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The insider: 17 January 2025

17 January 2025 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 8100 / Categories: Opinion , Profession , Insurance / reinsurance
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Where would the legal profession be without the humble motorcar & the endless disputes it produces? Dominic Regan steers through credit hire confusion & secret commissions

Thank the Lord for the motor vehicle. The legal profession continues to thrive on the back of disputes generated by it, as recent law reports demonstrate.

The Court of Appeal in Johnson v Firstrand Bank Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 1282 held that consumers who took out loans to purchase a car were entitled to compensation because the lenders paid a secret commission to the dealer who had referred the borrower to them. The judgment caused financial institutions to wobble amid talk of this opening the way to the next PPI claims bonanza. With remarkable alacrity, the Supreme Court has listed an appeal to be heard over three days, starting on 1 April.

Rob Weir KC won for the claimants in Johnson. He was also instructed by the unsuccessful appellant in the intriguing ongoing EUI Ltd v Smith [2024] EWHC 2803 (KB). This is another chapter in the internecine war between claimants and insurers

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Firm boosts corporate team in Newcastle to support high-growth technology businesses

NEWS

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
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Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
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