Civil

company law

Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) – under which companies are offered a chance to ‘self-report’ - could be introduced to help tackle economic crime.  The Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Office have published a joint consultation paper on the proposal, ‘Deferred Prosecution Agreements’. Interested parties must submit their responses by 9 August 2012.

Melissa Coutinho, co-Chair of the Employed Bar, reports back to Counsel from the 2012 conference.   

A gloriously and unseasonably hot March 21st this year, saw barristers hurrying across Lincoln’s Inn Fields with envious backward glances at those sunbathing and enjoying an al fresco lunch seemingly without a care in the world. They were heading towards the Employed Bar’s Annual Conference. This year’s theme was “A week in the life of an Employed Barrister,” which was chosen to demonstrate that there is no typical week for such a soul. It focused on the breadth of work and variety of working arrangements that employed barristers enjoy, within the parameters permitted by our Code of Conduct. 

civil litigation

One of the first cases to be dealt with under the Defamation Proceedings Costs Management Scheme, under which costs budgets are prepared in advance and adhered to, has ended with the successful claimant facing costs of up to £300,000.

Lucy Perman explains the work of theatre company Clean Break. 

Clean Break uses theatre to change the lives of women offenders. We were founded 33 years ago by two women in prison at HMP Askham Grange in Yorkshire and today we have grown to become a critically acclaimed theatre company, commissioning and producing plays by some of the UK’s best female playwrights on the theme of women, crime and justice; and providing high-quality theatre-based courses, qualifications, training opportunities and specialist support which are critical for the rehabilitation of women offenders. 

Job title
Barrister, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square specialises in providing legal advice and advocacy in public, planning and commercial law. With 56 barristers, chambers handles cases at all levels of expertise and complexity for a range of clients.

Civil Litigation

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has published its much-anticipated Code of Conduct for Litigation Funders and the Rules of the Association for the Association of Litigation Funders in England and Wales. The Rules require every member of the Association of Litigation Funders for England and Wales to abide by the Code to the extent that it applies to them.

International

A team of Bar Council delegates has visited China to promote the merits of the English and Welsh barrister.

Civil Litigation

Michael Todd QC, Chairman-elect of the Bar Council, is to set up a working group in the New Year to draw up proposals to modernise civil litigation.

Profession

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has predicted a rise in the number of litigants in person and set out a series of steps to tackle the challenges this will present.

Matthew Amey looks at the removal of recoverability of success fees and ATE insurance premiums, and the impact this will have on commercial litigation counsel

Losing recoverability means losing control. Over the past decade, not all barristers have  embraced the idea of sharing risk with their clients through conditional fee arrangements (‘CFAs’). Indeed, some  felt that it adversely affected their independence when providing advice to the client, particularly with regard to settlement offers.