Linklaters, Olswang and 11 South Square have all taken roles for News Group Newspapers (NGN) on at least 20 phone-hacking cases settled today (19 January), as signs of a resolution to the ongoing scandal begin to emerge.

Linklaters litigation partner Christa Band, Olswang litigation partner Dan Tench and 11 South Square's Michael Silverleaf QC have all advised NGN, with Mr Justice Vos handing out settlement payments ranging between £16,000 and £130,000 in the High Court today.

Around 11 law firms in total were advising on the proceedings, including Collyer Bristow, Mishcon de Reya, Bindmans and Atkins Thomson.

Settlement payments were received by a number of high-profile clients including actor Jude Law, who was handed £130,000, and politician John Prescott and rugby player Gavin Henson, who both received £40,000 each.

Berwin Leighton Paisner partner Graham Shear (pictured), who represented footballer Ashley Cole on his claim, tweeted from court: "Amazing number of NGN lawyers present in court to hear open statements denoting settlement of hacking claims. How many firms do NGN need?"

Shear, who himself has also been a victim of phone-hacking, also confirmed via Twitter that Cole had donated the undisclosed amount of damages he received from NGN to charity. Shear himself was handed a settlement of £25,000.

The settlements count for around one third of the 60 existing claims against NGN for phone-hacking at its former newspaper, the News of the World (NoW), with 10 set to progress to full trial next month.

However, more claims are expected to emerge in the coming weeks, particularly in light of changes to conditional fee arrangements due to come into force later this year that will see an end to 'no win, no fee' agreements, with claimants forced to pay their lawyers' success fees and after-the-event insurance.

Collyer Bristow head of media, sport and culture Steven Heffer, who represented Meg Matthews – the ex-wife of former Oasis star Noel Gallagher – in today's settlements, said: "A large number of claims against NGN have settled or are close to settlement. These include my clients where agreement has been reached for payment of substantial damages and appropriate apologies, subject to the sanction of judge."

"There are more claims to come and I am acting for many further victims of phone-hacking. The police are informing individuals that they have been victims on a daily basis. They have simply not got round to telling everyone."

NoW parent company News International set up a £20m compensation scheme last spring in a bid to settle the majority of claims before they reached the High Court. The tabloid was closed in July last year after revelations that the newspaper had been illegally hacking into phones.

The Leveson Inquiry is currently looking into the role of the press and police in the phone-hacking scandal, and will aim to make recommendations on the future of press regulation and governance.

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