Welcome to this week’s edition of The Hearing, your insider’s guide to the UK litigation market. This week, we put our ear to the Supreme Court (SC). The country’s top judges are used to handling complex disputes, but some are fed up of colleagues keen on making waves. Plus, watch out, as we hear litigation […]
RPC has said it did not breach any of the duties it owed to a former client, as the professional negligence case brought against the firm draws to a close. The firm has spent the last eight days at the Leeds Circuit Commercial Court defending several allegations brought against it by former client Deborah Forster. […]
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is in the process of deciding whether disciplinary action should be taken against a group of barristers who have signalled their intention to disobey the cab-rank rule. Last week, a group called Lawyers Are Responsible issued a declaration that focused on the need for faster and stronger action for the […]
Supreme Court to tackle Nigeria oil spill dispute On Wednesday 29 March, the Supreme Court will hear a two-day appeal concerning a large oil spill that took place 120km off the shore of Nigeria in 2011. The appellants, which includes over 27,000 people and nearly 500 communities, allege that the disaster caused extensive damage to […]
Today marks the first time in 70 years that new silks will be sworn in as King’s Counsel, as 95 prepare for the ceremony at London’s Westminster Hall. The list was revealed at the end of December, with the number of appointments falling for the second year in a row, despite a slight rise in […]
This week saw a judge rule on a “troubling” police disciplinary process, while a Swansea-based law firm failed to have negligence allegations thrown out. Over at the Court of Appeal, a London-listed oil and gas company was also forced to pay out $1.6m over a drilling project gone wrong in Cameroon. Judge labels police disciplinary […]
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Hearing, your insider’s guide to the UK litigation market. This week we look at how the floodgates may be about to open to mass claims from landowners against water companies, and how the working hours of financial crime and corporate compliance lawyers are in the hands of those […]
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Pallas Partners have made separate pitches to Credit Suisse investors in the hope of pursuing litigation against those allegedly responsible for making the Swiss bank’s Additional Tier 1 Bonds (AT1s) worthless. Credit Suisse’s AT1s were written down to zero last weekend after the Swiss Federal Department of Finance, the […]
Specialist sports boutique Rylands Garth has brought a claim on behalf of 54 former amateur rugby players against World Rugby, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and Rugby Football Union (RFU). The players are bringing a personal injury lawsuit against the governing bodies, claiming they failed to protect them from permanent brain injury. In January, it was […]
Round two for tax silk as professional negligence case heads to Court of Appeal A three-day appeal concerning tax silk Andrew Thornhill KC will begin in the Court of Appeal today. Thornhill has been accused by 100 investors of professional negligence regarding advice he provided in three similar film finance tax schemes between 2002 and […]
Merchant bank Close Brothers is to establish an in-house litigation team. The bank has set up a small litigation group led by head of bank legal, litigation, Jessica Wicker. It is understood that the group has been put together as the team works in a more structured and consistent way in relation to litigation. Wicker […]
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has successfully quashed an Employment Tribunal ruling in a case that pitted the Lord Chancellor against a group of 50 judges. The latest decision means the tribunal case will now need to be reheard. Five judges, represented by Leigh Day and Sintons, were selected by the initial Employment Tribunal as […]
This week saw Justice Secretary Dominic Raab’s intervention in probation service procedures ruled unlawful. But in better news for the UK Government, the Foreign Office’s sanction regime against Belarus succeeded in a challenge hoping to overturn it. Herbert Smith Freehills’ client Mercedes Benz was also at the High Court, attempting to determine the scope of […]
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Hearing, your insider’s guide to the UK litigation market. This week, in the interests of balance, we look at why 7KBW is having a cracking month, and why the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is not. Need an insurance barrister? 7KBW is fully booked: The mountain of aviation suits […]
Check in with The Lawyer each week as we spot the most important new claims hitting the courts and assess what they say about the litigation landscape.
The UK Government can claim victory this week, as an attempt to force a review of its 5G rollout was quashed. Outcomes for UBS London and Instagram were less favourable. The investment bank failed in its bid to have a massive negligence case diverted to Hong Kong, and the social media giant lost a trademark […]
Steptoe & Johnson is expanding its London litigation practice by hiring a barrister from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. Jonathon Egerton-Peters has joined Steptoe as a partner. He focuses on international arbitration, litigation and tax across a range of sectors including tobacco, banking and energy. He has been at Skadden for nearly 14 years, […]