It is a truism that the economy shapes litigation in terms of the volume and nature of cases brought at any given time. That is not to diminish the role of policy and legislation, but it will surprise few that hard times often bring an influx of claims for personal injuries, bad debts, and liquidations whereas boom times may more readily be associated with cross-border merger applications and planning rows. Of course, there is often a lag effect between economic activity and how that is mirrored in the courts.  For example, the severity of the last recession in 2008 and…