Litigation/Dispute Resolution
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.
Firm fails in bid for injunction to stop use of letter it disclosed in error
The High Court has refused a leading law firm an injunction to stop an opposing party making a use of a document it disclosed by mistake that cast doubt on an expert’s independence.
High Court strikes out LiP’s “vexatious” fraud claim against solicitor
The High Court has struck out a “vexatious” and “abusive” fraud claim by a litigant in person, seeking £160,000 in damages from a solicitor over a 17-year-old property dispute.
SRA set to curb litigators’ use of ‘private and confidential’ letters
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to issue guidance on when litigators are allowed to label letters as ‘private and confidential’ and/or ‘without prejudice’.
Court throws out £1.3m claim against City firm over service failure
The High Court has thrown out a negligence claim for almost £1.3m served on a City law firm after the time limit for service had expired.
Barrister’s witness statement transcription tool trained in legal English
The first transcription tool specifically designed for witness statements has been launched this summer, after the AI was trained to cope with legal language such as “my learned friend”.
Multi-billion-pound class actions target video games and cryptocurrency
Two giant opt-out actions have been filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, claiming billions of pounds in damages on behalf of users of Sony PlayStation video games and cryptocurrency investors.
Sunak pledges crackdown on JR “lawfare” and “judicial recidivism”
Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak yesterday pledged to crack down on “lawfare” and “judicial recidivism” with a focus on standing to bring judicial reviews.
Post Office inquiry chair urges higher legal fees for compensation advice
It is “essential” that sub-postmasters claiming on one of the compensation schemes following the Horizon scandal can recover their legal costs, the chair of the Post Office scandal enquiry said yesterday.
Scottish court: Injured woman cannot recover English solicitors’ costs
A Scottish woman injured in a car accident in France who sued the motorist’s insurer in Scotland acted unreasonably in instructing English solicitors, the Scottish High Court has ruled.
Vodafone becomes first client to join Greener Litigation movement
Vodafone has become the first client to sign up to Greener Litigation, joining law firms, chambers and others in committing to reduce the environmental impact of dispute resolution.
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.
