Group litigation

The costs team has a particular interest in group litigation. Examples of cases which they been instructed upon include the Vibration White Finger Litigation (government-backed compensation scheme), the Corby Borough Council Litigation (claim for birth defects), the Gower Chemicals Group Litigation (environmental claim), the North West Child Abuse Litigation (claim for historical child abuse in residential homes), and the British Coal Respiratory Disease Litigation (government-backed compensation scheme).

Teamwork is essential in group litigation, and counsel will usually ask to be involved at a very early stage. He will advise on costs sharing agreement, costs sharing orders, assessors, retainers, treatment of discontinuers and settlers, estimates, third-party funding, etc. Generally speaking, it is best to send counsel instruction to advise in conference, firstly just with his instructing solicitor, and then (often on the same day) with a cost draftsman and counsel responsible for the management of the litigation itself.

To view a list of our members who specialise in this area, please click on the drop down menu to the left.