THIS ISSUE
When bringing Insolvency Act claims, it pays to pick your battles, write Serle Court barristers and seasoned strategists Daniel Lightman KC & Charlotte Beynon.
The issue of media access to court papers came up in the memorably-titled Bouncylagoon case, which concerned a BBC journalist’s application for access to skeleton arguments and other court documents.
How do you build a law firm brand? One key to success is making sure your marketing message chimes with action on the ground. Writing in this week’s NLJ, Clare Rodway, managing director of specialist professional services consultancy Kysen PR, offers valuable insight.
In this week’s NLJ Crime Brief, David Walbank KC focuses on the issue of criminal restraint orders where there are parallel civil proceedings, recently covered by the Supreme Court in a case concerning allegations of fraud against a former professional footballer and cricketer.
Cybercrime crackdown & anti-money laundering action: Frank Maher looks to the year ahead & runs through the key risks for law firms to keep in mind
Inquisitive journalists, court documents & client privacy: Andrew Fremlin-Key recounts the lessons learned from Bouncylagoon
Is the Counsellors of State Act 2022 a short-term solution? Neil Parpworth suggests it may be a missed opportunity for bolder reforms
Daniel Lightman KC & Charlotte Beynon recommend a rigorous approach when bringing Insolvency Act claims
The Supreme Court has ruled on varying criminal restraint orders to fund legal advice in parallel civil proceedings: David Walbank KC assesses the outcome
Marie Law, Head of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, answers some of the most common questions about PEth blood alcohol testing.
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
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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