Spring forward…

Chaynee Hodgetts writes this month's Foreword...

Welcome to the May 2022 issue of the Solicitors Journal. As spring is well and truly here, in this issue we’re looking at moving forward in our content and coverage, to bring you the latest insights from the leading firms and top sets in a wide array of practice areas.

Importantly, as this issue is going to press, it’s the time of celebration of Eid al-Fitr, after many practitioners working hard in the courts have also been observing Ramadan. Eid Mubarak from all the Solicitors Journal team! Reflecting on this time, the importance of us understanding all of our own colleagues’ needs as we go about our day cannot be underestimated – and often makes a big difference to our working day (not to mention our professional relationships). This month, Farhan Farani considers the benefits of cross-cultural working in the legal profession (p18).

This issue, we have a focus on your future practice – what it looks like, the kind of issues advances in technology may pose, and how we can manage our practices (and working lives) ahead.

As the seasons change, often, so do we – and, as well as editing the Solicitors Journal, in my own practice, I’ve recently made the shift from my old set, to join Libertas Chambers. Having previously spent over a decade as a law lecturer, and then the past year in another set, the decision to move to Libertas, a leading national barristers’ chambers, was as timely a decision as it was the right one – and I’m delighted to be part of such a welcoming and friendly set, busily accepting instructions in my crime and inquest practice.

If any of you are also making changes, be it moving in-house, or to a new firm or chambers, we wish you the very best of luck!

Considering technological innovation, we have pieces on drones (p17), the metaverse and bitcoin (p62), crypto asset seizure, NFTs and unexplained wealth orders (p20), and the latest precedent on delivery-up of confidential information (p12). On the management of our future working lives, we have a selection of themes to contemplate – with Chris Marston exploring why we shouldn’t stick to the status quo (p32), Pete Riddleston considering what we mean by ‘people-focused working’ – and, more importantly, how we do it (p36), and Helen Hamilton-Shaw suggesting innovative ways for us to meet (and manage) client expectations (p40).

As usual, we’re bringing you quality content on the perennial practice areas of civil, family and crime – beginning with the future of civil litigation and ADR as we know it, with articles from Andrew Morgan (p54) and Tony Guise (p44) on the latest developments. Chris Atkinson also examines a case of civil litigation between the UAE and England and Wales, where a man’s liberty is at stake (p28). In family law, Rachel Fisher (p56) considers the advent of no-fault divorce, and Claire Chisnall reviews the rights of couples who choose to cohabit (p16). On the criminal side, we also have counsel and solicitors collaborating on corporate liability on economic crime (p57) – and an engaging piece on fraud (p64).

For the Twitterati, in our International Insight section this month, Cameron Tousi (p74) debates the hot topic of Trump and Twitter, as the discussion as to the former US President’s use of the platform continues…

On the topic of leadership, this month’s interview is with Adrian Jaggard, CEO of Taylor Rose MW (p48), sharing his reflections on life in the profession and directing a leading firm – with his insights into the things that really matter. Enjoy the issue!

Chaynee Hodgetts is features and opinion editor and barrister with Libertas Chambers: linkedin.com/in/ch-law; libertaschambers.com/our-people/chaynee-hodgetts

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