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08 September 2023
Issue: 8039 / Categories: Legal News , Litigation funding , Costs , Profession
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NLJ this week: Regan investigates litigation funding post-PACCAR

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As autumn beckons, the recent earthquake in litigation funding will be occupying the minds of many lawyers. In this week’s NLJ, Professor Dominic Regan—AKA 'The insider'—focuses his column on the impact of the Supreme Court case R (PACCAR & Ors) v CAT.

The court found the litigation funding agreement considered in the case to be unlawful. However, the case has ramifications far beyond that one agreement and could have an impact on thousands of claimants.

Regan, of City Law School, writes: ‘The problem is that all Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) opt-out claims have been funded in this manner. As a matter of urgency, a new, compliant funding mechanism will have to be devised.’

Regan also covers fixed costs, due to come into force on 1 October, including the perils therein for barristers. 

Find the latest from The Insider here.

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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