THIS ISSUE
Litigation funding is on the rise, providing financing solutions to increasing numbers of claimants
Firm appoints new partner
Firm promotes two to partner
COVID-19 is affecting the supply of pupillages, according to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) report
A recent Home Office tweet about ‘activist lawyers’ sparked fury in the legal profession, followed by a confused row-back by government officials
Tech London Advocates (TLA) and the Law Society have released regulatory guidance on blockchain, smart contracts, cryptoassets and other distributed ledger technology
Firm makes key changes
Solicitors who are holding monies belonging to a client that is subject to financial sanctions have until 16 October to submit a report to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)
Law firms need to be extra vigilant to the risk of cybercrime in the time of COVID-19, regulators have warned
MPs are holding an inquiry into the future of legal aid, in light of difficulties getting legal aid assistance in some areas as well as lawyers’ concerns about fees, reduced work during the COVID-19 outbreak and other pressures
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig
Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire
EIP—Rob Barker
IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner
Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler
Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist
NEWS
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
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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