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Paul Hughes
Practice Areas:
Practice Area CVs:
Paul is a solid and experienced costs practitioner who is able to deal with any costs dispute (save for criminal costs and family costs). He has particular expertise in procedural law, such as the application of fixed costs regimes and disputes about evidence or election. Whilst he does have experience of the costs of commercial disputes, his forte is the costs of actions based on negligence (such as personal injury, clinical negligence, etc), including group litigation. He has experience of managing 'broken retainers' and disputes concerning the indemnity principle, both from the paying party's point of view, and the receiving party's point of view.
He is an experienced cross-examiner, and as such is a sound choice for disputes concerning conduct, misconduct, wasted costs and non-party (third-party) costs orders.
Profile:
Paul now practices exclusively in the law of costs. He is in high demand, with a national practice and experience in dealing with costs disputes in excess of £1m. He is currently instructed (with Mark Friston) to deal with a claim concerning interest on costs which is due to be heard together with the largest costs claim in English legal history, Motto v Trafigura.
Known for his advocacy, Paul avoids the type of hyperbole that can bedevil disputes about costs. He, along with all other members of the costs team, will seek to keep clients out of court if at all possible, and in view of that, he is adept at dealing with figures as well as the law. He is well regarded for his personable approach (both in and out of court). He lectures regularly to solicitors and costs draftsmen.
Significant Cases:
Hanley v Greening & Sykes and others (2 July 2009, HHJ Grenfell sitting as High Court Judge, Leeds District Registry) (effect of Court of Appeal costs orders in related litigation - (Nelson v Greening & Sykes Builders Ltd [2007] EWCA Civ 1358)
Blackmore v Cummings & Others [2009] EWCA Civ 1276 (test to be applied to payments on account of costs) (with Mark Friston).http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/1276.html
Jones v Caradon Catnic [2006] 3 Costs LR 427, CA (concerning breach of the CCFA Regulations 2000 and materiality (with Mark Friston).
Recommendations:
Paul has been ranked in Chambers and Partners since 2008 (firstly as "up and coming", now as being in band two).
"Paul Hughes of Kings Chambers comes at costs work largely via his successful personal injury practice. He acted in the Manchester County Court costs dispute of Tonge v Jones". Chambers UK 2012
Chambers has described Paul as “a forward thinking practitioner with gravitas beyond his years,” praising him for his “strong opinions and advice” and “good grasp of technical issues.”
He writes (along with other members of the costs team) the Costs Brief for the New Law Journal.
Memberships include:
- Associate of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen
- Member of the Personal Injury Bar Association
- Member of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple
| Career & Education: | ||
| Universities: | St. Catherine's College, Oxford BA (Juris) 2:1 | |
Manchester Metropolitan University Bar School, | ||
| Year of Call: | 2001 (Middle Temple) |
