Litigation/Dispute Resolution

Lawyers and litigation funders have expressed disappointment at the government’s legislative proposal to address the Supreme Court’s PACCAR ruling.

The High Court has rejected an application by Welsh firm Hugh James for a group litigation order in the face of objections from 18 other law firms.

Nearly two-thirds of consumers would prefer litigation funders to take a share of their compensation from class actions than pay legal fees, research has found.

The government is set to recoup up to £42m a year more in court fees after proposing a 10% increase in over 200 fees. It also plans biennial inflation increases in future.

A disbarred barrister is facing jail for contempt of court after failing to comply with a court order relating to allegations of misconduct while acting as a McKenzie Friend.

The Court of Appeal will today conclude a three-day hearing on whether the courts can stay proceedings and require parties to engage in ADR as a condition of being able to continue their claims.

The heads of the judiciary have told judges and instructing solicitors to give junior counsel who are being led every chance to address the court as well.

Litigators who recover from clients substantial success fees not linked to individual risk must tell them other firms may charge less, the Legal Ombudsman has warned.

Nearly one in four general counsel have directly asked a law firm to put a woman or racially diverse lawyer on a litigation or arbitration matter, new research has found.

Expert witnesses, investigators, costs lawyers, insolvency specialists, translators and e-discovery firms have all agreed to join the UK’s first pro bono litigation support service.

A newly formed group of leading media lawyers has accused the Law Society of failing to represent its members’ interests in relation to SLAPPs.

A law firm which reduced its fees in an informal resolution of a client’s complaint brokered by the Legal Ombudsman could not later submit a higher revised bill.

A company in dispute with its litigation funders has failed in its bid to fortify their cross-undertakings in damages after arguing it wanted to use the contested funds to back litigation itself.

The Business & Property Courts will have to embrace digital processes and artificial intelligence if they are to maintain their international pre-eminence, the Master of the Rolls has said.

Artificial intelligence will have multiple uses for litigators, including helping with costs budgeting and validating advice to clients, a leading partner at Eversheds Sutherland has predicted.