THIS ISSUE
Litigation funding is on the rise, providing financing solutions to increasing numbers of claimants
Firm appoints new partner
Firm promotes two to partner
COVID-19 is affecting the supply of pupillages, according to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) report
A recent Home Office tweet about ‘activist lawyers’ sparked fury in the legal profession, followed by a confused row-back by government officials
Tech London Advocates (TLA) and the Law Society have released regulatory guidance on blockchain, smart contracts, cryptoassets and other distributed ledger technology
Firm makes key changes
Solicitors who are holding monies belonging to a client that is subject to financial sanctions have until 16 October to submit a report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)
Law firms need to be extra vigilant to the risk of cybercrime in the time of COVID-19, regulators have warned
MPs are holding an inquiry into the future of legal aid, in light of difficulties getting legal aid assistance in some areas as well as lawyers’ concerns about fees, reduced work during the COVID-19 outbreak and other pressures
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams
Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant
Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias
International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner
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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