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22 February 2018 / Richard Harrison
Issue: 7782 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Hamilton for lawyers #2

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Richard Harrison returns with Ten DR Commandments inspired by the 2018 Olivier award winner Hamilton

Previously in this journal I wrote an article inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s celebrated musical Hamilton. It looked at the legal career of Alexander Hamilton and some of the lessons, including mediation skills, to be learned from the negotiation of the 1790 Compromise which led to Washington DC becoming the US capital.

One of the main, and tragic, themes of the show is the culture and consequences of the duelling code prevalent in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Litigation is nowadays one of the main substitutes for the duel and the elaborate code of challenge, compromise and mediation is now used to deal with legal problems. As is made clear in the song ‘Ten Duel Commandments’: ‘ Most disputes die and no one shoots ’.

And given that the song is highly catchy, I had a think about it in the context of ‘Ten DR (dispute resolution) Commandments’.

The first step in any dispute resolution procedure is to identify

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Jean-François Le Gal

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Jean-François Le Gal

Penningtons Manches Cooper strengthens international disputes team with appointment of leading arbitration partner

Shakespeare Martineau—Aaron Sanders & Kate Saunders

Shakespeare Martineau—Aaron Sanders & Kate Saunders

Shakespeare Martineau strengthens trust and estates disputes team with new appointments

Bellevue Law—Shannon Moore

Bellevue Law—Shannon Moore

Bellevue Law strengthens employment disputes and international advisory capability with senior associate appointment

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A divorced woman has secured funding to participate in her former husband’s inquest after the Legal Aid Agency reconsidered repeated refusals
The Thirlwall Inquiry has exposed a ‘complete failure’ to protect babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, but its recommendations must now be put into practice
More than 500 former rugby players can pursue brain injury claims despite serious failures to disclose documents ordered by the High Court
When does a solicitor’s retainer become a contentious business agreement? The Court of Appeal’s decision in Broadfield Law UK LLP v Barnes shows that listing hourly rates alone will not do, leaving firms and clients uncertain about their rights over bills
Developers in areas with poorly performing councils can apply directly to the Planning Inspectorate for permission under section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
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