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NLJ this week: Litigation funding case law post-PACCAR

23 February 2024
Issue: 8060 / Categories: Legal News , Litigation funding , Costs , Profession
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The seismic PACCAR judgment gave rise to considerable debate, not least its potential to stifle funding for important litigation such as the Post Office Horizon case

In fact, the government has since indicated it will bring in legislation to reverse PACCAR’s effect. In this week’s NLJ, Joseph Evans, senior associate, and Simon Heatley, knowledge lead, at Charles Russell Speechlys, look at recent litigation funding cases decided in the wake of PACCAR and consider what may happen next.

The case, which arose from a truck manufacturing dispute, was financed by a litigation funding agreement held by the Supreme Court to be a non-compliant damages-based agreement and therefore unenforceable. The decision looked likely to stifle a wide range of cases brought on the basis of litigation funded agreements.

Evans and Heatley take a close look at the decision and its practical implications. They identify limitations and potential gaps in the decision, which may allow litigation funders a way through.

The authors write: ‘Now the dust has started to settle, we are beginning to see judicial challenges arising under PACCAR, with litigants seeking to establish that existing litigation funding agreements fall within the ambit of PACCAR as non-compliant damages-based agreements with mixed success.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gilson Gray—Linda Pope

Gilson Gray—Linda Pope

Partner joins family law team inLondon

Jackson Lees Group—five promotions

Jackson Lees Group—five promotions

Private client division announces five new partners

Taylor Wessing—Max Millington

Taylor Wessing—Max Millington

Banking and finance team welcomes partner in London

NEWS
The landmark Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd—along with Rukhadze v Recovery Partners—redefine fiduciary duties in commercial fraud. Writing in NLJ this week, Mary Young of Kingsley Napley analyses the implications of the rulings
Barristers Ben Keith of 5 St Andrew’s Hill and Rhys Davies of Temple Garden Chambers use the arrest of Simon Leviev—the so-called Tinder Swindler—to explore the realities of Interpol red notices, in this week's NLJ
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] has upended assumptions about who may conduct litigation, warn Kevin Latham and Fraser Barnstaple of Kings Chambers in this week's NLJ. But is it as catastrophic as first feared?
Lord Sales has been appointed to become the Deputy President of the Supreme Court after Lord Hodge retires at the end of the year
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are reportedly in the firing line in Chancellor Rachel Reeves upcoming Autumn budget
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