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15 November 2018 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7817 / Categories: Features
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Law on the silver screen

John Cooper QC on legal films & the magical ingredients which mean they will always be top of the bill

The British Film Institute’s London Film Festival completed its presentation of films from 75 countries last month, movies which will be hitting our cinemas over the next year and representing many of the important issues facing us in the times ahead. In this respect, it has been a fascinating exercise to consider the films within the Festival which deal with legal themes to try to work out what it is that inspires this year’s crop of movie makers when it comes to the law.

Jeopardy required

Legal themes have always been highly bankable at the box office, and film makers realised from the very early days of celluloid storytelling that movie goers cannot get enough of the genre. Without doubt, that is because all the elements which make up a good story are inherent within the legal process. As new writers, we are always taught that central to any compelling script or story is

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Signature Litigation—Catherine Naylor

Signature Litigation—Catherine Naylor

International fraud and asset recovery offering boosted by partner hire

Stevens & Bolton—Alexa Payet

Stevens & Bolton—Alexa Payet

Private wealth disputes team adds contentious probate specialist

Morgan Lewis—Paul Feldberg

Morgan Lewis—Paul Feldberg

Firm strengthens investigations and sanctions capabilities with London partner hire

NEWS
Cheshire West, which established an ‘acid test’ for deprivation of liberty safeguards, has been overturned by the Supreme Court
The Chancery Division and other segments of the High Court are to be replaced by a new Business and Property Division (BPD), in a major civil justice shakeup
Law firms that hold client money will need to file annual accountants’ reports and make a declaration, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirmed this week
Two district judges and a tribunal judge have been sanctioned for delays in delivering judgments and orders
Private equity (PE) investment into UK law firms halved to £250m last year, but deal volume rose, according to research by Acquira Professional Services’ Momentum private equity market tracker
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