THIS ISSUE
Litigation funding is on the rise, providing financing solutions to increasing numbers of claimants
Firm appoints new partner
Firm promotes two to partner
COVID-19 is affecting the supply of pupillages, according to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) report
A recent Home Office tweet about ‘activist lawyers’ sparked fury in the legal profession, followed by a confused row-back by government officials
Tech London Advocates (TLA) and the Law Society have released regulatory guidance on blockchain, smart contracts, cryptoassets and other distributed ledger technology
Firm makes key changes
Solicitors who are holding monies belonging to a client that is subject to financial sanctions have until 16 October to submit a report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)
Law firms need to be extra vigilant to the risk of cybercrime in the time of COVID-19, regulators have warned
MPs are holding an inquiry into the future of legal aid, in light of difficulties getting legal aid assistance in some areas as well as lawyers’ concerns about fees, reduced work during the COVID-19 outbreak and other pressures
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Brabners—Ben Lamb
Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner
NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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