THIS ISSUE
As members prepare for an expected spike in litigation, LSLA president Chris Bushell (pictured) is determined to ensure that mental health and diversity and inclusion remain key priorities for London’s litigators
A survey of 550 general counsel and business leaders by law firm Hogan Lovells, ‘Litigation Landscape: How to prevail when technology fails’, has found businesses frequently leave themselves exposed to potential lawsuits and fines when investing in technology
In its January 2021 budget recommendations to the Treasury this week, the Bar Council has called for an extra £55m to improve the ‘dirty and unsafe’ conditions in courts, an extra 42 Nightingale Courts on top of the 18 currently operating, non-means-tested legal aid for domestic abuse victims and early access to legal advice for welfare and benefits issues, both of which have increased during the pandemic
The chief inspectors for prisons, police, probation and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have expressed ‘grave concerns’ about the long-term impact of court backlogs
A landmark Court of Appeal decision has paved the way for the use of damages based agreements (DBAs), where the lawyer is paid a share of the client’s award, and hybrid DBAs
Solicitors have won the right to have civil legal aid bills assessed by specialist judges, following legal action brought by the Law Society
The Law Society has proposed a two-week ‘pause’ of non-custodial Crown and magistrates’ court work, amid rising fears about the new Coronavirus variant
Lawyers have hailed a Supreme Court judgment on COVID-19 insurance cover, which could save thousands of jobs
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has stayed proceedings against a Magic Circle partner involved in a settlement 22 years ago between the former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and one of his victims
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch
Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice
Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr
Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team
Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown
Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team
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
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
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
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
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