Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Data breach ruling “could stem” tide of claims
A High Court ruling on a low-value data breach claim may stop claimants recovering after-the-event insurance premiums in cases involving cyber-attacks, reducing their viability.
High Court uses new guideline rates ahead of formal introduction
The new guideline hourly rates will not formally come into force until 1 October but the High Court yesterday took them into account when dealing with a summary assessment.
Costs judge rejects “regrettable” overcharging allegations
A judge has rejected claims by the wife of a convicted Kazakh businessman that she was overcharged by a London law firm for her asylum application.
Restrictions would “weaken rule of law”, third-party funders tell UN
The international body for third-party funders has told UNCITRAL that restricting the funding of treaty-based investor-state arbitrations would weaken the rule of law.
Tribunal finally grants first ever collective proceedings order
The Competition Appeal Tribunal yesterday granted the first ever collective proceedings order, allowing the £14bn Mastercard opt-out class action to go forward at last.
MR approves new guideline hourly rates but plans further review
The Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, has approved the new guideline hourly rates while ordering a further review that will take into account changing working practices.
Judge right to consider “mystery” of who was funding law firm
A judge who had “no information at all” as to how the defence of a dormant law firm was being funded was right not to ignore the issue, appeal judges have ruled.
Expert witnesses “prefer preparing in-person for virtual hearings”
Expert witnesses prefer to travel to prepare themselves for a trial in person with their legal teams even when the trial itself is to be conducted remotely, a report has found.
Law firm and funder win fees claim after terminating retainer
A law firm and a litigation funder were entitled to end their retainers with a couple suing their former solicitors and should have their costs of £75,000, the High Court has ruled.
QC arbitrators in Man City case were not “beholden” to Premier League
The High Court has rejected a claim by Manchester City football club that there was apparent bias on the part of three QCs sitting on a Premier League arbitration panel.
Judge warns parties to expect sanctions for incorrect e-bundles
Judges’ patience with parties that fail to prepare electronic bundles with consistent page numbering is over and they can expect sanctions, the High Court has warned.
Major study proposes ODR to handle small business debt cases
An online dispute resolution platform would help solve the problem of late payment debt by providing SMEs with a quick and cheap alternative to traditional lawyer-based solutions.
Bar Council and judiciary to take action on bullying from the bench
The Bar Council recently met with the senior judiciary in a bid to ensure there are proper consequences for judges who bully barristers. It dismissed any notion young lawyers were being ‘snowflakes’.
Appeal judges reject “binary” approach to negligence claim
The Court of Appeal has rejected as “too binary” the approach taken by a High Court judge when striking out a negligence claim against lawyers over their former client’s capacity to litigate.
Government promises “integrated online dispute resolution”
More “innovative technologies” and an “integrated online dispute resolution process” have been promised by the Ministry of Justice in a fresh bid to reduce the amount of litigation.
Blog
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
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.
