LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
The Supreme Court handed down its ruling in the FCA test case on business interruption insurance against six insurers. If you are an affected business, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible and our specialist financial services litigation team can be instructed to assist.
In Pallett v MGN Ltd, a case concerning the newspaper phone hacking scandal, the High Court orders the Defendant, owner of the Mirror newspaper, to pay all of the Claimant’s costs of the proceedings, despite arguments that they had accepted the settlement offer outside of the 21 day relevant period under CPR Part 36.
In Shaista Zuberi v Lexlaw Limited [2021] EWCA Civ 16, the Court of Appeal has refused the appellant permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. This is a welcome and important judgment for lawyers and clients equally as it provides some much needed judicial clarity on the effect of termination in respect of DBAs in litigation matters
The landmark Court of Appeal judgment in Shaista Zuberi v Lexlaw Limited [2021] EWCA Civ 16 makes clear that termination fees are not caught by the DBA Regulations and any DBA including termination clauses is enforceable. The judgment paves the way for DBAs to flourish and enhances access to justice.
Key changes include a new draft Practice Direction 57AC; the need to identify the documents which the witness has been referred to for the purpose of providing the evidence and endorsement by a certificate of compliance signed by a lawyer.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to many individuals losing their jobs due to redundancies and employees may wonder where they stand in relation to any restrictive covenants in their contracts. The case of Quilter Private Client Advisers v Falconer discusses the factors to be taken into account when seeking to enforce a restrictive covenant, which in this case was a 9 month non compete, which was found to be void and unenforceable.
The FCA’s draft guidance on how to prove the presence of coronavirus (COVID-19) in a particular area around premises based on the High Court’s judgement and declarations is essential for policyholders in claims against insurers.
This latest High Court case again demonstrates the pitfalls for litigants who unreasonably refuse to engage in Alternative Dispute Resolution such as mediation to resolve issues. Parties that fail to do so risk be punished by the court when it comes to costs.
A “leapfrog” appeal to the Supreme Court may be the quickest route to get legal clarity for all parties. It is is essential that you seek expert legal advice early in order to prepare your Business Interruption Insurance claim.
The High Court has held that singer Ed Sheeran, ignored CPR Part 18 Requests for Information from Defendants in a copyright infringement case. The Court takes breaches of its rules seriously.