In the tumultuous world of legal battles, the stage was set for an epic showdown between a prominent law firm and a blood plasma company. In a twist of fate, the renowned firm Volterra Fietta confronted its own labyrinth of legal agreements.
It began with the firm’s fervent attempt to recover dues after an appeals court, on a shocking Wednesday revelation, declared their fee agreement null and void, all because of a missing cap on potential legal costs.
Representing plasma giant Diag Human SE against the Czech Republic in a high-stakes arbitration, Volterra Fietta found itself entrapped in its own legal snare. The cornerstone of their conflict was the much-debated “no win, no fee” agreement, which the High Court ruled, transgressed the boundaries of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. The law mandates a clear ceiling on fees in conditional agreements, ensuring clients aren’t billed over 100% of the solicitors’ legal expenses.
A Last-ditch Appeal and a Steep Descent
In a desperate bid to salvage their agreement, Volterra Fietta appealed, requesting the court to excise certain problematic terms, hoping the core of the contract would still endure. However, the Court of Appeal, in harmony with the High Court’s verdict, stated that selectively omitting segments of the contract would fundamentally alter its essence.
