Commercial Litigation UK

  • May 15, 2026

    Gov't Says Developer Let Public Pay For £48M Fire Defect Fix

    The government accused a property developer of choosing "sit back and let the public purse pay" £48 million ($64 million) to fix fire safety defects as it closed its case on Friday that the developer must repay the money.

  • May 15, 2026

    Bank Exec's Whistleblowing Didn't Spark Hotel Spend Probe

    A U.K. bank has beaten a former executive's claim that it penalized her for blowing the whistle on alleged regulatory failures, persuading a tribunal that its disciplinary probe into her hotel spending was not a sham.

  • May 15, 2026

    Brandsmiths Client Hit With Costs Penalty Over SRA Threat

    A London court has ordered a discount retailer to pay indemnity costs, finding the company's solicitors Brandsmiths misused criminal contempt proceedings and threatened to report their opposition lawyers to the profession's regulator in an attempt to gain leverage in a trademark dispute.

  • May 15, 2026

    Jo Malone, Zara Deny Infringing Estée Lauder Owner's IP

    British perfumer Jo Malone and the owner of Zara have denied infringing "Jo Malone" trademarks belonging to Estée Lauder Companies, telling a London court that shoppers would know the difference between the business and its founder.

  • May 15, 2026

    Ex-Chair Of Law Firm Group Fights £1.1M Guarantee Claim

    The former executive chair of the collapsed Metamorph Group of law firms has said he does not owe approximately £1.1 million ($1.5 million) to two insurers under personal guarantees, arguing that money he authorized for release to them discharged his obligations.

  • May 14, 2026

    UK Tribunal Partially Allows Claims For Tax Relief On Films

    Several partnerships can claim tax relief on the equity-financed portions of their film productions but not debt-financed components designed to inflate their tax relief, a London court found, ordering HMRC to amend parts of its closure notices.

  • May 14, 2026

    Trader Accused Of Using $9M Investment Deal To Buy House

    A management consultancy has told a London court that a purported bond-market trader used a $9.4 million investment to buy a country home and other businesses instead of paying promised returns.

  • May 14, 2026

    Barrister Loses Bid To Overturn £15K Fine Tied To Tax Row

    A London court has maintained a £15,000 ($20,100) fine imposed on a barrister after he sent a barrage of emails accusing HMRC and a caseworker of colluding to sabotage his tax appeal, backing a disciplinary panel's findings of misconduct.

  • May 14, 2026

    Restricting NDAs Expected To Cost Employers £50M

    The government said Thursday that proposed policies aimed at preventing the misuse of nondisclosure agreements in cases of workplace harassment and discrimination might cost businesses up to £48.8 million ($65.7 million), without any guarantee that the resulting benefits will offset the cost.

  • May 14, 2026

    Ex-Ramboll Employee Can't Hold UK Arm Liable For Dismissal

    An employment tribunal has ruled that the U.K. unit of architecture and engineering consultancy Ramboll won't have to face claims brought by a manager at the group's Danish operation because he was only on a short-term assignment. 

  • May 14, 2026

    Gov't Sues Uniserve For £90M Over Faulty COVID-19 PPE

    The government has sued logistics firm Uniserve Ltd. for more than £90 million ($121 million), alleging it supplied unusable medical gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • May 14, 2026

    OnlyFans Software Biz Says Rival Breached Antitrust Laws

    A company that makes software for OnlyFans creators has denied unlawfully accessing another platform's user data, telling a London court that its rival has breached competition law by failing to make the data readily available.

  • May 14, 2026

    Entrepreneur Tries To Ax Tice's Defense In Hamas Libel Case

    Dale Vince told an appeals court on Thursday that Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice should not be allowed to defend a post accusing the green energy entrepreneur of supporting Hamas as his honest opinion because it was presented as fact.

  • May 14, 2026

    Novo Nordisk Secures Web Block On Ozempic Counterfeits

    Novo Nordisk has convinced a London judge to block access to several websites selling counterfeit versions of its diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic, after showing that the risks to public health were too great. 

  • May 14, 2026

    PE Co. Settles €9.3M Fraud Claim Against Restauranteur

    A private equity shop's special purpose vehicle has settled its case against a French restaurant manager alleging that he lied about his previous work experience to secure a €9.3 million ($11 million) investment for a failed food business venture.

  • May 14, 2026

    Mehta Says He Signed Fake Board Minutes At Exec's Request

    A diamond and jewelry tycoon accused of swindling more than $1 billion from banks testified at trial in London on Thursday that he never attended board meetings and signed off on minutes years after the fact without ever seeing the contents.

  • May 14, 2026

    Jusan Refused Ex-Exec's Payment Over Embezzlement Claims

    A former executive at investment holding company Jusan Technologies Ltd. won his whistleblowing case on Thursday after a tribunal found that the British company withheld money he was due after he raised concerns about embezzlement.

  • May 14, 2026

    Pogust Goodhead's Brazil Shipwreck Case Struck Out

    A judge struck out on Thursday a claim brought by Pogust Goodhead on behalf of approximately 18,000 Brazilians over pollution caused by a shipwreck, after the law firm's authority to bring the action was thrown into doubt.

  • May 14, 2026

    Bindmans Leads New Judicial Review On WASPI Claim

    The government is facing a renewed legal challenge over its refusal to offer compensation to women affected by failures in state pension provision.

  • May 14, 2026

    Freeths Settles £5M Claim Over Advice On Soured Quarry Deal

    Freeths has reached a settlement in its £5 million ($6.8 million) negligence dispute with a litigation-funder at a London court, swerving claims that its advice caused the owner of a quarrying business to lose his company.

