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
Cripps—Radius Law
Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire
Switalskis—Grimsby
Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire
Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury
Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments
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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