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05 February 2009 / Simon Taylor , Andrew Mitchell KC
Issue: 7355 / Categories: Features , Commercial
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The fraud litigation spiral

An economy in decline means increased fraud detection say Andrew Mitchell QC & Simon Taylor

In our current dire economic circumstances, the usual diet of commercial lawyers—high levels of transactional work, property deals, mergers and acquisitions—are seeing a downturn in the level and quality of the work undertaken. Equally, because of the strained finances of clients, fee levels tend to be lower than at other times.

There is, however, one area of the law where practitioners tend to experience work levels that are counter-cyclical. In fraud and asset recovery litigation, the experience is that work levels rise during periods of economic downturn. The reasons for this are largely self-explanatory: as business or individuals “go to the wall” or approach that point, attention necessarily is focussed on the reason for the failure. Creditors, and others having an interest in a business or an individual, will wish to know the reasons why it is that they cannot or may not be able to recover their money.

This interest is all the more

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
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