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And the loser is…

09 May 2014 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7605 / Categories: Features
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 Dominic Regan celebrates a list of legal losers

 

News of the 2014 Halsbury Legal Awards got me thinking. For every winner, anywhere, there is always in the shadows a string of losers. We should celebrate them.

This already happens in the film industry where each year the raspberry (or Razzie) awards are handed out. Adam Sandler set a new record for Jack and Jill. He portrayed twins and was simultaneously nominated for both worst male and female leads.

The law reports are full of unfortunate losers. Mr Lilley recently sued for a cool billion pounds damages but did not quite hit his target, being told that quantum was actually £83 (Lilley v DMG Events Ltd [2014] EWHC 610 (IPEC), [2014] All ER (D) 123 (Mar)).

Big names in big trouble

A resilient claimant, Mrs Ferguson, took on the might of British Gas. The company had bombarded her with threatening letters generated by their claims software. The poor woman launched an action for harassment under the 1997 Act. The novel defence advanced

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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