THIS ISSUE
‘Cross-class cram downs’ are changing―limited liability partnerships can now have them too, NLJ columnist Stephen Gold explains in this week’s Civil Way.
The ‘plethora of statutory instruments’ surrounding the COVID-19 restrictions are ‘so complex that they are barely understandable by lawyers’, barristers Charles Auld and Dr Kate Harrington write in NLJ this week.
In a new column, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan shares his insights and predictions for litigators in and out of court in the weeks and months ahead.
Institute to offer solicitor-equivalent qualification for a third of the price
Mark Pawlowski looks at some strange & intriguing wills that have been the subject of judicial scrutiny
When the cab rank rule is no longer a defence: Matthew Happold on considerations when accepting instructions overseas
Khawar Qureshi QC provides an overview of the key public international law cases before the English courts in 2020
Facelift for N244; Cross-class cram down news; The knowing waive; Win for QBD Guide; Flexible tenancy appeal; Staying with possession
Neil Parpworth reports on the necessity test for an arrest
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye
Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner
Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw
Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team
Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield
Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire
NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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