Weightmans LLP

Emma Jeffries is a Principal Associate Solicitor and Costs Lawyer who leads the Commercial Litigation Costs arm of the business. Emma has a wealth of experience in dealing with high value costs claims ranging from catastrophic injury costs, through all facets of commercial litigation and claims proceeding in the Competition Appeals Tribunal. Working with Insurers and Private Clients, Emma provides a true cradle to grave approach on cases, being involved from the outset with the implementation of retainers and reserves/costs estimates, through any costs management process which is required and thereafter dealing with any costs claims at the conclusion.
Emma has been instrumental in the building of technology aimed at assisting Clients with the introduction of the new Fixed Recoverable Costs Regime, working closely with the Innovation Department to map all aspects regarding Fixed Recoverable Costs and build a user friendly product to streamline the costs calculations required.
Notable cases include:

1. Russian Aircraft Operator Claims/Ukrainian Aircraft Operator Claims – multi billion pound aviation litigation.

2. London & Quadrant Housing Trust & Anor v WPHV Limited (in administration) & Ors (June 2024) –2 day costs management hearing to deal with costs budgets of 6 parties amounting to £21million.

3. Pacific Estate v Akhtar (March 2024) – recovered 89% of costs..

4. Robinson v Havant Borough Council (February 2024) – recovered over 86% of costs through negotiated agreement.

5. Bocking v Taylor-Perecod (October 2023) – notwithstanding the Claimant’s application to amend the claim form to a value exceeding £10million to escape the costs management regime, the parties engaged on the issue of costs budgets to ensure the same were in place to assist with Client reserving and the forthcoming JSM.

6. Associated Newspapers Ltd v Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd (Cost Budgeting) [2022] EWHC 2767 (TCC) Costs management case whereby the Claimant Solicitors hourly rates were scrutinized and used as a tool by which the Court considered the overall costs budget to be disproportionate.

7. Sultan & Ali v Luton Borough Council (November 2022) – successfully recovered defence costs from Claimants Solicitor when ATE cover withdrawn.