The Festival of Words: From Gyles Brandreth to Anthony Scaramucci – all you need to know about the Fleet Street Quarter festival
Russian oligarch backed fund LetterOne files lawsuit against private equity firm that cut ties following war in Ukraine July 7, 2022 The Luxembourg headquartered investment fund founded by sanctioned Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven has filed a lawsuit against the London private equity firm that manages $5bn (£4.2bn) of it’s money. Multi-billion-dollar investor LetterOne is taking legal action against Pamplona Capital Management, in calling on the private equity firm to open its books, after [...]
Black cab drivers file legal challenge against ride-hailing app over claims business model is illegal July 7, 2022 A black cab drivers trade body has filed a legal challenge against ride-hailing app Free Now, over claims the taxi firm’s business model is illegal. The hackney carriage driver’s trade body, United Trade Action Group (UTAG), is seeking to argue that ride-hailing apps that lets customers hail private hire taxis are acting illegally. The body [...]
Striking barristers should accept government’s ‘generous offer,’ justice minister says July 6, 2022 Justice secretary James Cartlidge has called on striking barristers to “reconsider” their actions, after claiming the government’s current legal aid offer is “generous” enough. Speaking in the House of Commons, Cartlidge accused “those engaged in action” of “threatening to increase waiting times” as he doubled down on existing plans to hike legal aid fees by [...]
Whitehall spending on City law firm advice increases to more than £700,000 a week July 6, 2022 The UK government spent more than £700,000 a week on advice from City law firms last year, according to new figures which show Whitehall’s legal fee budget increased by a fifth compared to the previous year. The government spent more than £36.5m on advice from major law firms in 2021-22, in paying out weekly sums [...]
Saudi diplomat should not be shielded from ‘modern slavery’ lawsuit, UK’s Supreme Court says July 6, 2022 A Saudi diplomat should not be shielded from a ‘modern slavery’ lawsuit – brought against him by one of his former domestic workers – because of diplomatic immunity, the UK’s highest court has said. Saudi Arabian diplomat Khalid Basfar should be forced to face an employment tribunal over claims he kept Filipino national Josephine Wong [...]
UK’s cost of living crisis has created ‘perfect conditions for fraud to flourish,’ new report says July 6, 2022 The UK’s cost of living crisis is creating the “ideal environment for fraudulent activity,” a new report from the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA) has warned. Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and the UK’s cost-of-living crunch are creating the “perfect conditions for fraud to flourish,” the report says, as it calls on businesses to [...]
Fire Bridges Union wins permission to challenge govt’s pension reforms via judicial review July 5, 2022 Public sector workers’ unions have been given permission to challenge a UK government’s pensions policy through a judicial review. A coalition of unions, led by the UK’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU), will be allowed to challenge the government’s decision to force members to pay for changes to public sector pensions schemes, instead of footing the [...]
Forklift maker Manitou infringed JCB’s patent, UK High Court rules July 5, 2022 French forklift manufacturer Manitou infringed JCB’s intellectual property rights through its use of patented stability control systems in its “telehandler” machines, a UK High Court has said. The British heavy vehicle manufacturer is now seeking costs and damages from Manitou, after the court said the French firm infringed JCB’s patent by using patented safety control [...]
Nigeria blocked from appealing High Court’s £1.4bn JP Morgan ruling July 5, 2022 A High Court has blocked the Federal Republic of Nigeria from appealing the court’s decision last month to dismiss its $1.7bn (£1.4bn) claim against JP Morgan, over claims the bank acted negligently by paying $875m into a bank account linked to a convicted money launderer. The High Court said Nigeria had “no real prospect” of [...]
Bird & Bird hands staff £1,000 each to deal with UK’s cost-of-living crunch July 5, 2022 London law firm Bird & Bird is set to pay £1,000 bonuses to more than 300 of its staff to help them deal with the cost-of-living crisis. The law firm said it will give £1,000 “cost of living allowance” payments to all employees who earn less £50,000 per annum this month, to help them manage [...]