Paul Rogerson

4 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Paul Rogerson

‘What does a legal victory mean if compliance is optional?’ That was a question posed by Cherie Blair CBE KC today in a plenary session at London International Disputes Week on the impact of geopolitical instability. ‘We are at a moment of legal reckoning, because what we are witnessing is a slow fraying of the rules-based order that has underpinned global stability and cooperation since the end of WW2,’ she told an audience of litigators at Westminster’s QE11 centre.

1 week ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Paul Rogerson

Barristers will be compelled to tell their regulator about complaints alleging poor service, under reform proposals announced today. Failure to comply could lead to disciplinary action. The plan is outlined in a consultation from the Bar Standards Board on so-called first-tier complaints – complaints handled directly by barristers or chambers, rather than the legal ombudsman.

1 week ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Paul Rogerson

Lord chancellor and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has insisted that the Solicitors Regulation Authority take accountability for its regulatory failures over Axiom Ince and ensure such a debacle never recurs. Backing formal action against the regulator, the lord chancellor spelt out the ‘severity of the situation’ in a February letter published today alongside the Legal Services Board’s announcement.

2 weeks ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Paul Rogerson

Listed outfit Knights is expecting to post an increase in underlying annual profits as it continues to expand rapidly through acquisitions. In a full-year trading update today, the group forecasts full-year revenue ofabout £162m for the year to 30 April, an 8% increase on 2024. Underlying profit before tax is expected to come in 11% higher at £28m (£25.3m), which Knights said reflects improved margins.

2 weeks ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Paul Rogerson

Russian litigants have returned to London’s commercial courts in force despite the imposition of sanctions, partly because it has become easier for them to ‘lawyer up’. That is according to the Commercial Courts Report 2025, the latest annual snapshot of the sector produced by legal communications company Portland. The number of Russian litigants more than doubled to 60 in the year to March 2025, a new record. Eighty percent had legal presentation, up from just 30% in 2024.