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NLJ this week: Courts in command—UK dispute resolution leads through crisis

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John McElroy of Fieldfisher reports on a London International Disputes Week panel where senior judges showcased how the Business and Property Courts are adapting to global instability, in this week’s NLJ

Mr Justice Foxton, Mr Justice Green and Mr Justice Waksman highlighted reforms in disclosure, hybrid hearings, and AI-assisted litigation. The courts’ agility, transparency and international appeal were praised, with cases like Aercap v AIG ($4.5bn) and cross-border insolvencies cited as proof of their global relevance.

McElroy notes that while AI tools are improving efficiency, judges urged caution to ensure access remains equitable. The panel also proposed reforms: faster trials for simpler cases, stronger settlement incentives, and specialist disclosure judges.

With a tech-enabled infrastructure and a reform-minded judiciary, McElroy argues the UK courts are not just weathering global risks—they’re setting the standard for modern dispute resolution.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Myers & Co—Jen Goodwin

Myers & Co—Jen Goodwin

Head of corporate promoted to director

Boies Schiller Flexner—Lindsay Reimschussel

Boies Schiller Flexner—Lindsay Reimschussel

Firm strengthens international arbitration team with key London hire

Corker Binning—Priya Dave

Corker Binning—Priya Dave

FCA contentious financial regulation lawyer joins the team as of counsel

NEWS
Social media giants should face tortious liability for the psychological harms their platforms inflict, argues Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers in this week’s NLJ
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024—once heralded as a breakthrough—has instead plunged leaseholders into confusion, warns Shabnam Ali-Khan of Russell-Cooke in this week’s NLJ
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has now confirmed that offering a disabled employee a trial period in an alternative role can itself be a 'reasonable adjustment' under the Equality Act 2010: in this week's NLJ, Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve analyses the evolving case law
Caroline Shea KC and Richard Miller of Falcon Chambers examine the growing judicial focus on 'cynical breach' in restrictive covenant cases, in this week's issue of NLJ
Ian Gascoigne of LexisNexis dissects the uneasy balance between open justice and confidentiality in England’s civil courts, in this week's NLJ. From public hearings to super-injunctions, he identifies five tiers of privacy—from fully open proceedings to entirely secret ones—showing how a patchwork of exceptions has evolved without clear design
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