  • May 13, 2026

    Merricks Owes £75K For Halted Bid To Rep Rail Fare Class

    Walter Merricks must pay £75,000 ($101,000) to cover the costs of his involvement in a proposed £400 million collective class action against rail operator Govia Thameslink, a London court ruled after he backed away from serving as the claim's class representative.

  • May 13, 2026

    Crispin Odey Settles Several Women's Sex Assault Claims

    Crispin Odey has settled sexual assault claims brought against him by several women, a month after he dropped his £79 million ($107 million) libel claim against the Financial Times over articles which brought the allegations to public attention.

  • May 13, 2026

    Nokia Ruling Maps Route To Arbitration In UK FRAND Cases

    Nokia has offered a glimpse into the future of standard-essential patent licensing disputes in London by persuading an appeals court to let arbitrators take the reins, with lawyers expecting other patent holders to follow suit.

  • May 13, 2026

    Ex-BDB Pitmans Client Challenges Denial Of Fee Protections

    A former client of BDB Pitmans urged a London appellate court on Wednesday to overturn rulings that their agreement for contentious work with the firm did not meet the requirements for statutory protections.

  • May 13, 2026

    Asterix Publisher Revives Challenge To 'Obelix' TM On Appeal

    A European court ruled Wednesday that the publisher behind the Asterix comic franchise can continue challenging a Polish arm maker's "Obelix" trademark, finding officials failed to consider that consumers would recognize the character outside of the series.

Expert Analysis

  • EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.

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    The European Union General Court’s recent upholding of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in Latombe v. European Commission, although subject to appeal, provides companies with legal certainty for the first time by allowing the transfer of European Economic Area personal data without relying on alternative mechanisms, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Privy Council Shareholder Rule Repeal Is Significant For Cos.

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    The recent Privy Council ruling in Jardine v. Oasis Investment abrogates the shareholder rule, which precluded a company from claiming legal advice privilege for document production in shareholder litigation, providing certainty to company directors seeking legal advice, say lawyers at Harneys.

  • Israeli Ruling Shows A Non-EU ICSID Enforcement Approach

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    An Israeli district court's recent decision declining to enforce an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes award served as a prominent testing ground for how a non-European Union jurisdiction approaches the enforcement of an intra-EU award against an EU member state, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

  • Supreme Court Ruling Stands Firm On Trust Law Principles

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent strict application of trust law in Stevens v. Hotel Portfolio may render it more difficult for lawyers in future cases to make arguments based on a holistic assessment of the facts, says Olivia Retter at Quinn Emanuel.

  • High Court Freezing Order Ruling Highlights Strict CPR Rules

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    The recent High Court decision in AAA v. BBB to set aside an expired worldwide freezing order serves as a reminder to injunctive relief practitioners that rules are there to be followed, and that it is critical to adhere to timings, say lawyers at Greenberg Traurig.

  • AI Risks Legal Sector Must Consider In Dispute Resolution

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    Artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities to lawyers and decision-makers navigating increasingly data-heavy legal proceedings, but two recent cases provide a sobering reminder of the potential for misuse, say lawyers at White & Case.

  • UK Supreme Court Dissent May Spark Sanctions Debate

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    While the recent U.K. Supreme Court's rejection of Eugene Shvidler’s appeal determined that sanctions decisions are primarily the government’s preserve, Justice Leggatt’s dissenting view that judges are better placed to assess proportionality will cause ripples and may mark a material shift in how future appeals are approached, say lawyers at Seladore.

  • What UK's New Prosecution Guidance Means For Compliance

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    Recent guidance from the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office and Crown Prosecution Service, aligning their approach with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, offers a timely prompt for corporate boards and legal teams to update their risk management frameworks, say lawyers at Signature Litigation.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: ICSID Enforcement In Australia

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    The Federal Court of Australia recently ruled for award creditors in Blasket Renewable Investments v. Spain in a judgment that explains how Australia's statute book operationalizes the promise of depoliticized enforcement under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention while accommodating, without yielding to, the centrifugal forces of European Union law, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • How AI May Have Made A Difference In Monzo Bank Breaches

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    Artificial intelligence tools have the capabilities needed to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated threats, and such tools might have helped prevent the anti-money laundering failures that led to the recent £21.1 million fine against Monzo Bank, says Alexander Vilardo at Howard Kennedy.

  • Charting A Course For The UK's Transition From Paper Shares

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    The recent report from the U.K.'s Digitisation Taskforce, recommending modernization of how shares in U.K.-listed companies are held, makes it clear that while moving from paper shares to an intermediated system is a positive step, the transition will not be without complications, say lawyers at HSF Kramer.

  • Irish Ruling Presents Road Map For Evaluating Jurisdiction

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    With its recent decision in Petersen Energia Inversora v. The Argentine Republic, the Dublin Commercial High Court has delivered a judgment of conspicuous clarity on the frontiers of Ireland's service-out jurisdiction for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn.

  • UK's 1st ICSID Claim Shows Bilateral Investment Treaty Reach

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    For the first time, the U.K. is facing a claim under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention, underscoring the broader reality that treaty protections are no longer confined to investors in emerging markets, says Philipp Kurek at Signature Litigation.

  • Opinion

    Further Anti-SLAPP Reform Is Needed To Protect Free Speech

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    New provisions aimed at combating strategic lawsuits against public participation recently came into effect in the U.K., but in applying only to economic crime-related information, the definition of a SLAPP is too narrow to prevent instigators bringing claims to silence public criticism, says Sadie Whittam at Lancaster University.

  • Exploring Key Features Of New Frankfurt Commercial Court

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    The recently established Frankfurt Commercial Court and Commercial Chambers, which offer proceedings in English and experienced commercial judges, are designed to handle complex, high-value and cross-border disputes, marking a significant step forward in the modernization of Germany's civil justice system, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

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