Litigation Weekly
The Lawyer
Boris: UK is the way
With his mop of blond hair, clownish features, booming voice and ability to draw a crowd, Boris Johnson makes an ideal circus master.
Vote now: Choose your next Supreme Court judge
The process is underway to appoint three new justices to sit in the highest court in the land.
Lawyers question the point of HMRC crackdown
Opinion has been split on the merits of a HMRC crackdown on tax-dodging lawyers.
What price a competition lawyer... $3bn?
Competition lawyers are worth their weight in gold.
Competition clash
Claims for competition cases are expected to rocket next year with litigators reporting an renewed interest in follow-on damages claims from corporate clients.
No bar on growth as chambers trumpet successful year
If adversity precedes growth, as the saying goes, then the bar has embraced the challenges of the recession as well as any in the legal sector.
Herbies' hotel horror
Herbert Smith has come in for some sharp criticism this week in the fall-out from the high-profile Barclay brothers versus Paddy McKillen case.
Second city is first for banking litigation
Birmingham has been a great place to be this week.
Lawyers lead where Team GB fail
It’s a good job Pinsent Masons’ head of sport Trevor Watkins is not a Team GB athlete.
Addleshaws and Burges Salmon each score points as CAT rules in Cardiff bus wars case
Competition lawyers from Addleshaw Goddard and Burges Salmon have fought out a score draw in the ‘Cardiff bus wars’ case.
Marks & Clerk seals victory for Czech brewer in long-running 'Bud Wars' dispute
Trademark lawyers at Marks & Clerk have succeeded in the latest round of the so-called Bud Wars litigation by fending off attempts by a US brewery to ban Czech rival Budejovický Budvar from using the Budweiser name.
Weil wins second victory for Barclay brothers in ongoing Maybourne Hotels dispute
Weil Gotshal & Manges has secured a partial victory in the battle between the Barclay brothers and Irish property tycoon Paddy McKillen over the Maybourne Hotel Group.
Blackstone's Rose QC fails in bid to have Assange appeal reopened
The UK Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Blackstone Chambers silk Dinah Rose QC to re-open the extradition hearing of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Lord Judge to hear Twitter bomb hoax case after High Court stalemate
The Twitter bomb hoax case is to be heard by the most senior judge in the land after two High Court judges failed to reach agreement on the matter.
Andy Coulson turns to DLA Piper to fight perjury charges
DLA Piper partner Jo Rickards will represent former News of the World (NoW) editor Andy Coulson in his bid to “vigorously contend” perjury charges relating to the Tommy Sheridan trial.
Clydes set to appeal as EAT whistleblowing case goes in ex-partner's favour
Clyde & Co plans to appeal an Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) decision that found the firm should face a claim from a former partner.
Freshfields and Blackstone fight Tesco's OFT price-fixing fine
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) hearing is underway to decide whether Tesco must pay a £10m OFT fine for fixing the price of cheese.
Eversheds in court over Newcastle Airport negligence claims
Eversheds has begun its High Court battle with former client Newcastle International Airport, which accuses the firm of negligence.
Government moots US-style opt-out system for collective claims
The Government has launched a consultation on collective redress in competition cases, giving businesses three months to react to proposals that could introduce the UK’s first opt-out system.
Channel Islands imports must carry VAT, court rules
High Street retailers will not escape VAT on imports into the UK from the Channel Islands, the High Court has ruled.
Appleby establishes Hong Kong litigation practice
Offshore firm Appleby is continuing its investment in both litigation and the Far East by setting up a dispute resolution team in Hong Kong.
Lawyers give mixed response to Woodcock age discrimination ruling
Employment lawyers have given a mixed response to an eagerly anticipated Court of Appeal (CoA) ruling on whether discrimination can be justified by saving costs.
Outer Temple takes on Doughty Street silk
Doughty Street Chambers’ Christopher Gibson QC has defected to rival set Outer Temple Chambers.
Supreme Court overturns CoA ruling in Reynolds defence case
The Supreme Court has unanimously endorsed the use of the Reynolds defence, the right to claim a defence of public interest, in media cases.
Team of Withers litigators quits to launch City office for Australia's Lipman Karas
Australian litigation boutique Lipman Karas is set to launch an office in London after taking a team of lawyers from Withers.
King & Spalding hires partner duo from Bird & Bird
King & Spalding has boosted its London office with the hire of two litigation partners from Bird & Bird.
Government's court interpreting agency hit with wasted costs orders
The agency appointed by the Government as the sole provider of court interpreters has been issued with a number of wasted costs orders after issues with its service led to some cases being adjourned.
Scottish lawyers pay tribute to silk found dead in Pakistan
The Scottish legal community has paid tribute to MacKinnon Advocates silk Paul McBride QC, who died suddenly on a business trip to Pakistan.
Tory minister admits new court interpreter system is 'unacceptable'
The parliamentary under-secretary of state for prisons and youth justice has admitted that the Government’s new court interpreter system is “unacceptable”.
The lawyer, the BBC and the Freedom of Information Act.
The Supreme Court today brought to an end the long-running battle between lawyer Stephen Sugar and the BBC over whether it is obliged, under the Freedom of Information Act, to release an internal report on its coverage of Israeli/Palestinian relations (see blog). It is not.
FA Premier League 0 Pub Landlord 2
The last ditch attempt by the FA Premier League to have the domestic court declare foreign decoders illegal has failed (see blog).
So you think you're a partner?
Defining exactly what a partner is has become increasingly difficult in recent years, particularly since LLP status gained acceptance among law firms.
News Group's no nonsense settlements
Like Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, News Group Newspapers, owner of the now defunct News of the World, has created a legal market all of its own.
Unsettling times for News Group
The Rolls Building will later today host the parties in the ongoing phone-hacking cases for a pre-trial hearing.
A litigation feast
The New Year has brought with it a new look for The Lawyer, with a keen focus on the litigation markets and the cases dominating the courts.
