A vicious spat between lawyers from firms including DWF, HFW, DAC Beachcroft, Plexus and Ince & Co has erupted on LinkedIn.  An NQ has been branded a "fraud", a costs specialist called a female civil servant a "waste of skin" and a claims handler has been accused of "speaking shite".

The managing director of a legal costs business, Paul Fulcher, began the extraordinary row by posting that he had emailed the ex-CEO of Plexus, Tim Oliver, questioning Oliver's support for reforms suggested by Lord Justice Jackson. Jackson has called for fixed legal costs to be imposed on civil claims valued up to £250,000.



A partner at DWF, James Pinder, responded with a light touch:



But when a claims manager, Michael Mackenzie, suggested that fixed costs were a positive step which would prevent claimant solicitors from delaying settlements, solicitor Mohammed Hanief disagreed and the gloves came off:



Pinder called Hanif's comments "offensive & unnecessary" and warned, "if he ever communicates in such terms in a case against me, he'll get a shock".  The Head of Industrial Disease at Zen Law Solicitors then provided some light relief by sabotaging his own contribution:



Fulcher turned to the judiciary, posting, "I love the fact Jackson is that stupid he thinks fixed costs is good". When Mackenzie replied, "I think it is slightly arrogant to refer to Lord Jackson as stupid", the costs expert whose business could, coincidentally, be adversely impacted by the proposed reforms, doubled down:



Fulcher had stronger words for Jonathan Massey, a newly qualified solicitor who defended Jackson:



Fulcher ignored Massey's request:



A self-proclaimed "Head of Civil Litigation" at an unnamed "City Firm in Manchester", Simon Parker, joined the discussion by threatening to seek Massey's removal from the Roll. He posted, "we are considering reporting Massey to the SRA and his present new employers", and taunted, "So admitted 01/02/2017 and struck off by 01/06/2017 as a fraud". But lawyers rushed to the NQ's defence, including Pinder who said, "Anyone here want any advice on the law of defamation? It's clearly needed".

When Massey stated that he had managed cases himself, Parker abused the NQ again:



Then Fulcher went into meltdown when a civil servant, Lorraine Farrell, called him a "jumped up hypocrite":



Farrell replied that thanks to Fulcher's "inability to use social media effectively, everyone now knows you're a bully, a hypocrite" and "a money fanatic". Fulcher retorted, "by the way bought a lexus today to go with the BMW so keep talking loser". He dismissed her with a stunningly unpleasant insult:


 
The DWF partner was left reeling:



In a possible twist, Simon Parker does not appear to exist outside LinkedIn. On the platform his only posts are attacks on Fulcher's critics. When RollOnFriday asked Fulcher if he was also 'Simon Parker', he replied, "simon parker is not me, I have the balls to say it how it is I dont need to hide behind anyone, i say what we all think".
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