THIS ISSUE
David Greene salutes Walter Merricks CBE’s recent class action success in the Supreme Court & puts the case for a wider collective process for redress
Revisions & variations: Adam Grant outlines how to adjust your approved costs budget
Edward Peters & Julia Petrenko examine the Supreme Court’s warning to landlords who find themselves caught between leaseholders
The impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown was not a strong enough excuse to justify missing a deadline on costs, a judge has held
Nobody should go to court unless absolutely necessary, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett has said
The founder of the Black Solicitors Network (BSN) was among the lawyers celebrating gongs in the New Year Honours List
Law firms have until 10 January to check if tax advice work they carry out falls within a new definition for money-laundering purposes, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned
Michael Zander on the final rushed stages
Costs lawyers have weathered the COVID-19 crisis well, with more than a third reporting they are busier than ever
Can the law play a role in overcoming hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine? Sarah Moore, partner at Hausfeld, explores the possibilities for NLJ this week
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson
Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme
Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton
Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team
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
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
