One of the long established advantages of arbitration over the use of courts to decide disputes is that the arbitration process is private and the eventual award is confidential to the parties involved.

Anyone who litigates will be interested in what the Master of the Rolls recently had to say, namely that parties should be encouraged and perhaps directed to engage in mediation.

An important decision this week in Owen Pell Limited v Bindi (London) Limited has confirmed that where parties contract to allow an expert to determine an issue, then the courts will be extremely reluctant to interfere with the expert's finding.

"Beating" a Part 36 offer will not necessarily lead to a costs order in your favour as seen in Carver v BAA. Read our analysis of this potentially far reaching decision and consider our action points when reviewing all Part 36 offers.

Our legal experts tackle two important issues concerning arbitration and exclusion clauses. Can you afford not to read on?

Wragge & Co's legal experts provide action and analysis on the costs consequences of unreasonable behaviour at a mediation and the potential automatic waiving of privilege in a document mentioned in a witness statement.

Did you know the public can access your court documents including those lodged in judicial review proceedings or the Employment Tribunal?

Further sections of the Companies Act 2006 come into force on 6 April 2008, permitting the execution of a document by the signature of just one director. Read our expert advice and analysis.

If the latest proposals by the Sentencing Advisory Panel are adopted as currently seems likely, organisations convicted of corporate manslaughter after 6 April 2008 could face a potential PR disaster.

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008. Thinking you have plenty of time to assess its impact and take appropriate steps is likely to put your organisation at serious risk.