JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov [2012] EWCA Civ 1411. Maurice Kay LJ; Rix LJ; Toulson LJ. 6 November 2012 There was no authority for the proposition that a full hearing on the merits was required in circumstances where a litigant had forfeited his right to a full trial by his own conduct of the litigation. […]
Coming soon: a big bust-up between the Government and lawyers following David Cameron’s crowd-pleasing call for a clampdown on judicial reviews On learning that the Ministry of Justice plans to overhaul the judicial review system, one lawyer quipped last week “there’ll be a judicial review about that”, unintentionally making the MoJ’s case. Prime Minister David […]
Tension grows as lawyers call for Jackson reform details to avoid last-minute rush As the countdown to 2013 begins many litigators will be thinking about the impending implementation of Sir Rupert Jackson’s costs reforms. Yet frustration is mounting over the lack of detail coming out of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) over the reform programme. […]
Mediation talks between ex-Halliwells partners and liquidators are adjourned When the former Halliwells partners agreed to enter mediation with the failed firm’s liquidators in April, everyone knew they had one hell of a task ahead of them. Even with Quadrant Chambers’ Michel Kallipetis – a sage of a mediator, by all accounts – overseeing proceedings, […]
The argument that currency fluctuations affect revenue figures is pretty thin A graph of the euro-sterling exchange rate over the past year shows how the strength of the pound against the European currency has plummeted, from around 86p per euro in December 2011 to some 81p, with a trough of around 78p in mid-summer. This […]
It’s here: this week we’re publishing a preview of our exclusive annual report on global litigation, where we reveal the top 50 firms in the world by revenue. Contentious work is flourishing; DLA Piper’s litigation revenues topped a billion dollars for the first time this year, with Skadden and Jones Day not too far behind. […]
Opening in Washington DC suits some Linklaters partners surprisingly well Linklaters made a startlingly short announcement last Wednesday confirming the launch of a Washington DC office – a reopening of a base it shut in 2002. The DC return had been expected and is logical, given the city’s opportunities in antitrust, tax and regulatory work. […]
UBS faces a third FSA investigation in four years, this time for Libor. A record-breaking fine could be coming its way… On Monday 26 November, the Financial Services Authority announced its latest settlement with Swiss bank UBS for £29.7m. This followed the conviction and imprisonment of UBS rogue trader Kweku Adoboli for fraud. Adoboli had […]
The Lawyer’s latest Top 50 litigation firms list shows that business for dispute specialists is roaring along while new in-depth detail reveals the winning strategies Five years on from the biggest financial meltdown in living memory the global litigation market, largely powered by the fallout from that collapse, shows no sign whatever of losing steam. […]
The row between HP and Autonomy shows why lawyers should look closely at sale and purchase agreements Recent reports in the press that Hewlett-Packard has called in the Securities & Exchange Commission, the SFO and even the FBI in relation to what it claims to be “serious accounting improprieties” at Autonomy have brought into sharp […]
John Banister, chief executive officer Wiggin’s chief executive officer John Banister became the firm’s first non-lawyer partner in January this year following the introduction of the Legal Services Act. Banister joined Wiggin in 2003 as chief operating officer. He has previously held roles at Merrill Lynch, KPMG and Linklaters. How has your role changed since […]
Deferred prosecution agreements offer companies speed and finality, but they are tough penalties too The Government’s rollout of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) has now been debated in the House of Lords and will return for further parliamentary scrutiny shortly. Far from restricting DPAs, the legislators suggested the regime should be further extended to individuals – […]