The clean-up crew – The rise of the in-house litigator

The clean-up crew – The rise of the in-house litigator

It is a complex world. Globalisation, increasingly interconnected economies, decades of tougher regulation and, yes, frenetic levels of law making across the world mean that getting business right is harder than ever and not all the proliferating risks can be managed.

All perfect conditions for litigators, which is why much of the post-banking crisis boom in legal services has been driven by demand for contentious law, rather than the transactional work that used to underwrite the high-end legal market. Continue reading “The clean-up crew – The rise of the in-house litigator”

HFW ramps up litigation prospects with £25m funding deal and analytics partnership

HFW ramps up litigation prospects with £25m funding deal and analytics partnership

HFW has scored a litigation ‘win-win’ after adding both a £25m litigation funding deal and a litigation analytics partnership to its practice.

The firm announced today it was partnering with both litigation start-up Solomonic, which launched commercially at the start of the year and uses court data for predictions and case research, and with litigation funder Augusta Ventures. Continue reading “HFW ramps up litigation prospects with £25m funding deal and analytics partnership”

Prohibitively expensive: Pinsent lands £25m litigation funding deal

Prohibitively expensive: Pinsent lands £25m litigation funding deal

Pinsent Masons has secured a £25m preferred-supplier deal with litigation funder August Ventures to offer ‘non-recourse’ funding at better terms than would normally be available.

Clients will have access to a dedicated facility at preferred rates and a fast-tracked due diligence process, while Augusta will also refer some clients to Pinsents. Continue reading “Prohibitively expensive: Pinsent lands £25m litigation funding deal”

Government ushers in emergency pay boost for judges amid mounting staff shortages

Government ushers in emergency pay boost for judges amid mounting staff shortages

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has ushered in an emergency boost to senior judges’ remuneration as an unprecedented recruitment crisis continues to grip the Bench. The move, announced on Wednesday (5 June), is in response to a review by the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) and will see High Court judges handed a 25% annual bonus and circuit and upper tribunal judges a 15% raise.

As part of a two-year temporary ‘bonus’, High Court judges will receive £47,225 on top of their £188,901 yearly pay in addition to a 2% pay rise. Circuit and upper tribunal judges will be paid £21,043 in addition to a £140,289 salary. Continue reading “Government ushers in emergency pay boost for judges amid mounting staff shortages”

Gender diversity debate: Quantum of equality

Gender diversity debate: Quantum of equality

Alex Novarese, Legal Business: Tracey, shall we talk about the background of the All Rise project?

Tracey Dovaston, Barclays: We realised we had an opportunity as part of Barclays’ panel process to make some of our expectations on diversity measurable. We set out the expectations of our panel firms, which include that diverse teams work on Barclays matters. We encourage panel firms to recommend diverse teams at the tender stage and that those teams then work on the matter. We want to be introduced to people other than those we have been working with for many years. Continue reading “Gender diversity debate: Quantum of equality”

Market Report: IP Disputes – Strong and stable

Market Report: IP Disputes – Strong and stable

Despite Brexit uncertainty with the launch of Europe’s central patent court, Dominic Carman finds plenty for IP litigators to get their teeth into

Case volumes in intellectual property (IP) remain, to borrow a phrase, strong and stable. ‘We’ve not seen much variation in terms of the number of cases in front of the UK Patents Court,’ says Gareth Morgan, IP partner at CMS UK. ‘We monitor claim forms on a monthly basis: typically, there are between 100 and 125 cases issued every year in the Patents Court, of which somewhere between ten and 20 go to trial.’ Continue reading “Market Report: IP Disputes – Strong and stable”

Bar Council seeks further PC fee hike as new figures uncover the millionaire barristers

In a move unlikely to inspire mirth from Middle Temple, the Bar Council is seeking to establish new top-tier pay grades for the practising certificate fee (PCF).

As set out in a recent consultation, the Bar Council wants to introduce two new payment bands: Band 7 and Band 8, for high-earning barristers. Continue reading “Bar Council seeks further PC fee hike as new figures uncover the millionaire barristers”

The one true law – in conversation with Lord Neuberger

The one true law – in conversation with Lord Neuberger

Richard Lissack QC: David, why a career in the law?

Lord Neuberger: It was after cancelling out other possibilities. I was a scientist at university – a chemist. I was influenced by my father, a successful scientist. I quickly proved to be an unsuccessful scientist. I went to career advisers. They said do law or go into the City. In those days the City involved no exams and law did, so I went into the City. Continue reading “The one true law – in conversation with Lord Neuberger”

Ireland: A case to make

Ireland: A case to make

Centuries of imperiousness towards the Irish could be one of England’s greatest historical mistakes, and when Legal Business set about asking Irish independents whether Dublin is a viable alternative to London for disputes work following Brexit, it felt as though this underestimation was very much alive today. However, the Irish legal elite remains defiant in the face of any English condescension.

‘Absolutely it’s viable,’ says Dillon Eustace’s managing partner Mark Thorne when asked if the Irish Bar’s initiative to promote Dublin as a global disputes centre was realistic. ‘You’re asking if the big independent firms have the talent to achieve that, and the answer is yes, absolutely.’ Continue reading “Ireland: A case to make”

Boutiques: Highly evolved

Boutiques: Highly evolved

With the disputes market evolving and clients becoming more discerning, it has been a phenomenal ten years for boutique law firms focused on litigation. The pressure on generalist, mid-market dispute teams has played towards this dynamic, leaving true contentious specialists increasingly going head-to-head with the traditional London elite.

A glance at the financial results of some of the main litigation specialists – Stewarts, Signature Litigation and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan – shows dramatic increases in revenue amid a string of major cases. Continue reading “Boutiques: Highly evolved”