I write about legal costs, litigation funding and related questions arising in civil litigation. The emphasis is practical: what the authorities mean, how the rules operate and where the real risks lie.
The latest articles appear below. If you are looking for a particular area, the four broad gateways provide a quicker route into the archive.
Costs
Commercial costs, Part 36, QOCS, detailed assessment and related costs issues.
Litigation Funding
Funding agreements, ATE insurance, security for costs and the economics of litigation.
Solicitor-Client & Retainers
Solicitors Act assessments, retainers, CFAs, DBAs, success fees and deductions from damages.
Group & Specialist Litigation
Collective proceedings, group litigation and selected wider developments affecting civil justice.
Recent analysis
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The fast and the furious
One of the more interesting areas of costs work that I undertake from time to time, is that of applications for non party costs orders (NPCOs). I have been undertaking work in this area for many years, and have watched the number of such applications ebb and flow, over the years. For the last couple…
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The shape of things to come
My experiments with Artificial Intelligence continue. I am working with various prototypes. As well as Sunny AI, and Andrew AI, I have now created Costs Barrister. This latest protoype is below. I would be be very interested to know what you think. Please leave a comment or send me a message, with your thoughts.
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Sunny AI
As you will know, I am an AI enthusiast, and am working on making it useful for legal practice. Let me give you one example, of how it might be used. One of the things that I do, is teach, with webinars, seminars, and lectures. Of course, once the performance is completed, even if recorded,…
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Personal Injury Costs Webinar
I have returned from my Easter break, relaxed and refreshed, ready for the fray this summer. From the western Caribbean, to the burning deserts of Dubai, it has been quite a year already. Next week I am undertaking the annual Personal Injury Costs webinar with Craig Ralph on Tuesday 6th May at 4pm by Zoom.…
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The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
This year, I have been a rolling stone, and will continue to be so, as next week I am visiting Dubai. I hope to see the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and meet a number of local and expatriate lawyers. Something of a busman’s holiday you might say. But I have long wanted to visit…
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Pirates of the Caribbean
This weekend, I am going to embark on a splendid adventure, to chase the morning, and fly up, up and through the airs of the earth to the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory situated in the western Caribbean Sea, consisting of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.…
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Costs in Planning Appeals
The latest Zoom seminar on the vexed and vexing topic of Costs in Planning Appeals is now available on the Kings Chambers You Tube channel, to which there is a link below.
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Class actions revisited
In the twenty first century, everything is “bigger”. There are more people, with more rights and interests, more disputes, and consequentially more pressure on the civil justice system to find ways to resolve those disputes, swiftly, efficiently and at proportionate costs. A key tool in the locker is the scope to use “class actions” to…