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05 June 2026
Issue: 8164 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Profession , Fees , Dispute resolution , Consumer
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NLJ this week: Victorian billings face the chop

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The civil justice landscape could be heading for a shake-up, with reform of the Solicitors Act 1974 gathering pace

Writing in NLJ this week, columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School argues the legislation is a 'ghastly piece of work', noting that disputes over relatively modest legal bills continue to consume disproportionate court resources.

He highlights proposals to divert challenges worth up to £50,000 to the Legal Ombudsman, while larger disputes could be channelled into mandatory ADR. He welcomes what he sees as overdue modernisation of a regime that 'substantially codified decisions from the reign of Queen Victoria'.

Regan also points to growing scrutiny of claims management companies, warning that aggressive marketing and opaque fees have placed the sector 'in jeopardy'.

Alongside judicial appointments and employment law recruitment pressures, he predicts 'radical reform ahead' for several corners of the legal system.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

NEWS
Pro bono is celebrating a silver anniversary, with initiatives putting businesses and students at the heart of access to justice
Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Police powers targeting concealed identities at protests come with procedural conditions that could determine whether prosecutions succeed
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