HURST BACKS FIRST 100% SUCCESS FEE IN CONDITIONAL FEE CASE

Senior costs judge Peter Hurst has approved what is thought to be the first 100% success fee in a conditional fee case.The Gazette's sister publication, Litigation Funding, reports this week that the fee was claimed by libel firm Peter Carter-Ruck & Partners and barristers Geoffrey Shaw QC and Caroline Addy in a defamation case which they took very close to trial.City firm Lovells and other counsel turned it down for having not more than a 50% chance of success.The agreed costs for both solicitors and counsel were around 40,000 each.Meanwhile, Claims Direct hopes to unveil its new business model in March, which involves direct client access to panel solicitors, a range of conditional fee products to replace its 'one size fits all' both sides' costs policy, and abolition of its barristers' scheme with 4 King's Bench Walk.

The range of products is to include a motor policy (with a premium of around 500), and a non-motor policy (around 950).For more details on Litigation Funding, tel: 020 7320 5830.Neil Rose