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06 February 2026
Categories: Legal News , Crypto , Criminal , Technology , Cybercrime , Fraud
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NLJ this week: Victims chase crypto through the courts

241909
A £5bn Bitcoin haul has thrown victims’ rights into sharp focus. In this week's NLJ, Gary Pons, Sarah Wood and Barnaby Hone of 5 St Andrew’s Hill examine how UK law tackles cryptoassets under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

The Zhang case, involving 61,000 Bitcoin linked to a massive investment fraud, highlights both the ease with which crypto can be moved anonymously and the legal complexity of getting it back.

Victims may intervene in confiscation, civil recovery or magistrates’ court forfeiture proceedings—each with different burdens and remedies. ‘What is the best forum for a victim to try to recover any stolen funds that can be traced into crypto?’ the authors ask. Their answer is pragmatic: early engagement with law enforcement and expert tracing can be faster and cheaper than traditional routes. The courts now face the challenge of turning digital traces into real-world justice.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

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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