header-logo header-logo

04 April 2025
Issue: 8111 / Categories: Legal News , Consumer , Commercial , Financial services litigation
printer mail-detail

NLJ this week: What’s driving the FirstRand case?

214558
The Johnson v FirstRand Bank case on ‘secret’ commissions for motor finance is causing quite a stir, but should it have been brought at all? In this week’s NLJ, Fred Philpott, Gough Square Chambers, writes: ‘The whole premise of the case is false; there were no real “commissions”, let alone fiduciary relationships.’

Philpott takes the case apart, much as a mechanic might do. He believes the real driver in this case is the claims management industry. Litigators, banks and financiers will be watching the Supreme Court, which began hearing the high-stakes case this week. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
back-to-top-scroll