Blog
Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity
Sharon Burkill
8 May 2014
How PR professionals and lawyers can work together
On Tuesday 29th April, I attended PR Week’s Summit 2014. Kingsley Napley sponsored this inaugural conference, with my colleague David Rowntree presenting on crisis management issues in the context of criminal investigations. From a personal perspective I was fascinated to talk with the senior PR professionals in attendance. One thing which struck me was that PR professionals, who naturally want to communicate the position when there has been an incident, can feel frustrated at lawyers whose advice “kills” their draft communications. I was sorry to hear this, as in my own professional life I have had a good collaborative relationship with PR professionals.
6 May 2014
A global trend towards mediation: views from lawyers in 13 countries
In England and Wales, recent case law highlights that parties in commercial litigation risk adverse costs sanctions if they unreasonably refuse to mediate or if they ignore a request to mediate without providing any justification. Whilst judges cannot compel parties to mediation, many judges appear to take an active role in case management issues and are keen to encourage parties to agree to mediation. Whilst mediation is not compulsory (unless there is a contractual clause to that effect), there is a growing trend towards parties attempting it, even in cases where it is unlikely to be successful. It is worth remembering that the use of mediation has also long been encouraged in the US. Against this background, it is interesting to canvass the views of lawyers practising in 12 other jurisdictions to ascertain whether the cultural shift towards mediation in the UK is reflective of what is generally happening around the globe.
2 May 2014
Case update: Newspaper liable for publishing pictures of star’s children online
In the case of (1) Dylan Weller (2) John Paul Weller (3) Bowie Weller (by their litigation friend Paul Weller) v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2014] EWHC 1163 (QB), the High Court found that there had been a misuse of private information and a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 where an online newspaper had published, without consent, un-pixelated photographs of a well-known singer's three children enjoying a family day out.
17 April 2014
Case update: The Court’s approach to amending particulars of claim in light of the Jackson reforms
Following the Jackson reforms and the decision in Andrew Mitchell MP v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1537, the courts are now charged with balancing proportionality of costs and fairness to all parties.
17 April 2014
Case Update: Intention is key when interpreting frustrated Will
In the estate of Steven James Andrew Huntley (Deceased) subnom (1) Michael Brooke (2) Arthur Jennings (3) Ian Campbell v Louise Purton & 5 Ors [2014] EWHC 547 (Ch), the High Court confirmed that the correct approach to the interpretation of a frustrated Will was the same as that for a contract: the aim was to identify the testator's intention.
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