Civil Justice Minister David Lammy has held a discussion on conditional fee agreements (CFAs), their future development and related legal costs issues.
Parties involved in the talks included legal practitioners, academics and costs experts.
The talks come a week after the government published its consultation paper making simple CFAs a reality.
Lammy said: “CFAs have a long future in helping people obtain access to justice for genuine claims. They can be a powerful mechanism for righting wrongs as long as they are not misused.
“We are making progress on ensuring CFAs are used as originally intended to help people with legitimate claims obtain the appropriate redress. Reforms introduced over the last year will help ensure costs are more predictable, reasonable and proportionate.
“Last week's proposals will help make CFAs more transparent and less complex. Too often consumers have been misled and confused by the label of ‘no win no fee' and had their expectations of large sums of compensation unjustifiably raised.
“Reform of the cost regime and simplification of CFAs are important steps forward. Today's discussion with key industry representatives will help us further develop CFAs over the next five to ten years.
“Our response to the Better Regulation Taskforce report on compensation culture and the recommendations of the Clementi review of the regulation of the legal services market will help shape this changing legal landscape.”
The participants in the CFA discussion were:
David Lammy, Civil Justice Minister
Mike Napier, Civil Justice Council, facilitator
David Marshall, Immediate Past President APIL, Anthony Gold
Clare McKinney, President Forum of Insurance Lawyers, Davies Lavery
Alistair Kinley, Association of British Insurers
Jeremy Morgan QC, Essex Street Chambers
Alistair Brett, Fleet Street Lawyers Association, News International
Professor John Peysner, Nottingham Trent University, Civil Justice Council
Kerry Underwood, Underwoods Solicitors
David Hartley, Abbey Legal Protection
Georgina Squire, Chair Law Society Civil Litigation Committee, Rosling King
Alasdair Pepper, Carter Ruck
Tony Guise, Past President London Solicitors' Litigation Association, Guise Solicitors
Nigel Cooksley QC, Chair Bar Council CFA Committee
Gary Barker, Law Society
David Chalk, Anglia Polytechnic University, Litigation Protection Limited
Doug Christie, Thompsons
Neil Rose, Litigation Funding
