Class action defence costs rise to $2.9bn as Covid-19 boosts case numbers Â
09 June 2021
Class action defence costs rise to $2.9bn as Covid-19 boosts case numbers Â
More than a quarter of US corporates have faced at least one Covid-19 related claim, research findsÂ
Â
By Mike Fouque; Copyright US companies spent $2.9bn last year defending class actions, a record that represents 13% of the litigation spending market, according to new research.
The Carlton Fields Class Action Survey reveals that the Covid-19 pandemic is playing a major role in fueling class actions, against the background of steady year-on-year increases, with the average annual number of cases per company sitting at 9.3, compared to just 4.4 in 2011.
Deputy chief parliamentary counsel named New Zealand lawyer of the year
10 March 2021
Cassie Nicholson recognised for leading the country s legal response to Covid-19
Rawpixel.com; Shutterstock (background) New Zealand’s deputy chief parliamentary counsel Cassie Nicholson has been named the LawFuel New Zealand Lawyer of the Year in recognition of her efforts to handle the country’s legal response to the coronavirus pandemic. Nicholson led the drafting of legislation to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, overseeing her team of 35 lawyers as well as working with lawyers across the public sector. That process involved rapidly drafting or amending more than 100 pieces of legislation and other legal instruments to help the country tackle the pandemic and mitigate the economic and social impacts of government-imposed lockdowns.
Most companies avoiding mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations, Littler survey finds
09 February 2021
Concerns over legal liability and employee morale deterring enforced jabs
msvisuals; Shutterstock Most employers are unlikely to force their employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a new report by employment and labour law specialists Littler.
The Covid-19 Vaccine Employer Survey Report surveyed more than 1,800 in-house lawyers, HR professionals and C-suite executives in the US and found that less than 1% of companies have so far considered mandatory employee vaccinations, with almost half (48%) completely writing off such a measure. Some 43% said they are still undecided. The most common reasons for opposing mandatory vaccinations are around company culture and employee relations. Almost eight in 10 respondents cited potential resistance from employees who refuse to get vaccinated, while 64% said they were concerned about legal liability, particularly if an em
Much-needed clarity - lawyers reflect on the landmark UK Covid-19 insurance test case
19 January 2021 Much-needed clarity - lawyers reflect on the landmark UK Covid-19 insurance test case
While the claimant lawyers are celebrating, advisers on both sides have welcomed the Supreme Court s judgment
Shutterstock; Philographer An array of UK claimant and defendant lawyers have been assessing the impact of the Supreme Court Covid-19 business interruption insurance test case, which came to a headline-grabbing conclusion last Friday. Lawyers acting for the for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which led the initiative, and for the 1,000s of small businesses affected by the first lockdown who can now expect pay outs were unsurprisingly celebrating for their clients. But there was agreement on both sides that the landmark ruling had delivered welcome clarity in an impressively short timeframe.