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Legal squeeze

30 March 2022
Issue: 7973 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
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Nine out of ten law firms are facing pressure from clients to reduce costs and use different billing arrangements, according to a survey of 200 partners by litigation funder, Harbour

Moreover, clients are taking nearly twice as long to pay bills than the same time in 2020, with the average rising from 23 to 39 days (51 days for firms working in property, construction and environmental law).

Some 40% intend to lower overheads in response while 37% are investing in legal technology. Firms intend to make more use of conditional fee arrangements and litigation finance in the next 12-18 months.

Ellora MacPherson, Chief Investment Officer at Harbour, said: ‘This survey shows that all but the very largest law firms have been grappling with downward cost pressures, enduring in many cases beyond the pandemic.’

Issue: 7973 / Categories: Legal News , Profession
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NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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