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17 October 2025 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 8135 / Categories: Opinion , Profession , Regulatory , Legal services , Tax , Costs , Disclosure
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The insider: 17 October 2025

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Dominic Regan crowns his case of the year with a cut-out-and-keep guide, plus highlights some bumper judgments to read as the nights draw in

Like it or not, the case of the year for civil practitioners is without a doubt Mazur and another v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB). Oh, the irony of it all. A High Court decision that has caused mass hysteria was provoked by a dispute over an unpaid bill rendered by a firm of solicitors to clients who are qualified but non-practising solicitors. The solicitors instructed another firm of solicitors to recover the alleged debt.

I set out below the exquisite summary of the three key aspects of the judgment delivered by Mr Justice Sheldon. It was written by Juliet Oliver, managing director of Stratify, and I am so grateful for her permission to reproduce it. Commentaries are everywhere, including in this fine journal. I am stepping back for now, but will flag up the view of my great

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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