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Harman GJK ranked in The Legal 500 UK Solicitors Guide 2027
We’re pleased to announce that Harman GJK has once again been ranked in The Legal 500 UK Solicitors Guide 2027. The ranking recognises our specialist expertise across a broad range of costs work, including clinical negligence, commercial litigation and group actions. The Legal 500 independently…
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Harman GJK ranked in Chambers Litigation Support Guide for ninth consecutive year
We are delighted to share that Harman GJK has once again been ranked in the latest Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide, marking our ninth consecutive year of recognition.
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CILEX Wins Mazur Appeal: Court of Appeal Clarifies Delegation in Litigation
The Court of Appeal has handed down an important judgment in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys, providing long-awaited clarity on the scope of the “conduct of litigation” under the Legal Services Act 2007. Background The case arose from a challenge to whether certain litigation tasks…
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Harman GJK shortlisted for Costs Team of the Year at the LexisNexis Legal Awards
Harman GJK is delighted to announce that the firm has been shortlisted for Costs Team of the Year at the LexisNexis Legal Awards. The LexisNexis Legal Awards celebrate excellence across the legal profession, recognising teams that are driving high standards, innovation, and best practice while…
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Women in Costs 2026
Harman GJK is proud to be a sponsor of the Women in Costs 2026 conference. Now in its fourth year, this highly regarded event continues to celebrate, support and empower women across the costs industry. We’re delighted to be backing a conference that brings together…
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We’re hiring – join Harman GJK!
Harman GJK is a renowned, award-winning firm of Costs Lawyers, providing specialist legal costs services tailored to our clients’ needs. With a wealth of experience, our Costs Lawyers are instructed by many of the UK’s leading law firms and have a proven track record of…
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Merry Christmas from Harman GJK!
Just a reminder that our office will be closed from 5.30pm on Tuesday 23 December 2025 and will reopen at 9.00am on Friday 2 January 2026. We hope you all enjoy a lovely festive break.
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Harman GJK ranked in the UK Legal 500 Solicitors Guide 2026
We’re delighted to once again be ranked in the UK Legal 500 Solicitors Guide 2026. Thank you very much to those who provided feedback, you can see our full profile here.
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Sara Gould speaking at ACL London Conference
We’re proud to share that Sara Gould will be speaking at this year’s ACL Conference, which returns to London on 7 November 2025. The conference will bring together Costs Judges, Costs Barristers, Costs Lawyers and other leading practitioners to share key updates, insights and innovations…
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Former Charles Russell Speechlys clients succeed in overturning £10,000 costs order
Julia Mazur & Ors v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP Neutral Citation Number[2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) A recent judgment regarding an appeal by Julia Mazur and Jerome Stuart against a decision to lift a stay on proceedings involving their former law firm, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP,…
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CAT highlights vital role of Costs specialists in Class Actions
We welcome the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s (CAT) recent recognition of the important role that costs specialists play in class action proceedings. At Harman GJK, we have been working alongside law firms, claimant groups and litigation funders for many years, providing expert support in this complex…
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Harman GJK ranked in the Chambers and Partners Litigation Support Guide 2025
We’re delighted to once again be ranked in the Chambers and Partners new Litigation Support Guide 2025. Thank you very much to those who provided feedback, you can see our full profile here. Matthew Harman is ranked for the 5th time as a band 1…
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Proportionality in Legal Costs: Ongoing Challenges
DDJ David Hodson* had his say in a recent matter involving an application for interim maintenance and his comments (including a link to his referenced article) are included verbatim. Neutral citation number: [2025] EWFC 119 (B) Case number: 1706523844619870 IN THE FAMILY COURT SITTING AT…
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A valuable insight into the costs budgeting process
A very interesting case has appeared on Bailli recently and reveals an interesting view as to how the Master in the case approached the fixing of a budget. The case [2025] EWHC 674 (Ch) involves Atlantic Ways Holding SA (Claimant) and Freetown Terminal Holding Limited…
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Sara Gould highly commended in Costs Lawyer of the Year at Modern Law Awards 2025
