Jim Diamond

Jim Diamond is one of the UK’s most high-profile Costs Lawyers, with a career spanning almost five decades. After beginning his career as an outdoor clerk in Liverpool, Jim moved into legal costs before progressing to leading City firms, including Clifford Turner, now Clifford Chance. A recognised expert in legal budgeting, he wrote what is believed to be the first article on the subject for The Legal 500 in 1999 and later developed pioneering data-inclusive budgeting software.

Prior to the introduction of costs budgeting under the Civil Procedure Rules in 2013, Jim sat on panels alongside Lord Justice Jackson and personally presented his budgeting software at the Royal Courts of Justice. Jim also has extensive experience in legal funding and managing legal spend and has published the Jim Diamond Hourly Rate Survey since 1999.s.