This conference will focus solely on commercial litigation, and will assess the development and impact of the Jackson reforms on the commercial litigation landscape. 

Litigators will learn about and share experiences of the latest Jackson-related developments, with a high-calibre line up of judges, litigation solicitors and costs experts on the platform, and delegates will be given the opportunity to ask questions and join in debate from the floor.

Royal Courts of Justice

The event will include a detailed and practical examination of budgeting and proportionality, looking at the approach taken by courts and the tactics deployed by claimants and defendants. It will also cover the new billing ‘J-codes’ and what lawyers need to know about these; fresh developments in relation to third-party funding; and the changes being worked on in relation to damages-based agreements. 

Why attend?

  • Hear from litigators at the coalface on how the first 18 months of the reforms have affected their legal businesses
  • Find out how firms have approached the new costs budgeting regime, how they have overcome problems, and what the reaction of clients has been to the new budgeting process
  • Discover the extent to which firms have been making use of CFAs/DBAs in the new landscape and what their plans are for the future regarding these funding models 
  • Learn how to cope in the new compliance-driven era and avoid being penalised for breaching court rules and orders 
  • Gain an opportunity to network with other professionals in the commercial litigation arena. 

Programme

13:15 - 13:45        Registration

13:45 - 13:55        Chairman’s welcome 

                            David Greene, senior partner, Edwin Coe

13:55 - 14:30        Keynote

                            Mr Justice Flaux, judge, Commercial Court

14:30 - 15:30        Plenary panel: cost budgeting 

                            - Extension to higher value cases and Commercial Court

                            - What effect is budgeting having in practice?

                            - Are judges applying budgeting consistently?

                            - What problems are emerging? 

                            Sue Nash, managing director, Litigation Costs Services

                            Martin Cox, partner, Kennedys

                            PJ Kirby QC, barrister, Hardwicke                            

15:30 - 15:45       Refreshments

 15:45 - 16:05      J-codes

                            Deborah Burke, costs lawyer, Deborah Burke Costing Ltd

16:05 - 16:25       DBAs and what the CJC working group are doing

                            Prof. Rachael Mulheron, Department of Law, Queen Mary University of London

16:25 - 16:50       Third party funding including developments in relation to lower value claims

                            Matthew Amey, director, The Judge

16:50 - 17:10      Part 36 provisions of the CPR

                           David di Mambro, Radcliffe Chambers

17:10 - 18:30       Drinks reception

Price

All conference fees VAT is 20%.

Member of Section £200 + VAT = £240  

PC Holders £225 + VAT = £270    

Non- PC Holders £325 + VAT = £390 

Members of TLS Working for NFP £175 + VAT = £210 (please contact events@lawsociety.org.uk to apply for this rate)

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