Advantage Litigation News & Updates
From time to time we will post news articles and announcements relating to the firm and to various legal issues that may be of interest to you.
Latest News
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Regulatory change to make Damages Based Agreements more attractive for Civil Litigation
Despite facing criticism from the legal profession since they were updated in the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations in 2013, forthcoming updates to Damages Based Agreements (‘DBA’) are set to make this model of funding for civil litigation claims far more attractive. DBA’s are a type of contingency fee whereby a solicitor or barrister receives a portion (usually a percentage) of their Clients damages in the event of a legal action successfully concluding. This percentage deduction varies depending on the type of claim, and in addition law firms may also claim back disbursements they have incurred in running the case. The updates to the DBA regulations were recently outlined by Sir Rupert Jackson, a former Lord Justice whose name became synonymous with the massive changes to the legal landscape that resulted from April 2013’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (‘LASPO’) –... Read More
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Liverpool Football Club in Trademark Bid Failure
Reigning European Cup champions and current runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool FC have failed in their bid to register the word ‘Liverpool’ as part of their wider marketing activities. The iconic club, founded in 1892 and with a fan base of millions throughout the world, had made it clear that they only wanted to register ‘Liverpool’ in the context of football-related activity. The Anfield-based club stated that its application was driven by a desire to protect fans from traders selling unauthorised products bearing the club’s name. However, a recent decision by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has refused their application. Even though other clubs such as Chelsea FC have registered place name trademarks for similar football-related commercial usage, the ICO said that in comparison to their Premier League rivals, the ‘geographical significance’ of Liverpool as a city was far more significant... Read More
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Fukushima Managers Acquitted following Professional Negligence Trial
Three senior managers from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operators of the Fukushima power plant involved in 2011’s nuclear disaster, have been acquitted of professional negligence charges following a high-profile trial in Japan. The three men - Sakae Muto, 69; Tsunehisa Katsumata, 79; and Ichiro Takekuro, 73 - were accused of professional negligence resulting in death and injury for failing to act on information about the risks from a major tsunami. In their defence, they argued that the data available to them at the time was unreliable. Had they been convicted, the three would have faced up to five years in prison. So far, there’s has been the only criminal trial stemming from the disaster. The Fukushima disaster in March 2011 was the largest since Chernobyl in 1986, and whilst there were no deaths from direct radiation exposure in the immediate... Read More
