header-logo header-logo

22 July 2020 / Grania Langdon-Down
Issue: 7896 / Categories: Features , Profession , Covid-19
printer mail-detail

Litigating through lockdown

24674
How did the commercial litigation world cope when it had to go digital almost overnight? Grania Langdon-Down reports

Four months after the country was told to work from home, commercial litigators are starting to return to offices and court.

‘We all just want the lockdown restrictions to end but getting back to the office is going to be complex and slow—but isolating isn’t good for the soul,’ says senior litigator and NLJ consultant editor David Greene. He warns the stress caused by the pandemic and its fall out must be addressed as firms and chambers look for a path out of the crisis.

But Greene, senior partner at Edwin Coe, and fellow litigators across the legal community say there have also been some very positive lessons from the lockdown which they hope will lead to lasting change, including an improved work/life balance.

So how did the commercial litigation world cope when it had to go digital almost overnight?

Essential service

As COVID-19 tightened its grip on the UK, the government made

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Walkers—Muriel Marseille

Walkers—Muriel Marseille

Ashurst's Chief Risk Officer joins Walkers

Excello Law—John Osborne

Excello Law—John Osborne

Northern family lawyer John Osborne joins Excello

mfg Solicitors—Rebecca Rogers, Kennedy Langley & Victoria Griffiths

mfg Solicitors—Rebecca Rogers, Kennedy Langley & Victoria Griffiths

Trio of promotions announced at Kidderminster law firm mfg Solicitors

NEWS
A sole director can conspire with their own company for the purposes of the tort of unlawful means conspiracy, the High Court has ruled in a judgment with potentially wide implications for business disputes
The Court of Appeal has reinforced that domicile depends on intention rather than residence alone, in a significant post-Brexit ruling on cross-border financial remedy claims
The Chancery Division's long history comes to an end this autumn as it is reborn as the Business and Property Division, prompting questions over whether the shake-up is really necessary
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) continues to show that failing to disclose regulatory issues can attract harsher consequences than the original misconduct itself
Rejecting a generous settlement can prove an expensive mistake, as two recent high-profile cases demonstrate
back-to-top-scroll