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17 May 2013 / David Greene
Issue: 7560 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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Litigation hotspots

David Greene predicts where the main areas of dispute will arise as a result of the civil litigation shake up

1 April has come and gone. We now live in the partial light of the Jackson World. Of course, the changes invoked by his proposals are but a small part of what happened on 1 April and since. No doubt of equal or greater importance have been the cut in the scope of legal aid and the cuts in recoverable fees for road traffic accident (RTA) claims. Clearly in both the cuts in scope and the Jackson changes, the access that claimants have to the justice process has been cut substantially.

A waiting game
It is, of course, only a partial light because everyone on the claimants’ side was busily signing up conditional fee agreements (CFAs) and after the event (ATE) insurance policies until the last minute (we received a notice of a CFA at 11.59pm on 31 March). Whether they did what they needed to secure recovery will play out in the coming years.

It

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

Jackson Lees Group—Jannina Barker, Laura Beattie & Catherine McCrindle

Firm promotes senior associate and team leader as wills, trusts and probate team expands

Asserson—Michael Francos-Downs

Asserson—Michael Francos-Downs

Manchester real estate finance practice welcomes legal director

McCarthy Denning—Harvey Knight & Martin Sandler

McCarthy Denning—Harvey Knight & Martin Sandler

Financial services and regulatory offering boosted by partner hires

NEWS
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
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
Digital loot may feel like property, but civil law is not always convinced. In NLJ this week, Paul Schwartfeger of 36 Stone and Nadia Latti of CMS examine fraud involving platform-controlled digital assets, from ‘account takeover and asset stripping’ to ‘value laundering’
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