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23 October 2014 / Nick Rowles-Davies
Issue: 7627 / Categories: Features , Profession
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An unexplored arena: Pt 1

In the first article of a two-part series, Nick Rowles-Davies highlights the need for education surrounding litigation funding

Litigation funding is an effective tool that assists in bringing valid claims to court which otherwise may not have seen the light of day. To those seeking justice and with a meritorious case, it is often a lifeline.

After taking careful steps for a number of years in the UK, litigation funding is growing and being used more openly by law firms. Not only does litigation finance aid claimants, it also helps lawyers who, with a funded case, know they can see an action through to the end.

But there is still an issue around the lack of wider education of litigation funding—also known as third party litigation funding—in some corners of the legal world.

There are many law firms and litigators who have a good understanding of funding and what it can do for their clients, cases and indeed the law firm itself. There are others who have unfounded reservations about using the mechanism,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

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
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
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’ 
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