(1) Rule 27.3(3) does not apply in a commercial claim under this Part.
(2) In a commercial claim the claimant or applicant shall not later than 7 days after the last party has served his or her defence or reply, as the case may be, provide the Case Management Unit of the Commercial Division with —
(a) an agreed written statement of the parties' best estimate of the length of the trial or hearing; or
(b) if an agreed written statement cannot be provided, separate estimates by each party.
(3) Where, in a commercial claim the parties' estimate, or the longest of the parties' estimates of the length of the trial or hearing is more than one day, the Case Management Unit of the Commercial Division shall fix a case management conference for the first available date 6 weeks after the time limited by these Rules for the filing of a statement of case.
(4) Rule 27.5 does not apply in a commercial claim under this Part.
(5) The claimant or applicant shall, at least 3 clear days before the date set for the case management conference, lodge with the Case Management Unit of the Commercial Division a case management bundle.
(6) The content and preparation of case management bundles must be in accordance with the practice direction.
(7) In addition to rule 26.1, the court may give directions for a case management conference in a commercial claim as to —
(a) the nature and extent of any disclosure to be given;
(b) whether and to what extent witness statements are required and whether in all the circumstances certain issues or factual matters can more conveniently and economically be dealt with by witness summaries, whether or not a party is or is not able to obtain a witness statement from the witness in question;
(c) the nature of any expert evidence to be called, the identity of the respective parties' experts and the timetable for exchange of experts' reports or alternatively whether it is appropriate for evidence on one or more matters in issue to be given by a single expert pursuant to rules 32.9 and 32.11;
(d) whether the services of an interpreter will be necessary at trial;
(e) whether or not a pre-trial review should be held; and
(f) such other matters as it appears appropriate to provide for in the circumstances.
(8) If a party has sufficiently indicated to the other party and to the court his or her intention to make an application at the case management conference, it is not necessary for a party to make a standalone application under —
(a) rule 28.5 for the disclosure of specific documents; or
(b) rule 32.6 for permission to call expert evidence.