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12 May 2023
Issue: 8024 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Regulatory
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NLJ this week: The grey area of 'conducting litigation'

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What exactly are reserved legal activities (RLAs), and what is meant by ‘conducting litigation’? It’s an area of the law rife with uncertainties, as shown by the recent case of Baxter v Doble

Writing in this week’s NLJ, Iain Miller, partner, and Charlotte Judd, senior associate, Kingsley Napley, point out that ‘this case and previous authorities have demonstrated that the framework of RLAs under Legal Services Act 2007 is full of grey areas as to when a practitioner does and does not fall on the right side of the line, with potentially very serious repercussions if one gets this wrong’.

Miller and Judd draw out some of the main elements at play when weighing up whether or not litigation is being conducted. In Baxter v Doble, the judge held Mrs Doble and her company were conducting litigation but did not know they were and could not have been reasonably expected to know they were doing so.

Miller and Judd write: ‘The confusing state of the law was a key feature in this conclusion being reached.’ 

Read more on reserved legal activities here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Anita Rasaratnam

Clarke Willmott—Anita Rasaratnam

Clarke Willmott strengthens social housing development offering with senior London appointment

Trowers & Hamlins—David Meecham

Trowers & Hamlins—David Meecham

Trowers strengthens Birmingham real estate team with partner hire

Blake Morgan—Jennifer Ray & Louise Culleton

Blake Morgan—Jennifer Ray & Louise Culleton

Blake Morgan expands private client and regulatory teams with new legal directors

NEWS
A mood of cautious optimism has enveloped the criminal law sector following indications the Prime Minister may abandon planned jury reforms
Helping to source the services and providers you need
The Senior Courts Costs Office has clarified that judges conducting detailed assessment proceedings cannot order security for costs—a ruling that may leave successful parties exposed to further litigation expense
Rejecting a generous settlement can prove an expensive mistake, as two recent high-profile cases demonstrate
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) continues to show that failing to disclose regulatory issues can attract harsher consequences than the original misconduct itself
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