
High Court dismisses negligence claim over failed group action
The High Court has struck out a negligence claim against the law firm and eight barristers who acted on a failed group action on behalf of more than 40,000 Kenyans against the Foreign Office.
Judge criticises “gratuitously offensive” comments aimed at solicitors
The judge in the Chris Packham libel trial has deprecated “gratuitously offensive” comments the defendants targeted at the TV presenter’s solicitors.
Struck-off conspiracy theorist solicitor jailed for contempt
A struck-off solicitor who issues “spurious applications and claims” in the names of “innocent litigants” has failed in his appeal against a 12-month prison sentence for contempt.
Judges spell out warning on embargo breaches and contempt
Concern among the senior judiciary about the spate of breaches of embargoes on draft judgment has resulted in a clear warning in the updated King’s Bench Division guide.
Google representative action on behalf of 1.6m people struck out
The High Court has struck out a representative action brought on behalf of 1.6m people who claimed Google and DeepMind Technologies misused their medical records.
City firm was in “intractable conflict of interest” with client
City law firm RPC has been ordered to pay a former client damages of £192,500 after it put itself in an “intractable conflict of interest and duty” during its work for her.
Government “awareness programmes” needed to boost LEI
The government should run “awareness programmes” to educate the public about the benefits of legal expenses insurance, the Association of Consumer Support Organisations has argued.
When is without prejudice really without prejudice?
The recent cases of Scheldebouw v Evanson [2022] and Meaker v Cyxtera Tech UK Ltd [2023] have served as reminders of how the courts determine the application of without prejudice privilege
London litigator acquires Checkmylegalfees.com
A London law firm that has in the past been sued by Checkmylegalfees.com has now bought the brand, and will seek to move it into costs disputes brought by commercial clients.
High Court rejects £63m claim over S&G’s acquisition of Quindell
The High Court today rejected a £63m claim that accountancy firm PwC used confidential information to reduce the amount Slater & Gordon paid for Quindell’s legal division in 2015.
“Structure contracts” to avoid need for litigation to resolve disputes
Contracts should routinely include “structured” methods to avoid the need for litigation – including escalation clauses – if disputes arise, a former senior in-house lawyer has advised.
CJC: Costs budgeting has worked but needs to be more tailored
Costs budgeting has been a success and should be retained, but also reformed in recognition that “one size does not necessarily fit all”, a major report has recommended today.
Law firm ordered to pay £12m for negligence in insolvency claim
National law firm TLT has been ordered to pay around £12.5m in damages for breach of contract and professional negligence over the way it handled an insolvency claim.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
