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03 May 2024 / Mary Young
Issue: 8069 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Fraud
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Smoke & mirrors in the world of fraud litigation

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A cautionary tale from Mary Young, showing that anyone can be duped—including lawyers
  • A discussion of Verdi Law Group PC v BNP Paribas [2023], in which the claimant law firm fell for a scam.
  • Firms need to be more cautious than ever in all their dealings—when agreeing to act, taking instructions and verifying client account details.

It is not uncommon for solicitors’ firms to be parties to litigation (as opposed to representing parties to litigation), even if breach of contract and/or negligence claims are disregarded. In recent years we have seen Dechert brought into the proceedings involving its former client, giving rise to wide-ranging decisions about issues such as the iniquity exception to privilege.

There was a spate of claims involving solicitors’ firms between 2012 and 2014 relating to property hijack cases, where solicitors had inadvertently been involved in fraud relating to the sale and purchase of real estate, where the purported vendor was an imposter who had stolen the identity of the genuine owner of the property. The combined appeals of P&P Property and Dreamvar

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Firm appoints head of intellectual property to drive northern growth

NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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