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23 March 2007 / Paul Clarke
Issue: 7265 / Categories: Features , Public , Legal services
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The end of God

Lawyers are maximising the opportunities presented by climate change, says Paul Clarke

Genesis tells us that God, having witnessed how evil man had become, determined to end all life on earth. The deluge that followed flooded the world. But Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his people, and was spared.

For centuries, lawyers have spoken of ‘acts of God’, which take many forms but He usually shows His presence in uncontrollable natural events, such as earthquake, fire or flood. Today, our planet faces a new threat, which resembles God’s handiwork. Climate change, however, bears the stamp of man.

It is the great issue of our time and it is changing the way we live our lives. Lawyers are clamouring to make the most of the opportunities presented by climate change.

Safety in numbers

No discussion of the future of climate change litigation would be complete without reference to multi-party litigation. Class actions are commonplace in the US and have levelled the playing field between business and individuals. A number of reasons

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Jonathan Askin

Hugh James—Jonathan Askin

London corporate and commercial team announces partner appointment

Michelman Robinson—Daniel Burbeary

Michelman Robinson—Daniel Burbeary

Firm names partner as London office managing partner

Kingsley Napley—Jonathan Grimes

Kingsley Napley—Jonathan Grimes

Firm appoints new head of criminal litigation team

NEWS
Personal injury lawyers have welcomed a government U-turn on a ‘substantial prejudice’ defence that risked enabling defendants in child sexual abuse civil cases to have proceedings against them dropped
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
From cat fouling to Part 36 brinkmanship, the latest 'Civil way' round-up is a reminder that procedural skirmishes can have sharp teeth. NLJ columnist Stephen Gold ranges across recent decisions with his customary wit
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