It was very fitting in the run up to International Women’s Day last week that we were celebrating one of our own! We’re so proud of Sara Gould who was highly commended in the Costs Lawyer of the Year category at the Modern Law Magazine…
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Claimant penalised for excessive and unrealistic costs budget
The issue of a costs budget found to be excessive and unrealistic required a further hearing in order to consider what costs order was to be made following the CMC held on 15 May 2024. MR NICHOLAS WORCESTER (BY HIS WIFE AND LITIGATION FRIEND, DOMINIQUE…
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A timely reminder of the requirements of any challenge to the provisional assessment
It has been a number of years since, in an attempt to clear the significant backlog of bills awaiting assessment, that CPR 47.15 was introduced to allow for a provisional assessment of costs up to £75,000.00 (CPD 14.1). Effectively assessments took place on paper with…
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The importance of carefully considered Part 36 offers and the benefits of the same
Well that’s the Summer done for another year; I returned to the office from the Great North (Canada, not Newcastle) to find that not too much has changed. Disputes continue, costs are challenged and budgets still cause issues particularly when trying to depart. One case…
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Instruction of Leading Counsel in mesothelioma claim
When it comes to instruction of King’s Counsel, Gary Knight considers the following decision. Simon Coram (Executor of the Estate of Maragaret Jean Coram – Deceased) and D R Dunthorn & Son Limited – Neutral Citation – [2024] An appeal heard by Mrs Justice Yipp…
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Costs budgets
Costs Budgets continue to raise matters requiring appeals to provide guidance if not answers; Gary Knight looks at a case in which the Claimant experienced difficulties in addressing the Judge at the CCMC as to the content of the Defendant’s Costs Budget and took umbrage…
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Harmans are hiring!
We’re looking for an experienced Costs Lawyer/Costs Draftsperson to join our team who is conversant in the new format bill and CostsMaster and who shares our commitment to providing the best legal costs service for our clients. Hybrid/remote working is available. If this is of…
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Matthew Harman named in top 10 most influential Costs Lawyers across UK in 2023
We’re proud that Matthew Harman has been named in the top 10 most influential Costs Lawyers across the UK in Business Today’s Lawyer Awards 2023. All of the Costs Lawyers in the top 10 were described as trailblazers in the industry who have consistently set…
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Harmans Costs Brief – November 2023
Welcome to the latest Costs Brief featuring our recent ranking in The Legal 500 as one of the ‘Firms in the Spotlight 2024’, some analysis from Partner and Costs Lawyer Gary Knight on two cases from the Court of Appeal and the Competition Appeal Tribunal involving the reference…
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Guideline Hourly Rates: Latest Update
The nights are drawing in, there’s a nip in the air so it’s a good time to snuggle down with two cases from the Court of Appeal and the Competition Appeal Tribunal involving the reference to Guideline Hourly Rates. Partner and Costs Lawyer Gary Knight…
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Application to Vary an Approved Costs Budget
Partner and Costs Lawyer Gary Knight recently received instructions to assist with an application to vary an approved costs budget, he found the process of interest and so thought he’d share. First port of call: 3.15A. (1) A party (“the revising party”) must revise its…
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Part 36 offers
It’s another commentary on Part 36 offers, this time by Harmans Partner and Costs Lawyer Gary Knight. Why now? Some recent cases caught my eye and once I started to pull the thread I could not stop – you may wish to skip towards the…
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Meet the Team – Matthew Harman
The last of the Harmans partners to feature in our Meet the Team series is Matthew Harman. First job you ever had? Farmer, I came straight from Cambridge University with my Masters in Geography and straight back into the family business. What led you to…
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Meet the Team – Mathew Knight
This week it’s Mathew Knight under the spotlight. First job you ever had? This one. I left university with a degree in Maths but was undecided on what I wanted to do next; the family business was costs, the Maths side of costs appealed to…
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Meet the Team – Steve Jones
This week it’s the turn of Steve Jones to take the spotlight in the latest instalment of our Meet the Team series. First job you ever had? Bike shop Saturday Boy – I sold a Marin Nail Trail to Leo Sayer in 1995. What led…
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Meet the Team – Sara Gould
Our Partners are a surprisingly shy bunch but despite their protests we decided it was time to put them under the spotlight and find out a bit more about what makes them tick both in and out of the office. First job you ever had?…
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