LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEAR 2018

UNISON LegalWINNER

Securing a unanimous Supreme Court decision is no mean feat, but trade union body UNISON achieved just that in July 2017 after a four-year battle across a range of different courts.

As one judge comments: “This case changed the law at the highest level and rolled back a change that was denying workers access to justice. The approach by UNISON shows real grit in developing evidence where there was none and getting the case re-heard on new evidence at first instance.”

In 2012, a proposal to introduce fees into the tribunal system was met with an outcry that cases would fall off a cliff as declining numbers of people would be able to afford access to justice. Joining the case in 2013, UNISON in-house lawyer Shantha David fought consistently, instructing counsel from Matrix and Blackstone Chambers.

The case was made even more difficult to mount due to a lack of evidence which David had to demand through Freedom of Information requests and a dogged pursuit of the Lord Chancellor for information.

That determination plays well with the judges, as one comments: “A minimal team led by the in-house solicitor – great tenacity and perseverance and a result that makes a real difference to a great many people.”

Highly commended: Hogan Lovells

Against a background of rising political tension between the UK and Russia, Hogan Lovells battle against Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev set precedents in laws over “sham trusts” and causes one judge to comment: “The team at Hogan Lovells has shown dedication in securing a landmark judgment against a Russian oligarch, and in doing so has shaped the future of trust law in England and Wales.”

Commended: Hudgell Solicitors

The firm’s success in securing a Court of Appeal ruling allowing a conditional fee agreement to be transferred from one firm to another was described as: “The most important judgment affecting costs since the Jackson reforms”.