As we entered 2020, the big issue facing the country was Brexit. Parliamentary deadlock had been broken with the election of the Johnson government in December 2020, and all eyes were on the negotiations; the risks of a ‘hard Brexit’ were high on the agenda for businesses and lawyers alike, with concerns that London’s place as a world-leading dispute resolution centre might be at risk. Then the pandemic hit, and in March 2020 the first lockdown took effect.
Pandemic problems
The impact was immediate. On the procedural side, the court and arbitral institutions responded to ensure that business continued, and lawyers adapted and learned to deal with virtual hearings and virtual mediations in no time at all. Electronic bundles became de rigeur and, by necessity, greener modes of doing business were embraced by litigators, the courts
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