In brief: Law Soc changes contingency fee rules

The Law Society Council voted last week to alter its practice rules to take account of the Court of Appeal case, Thai Trading v Taylor, where Lord Justice Millett ruled that solicitors could lawfully accept cases on a contingency fee basis, as long as there is no uplift. Although a petition requesting an appeal has been lodged with the House of Lords, the council ruled that contingency fee arrangements are allowed where statute or common law permits them.