header-logo header-logo

24 July 2008
Issue: 7331 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
printer mail-detail

Downturn spells upturn for international litigation

Legal news update

International litigation will boom during the credit crunch, an expert in competition law claims.

Professor Alan Riley of The City Law School, London says that flawed business models which may look fine in climbing markets are exposed in harsher economic times, and as a result “all sides head to the courts or arbitrators”.

“As the credit crunch bites all the chickens will come home to roost,” he says. Pointing to examples of cases such as Enron, Parmalat and Vitamins, Riley says young lawyers need to be equipped with relevant, up to date and industry- focused training. To this end, the City Law School has launched a new LLM in international dispute resolution, a course which it says will kit out students with the skills necessary to work in high-level international litigation, with modules including international antitrust legislation, international arbitration and project finance. Riley says: “The City Law School is strongly focused on international commercial law and as such we must respond to global economic developments. Our international litigation courses will provide our students with a rounded view of theory and practice, enabling them to work on the complex cases which are sure to arise over the next year
or so.”

The school has also created 15 new places on its international commercial law LLM programme in response to student demand.

Issue: 7331 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Forbes Solicitors—Stephen Barnfield

Regulatory team boosted by partner hire amid rising health and safety demand

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Arc Pensions Law—Kris Weber

Legal director promoted to partner at specialist pensions firm

Clarke Willmott—Jonathan Cree

Clarke Willmott—Jonathan Cree

Residential development capability expands with partner hire in Birmingham

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
back-to-top-scroll