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17 December 2021 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7961 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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The insider: 17 December 2021

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Feeling starstruck? Dominic Regan sizes up the Master of the Rolls & takes shelter from recent grenades tossed into the world of costs management

I am not easily impressed. Many famous people have met me over the years. Wayne Rooney did make an impression at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, where he stood on my tender foot without apology. Fortunately, Christina Lambert QC (as was) was in the foyer and came over to say hello, which was lovely of her.

Last month I spent 45 minutes in the presence of our Master of the Rolls (MR), Sir Geoffrey Vos, who had come to deliver the keynote speech at the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) Conference, a sell-out live event. We had a chat beforehand, and I was smitten. Modest, charming, and with a clear agenda for reform.

He thinks we have far too many rules. His beloved White Book, which he still uses to this day, was the 1999 edition. It was the last one to set out the Rules

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

Commercial property and child law teams expand with senior hires

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Set expands London and Singapore offering with senior international disputes hires

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Firm strengthens real estate and litigation teams with partner promotions

NEWS
Uber has built a formidable strategy for insulating itself from liability for drivers’ conduct, but the legal terrain differs sharply between the US and England and Wales
The Civil Justice Council’s review of Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974 could mark the end of what one commentator calls an ‘outdated’ and overly technical regime governing solicitor-client fee disputes
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 marks a constitutional watershed by severing the centuries-old link between hereditary titles and automatic membership of the upper chamber
Artificial intelligence, proportionality and public decision-making are under increasing judicial scrutiny, according to the latest public law round-up from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Families relying on informal agreements over property ownership could face costly consequences if disputes arise, the High Court has warned
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