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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

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Trowers & Hamlins—Rahul Sagar

Banking and finance practice bolstered by partner hire

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

mfg Solicitors—Ian Sheppard

Commercial litigation team welcomes senior associate in Birmingham

Birketts—Nathan Evans

Birketts—Nathan Evans

Commercial and technology team in Cambridge strengthened by partner hire

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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