Commercial Litigation UK

  • April 21, 2026

    Ex-Oil Execs Say 'Dishonest' Asset Freeze Cost Them $1B

    Two former top executives at oil trader Arcadia told a court on Tuesday that a decadelong order freezing their assets in support of a meritless fraud claim prevented them from setting up a business that would have earned them more than $1.1 billion.

  • April 21, 2026

    TomTom Rebuts £5.2M Royalties Claim From Parking Biz

    TomTom has denied owing £5.2 million ($7 million) in royalties under a licensing agreement with a company that indexes car park locations, arguing at a London court that its opponent owes money under the deal.

  • April 21, 2026

    ENRC's $290M Claim Defies Decades Of Precedent, SFO Says

    The Serious Fraud Office and Dechert argued at trial on Tuesday that the $290 million claim brought by ENRC over a botched criminal investigation flies in the face of 30 years of legal precedent and simply "doesn't work."

  • April 21, 2026

    Law Commission Mulls New Consumer Class Action Regime

    The Law Commission has said that it is considering the introduction of a new class action regime for consumer law claims that could replicate the collective proceedings system at the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

  • April 21, 2026

    Unite To Face Ex-Legal Chief's Case Over Alleged Press Leaks

    A London court rejected on Tuesday the latest attempt by Unite the Union to swerve its former legal chief's claim that it leaked information to the press about his suspension amid suspicions he had been involved in financial misconduct.

  • April 27, 2026

    The 2026 UK Lawyer Satisfaction Survey: Where Do You Stand?

    How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 UK Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.

  • April 21, 2026

    Glencore Ruling Broadens Scope For Challenge Over Privilege

    A recent court ruling that expands legal advice privilege to cover some internal corporate communications gives companies greater scope for withholding sensitive material but is likely to prompt challenges over whether those documents meet the test for protection, lawyers say.

  • April 20, 2026

    US Firm Kicks Off Ukraine Claim Over Alleged Asset Grab

    A California entity that previously bought the assets of liquidated Ukrainian banks has initiated an investment treaty claim against Ukraine after its license to do so was yanked, weeks after it slapped the country with a $127 million lawsuit in Washington, D.C., accusing it of violating international law.

  • April 20, 2026

    UK Co. Should Have Known About VAT Fraud, Tribunal Says

    A computer company should have known it was dealing with value-added tax fraudsters whose business was too good to be true, so HMRC's denial of a nearly £430,000 ($582,000) tax deduction is valid, the First-tier Tribunal said in a decision.

  • April 20, 2026

    Irish Co. Defeats £18M Tax Appeal Over Lehman Bros. Debt

    HM Revenue & Customs can't retain over £18 million ($24.3 million) in a withholding tax claimed by an Irish company on debt interest from collapsed bank Lehman Brothers, a London court ruled Monday.

  • April 20, 2026

    Housing Group Can't Ax Union Case Over Blog Post Pay Offer

    A housing provider has lost its bid to strike out claims from unionized staffers over a blog post from its CEO offering a pay raise to nonunion members, after failing to convince an employment tribunal that the post might have broken the law during ongoing pay negotiations.

  • April 20, 2026

    Refinitiv Settles Children's World-Check Privacy Claim

    A court approved a settlement Monday between Refinitiv and two grandchildren of Serbian politicians over a claim that they were unlawfully identified as relatives of politically exposed people, before what would have been the first trial to consider data protection law and a know-your-client database.

  • April 20, 2026

    Recruiter Beats Scientist's Age Bias Claim Over References

    A recruitment agency for the science sector has beaten claims that it discriminated against a job applicant nearing his 70th birthday after showing that a lack of positive references was the reason he was blacklisted, an employment tribunal has ruled.

  • April 20, 2026

    Royal Family Textile Supplier Denies Copying Fern Print

    A fabric and wallpaper supplier for the British royal family has denied claims that it stole a rival's copyrighted designs, arguing that it had independently come up with a wavy pattern of ferns. 

  • April 20, 2026

    Holiday Park Biz Sues Rival Over £4.8M Sale Of Caravan Site

    A holiday park operator has sued a rival in a bid to enforce a deal for the potential purchase of a Welsh caravan park for £4.8 million ($6.5 million) amid a dispute over valuation.

  • April 20, 2026

    Lorry Drivers Lose Overtime Appeal Over Contract Terms

    Truck drivers who claimed they were entitled to enhanced pay for overtime have lost their appeal against a pharmaceutical company as a London appeals tribunal ruled they that had relied on a staff handbook that did not apply to them. 

  • April 20, 2026

    Hermes, Shell Funds Join Entain Claim Over Bribery Probe

    Four investment vehicles, including two Federated Hermes funds, a Shell pension fund and another managed by Morningstar, have joined a multimillion-pound claim alleging that Entain PLC failed to warn them of alleged bribery-related misconduct tied to its Turkish operations.

  • April 20, 2026

    ENRC Says SFO Probe Tarnished Rep And Scared Off Lenders

    The prolonged investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into ENRC hammered the company's reputation, scared off lenders and ultimately drove up its borrowing costs, the miner's counsel said at the start of a $290 million trial on Monday.

  • April 20, 2026

    Nigerian Oil Co. Denies Unlawfully Witholding Trader's Fuel

    A Nigerian oil magnate's company has denied unlawfully refusing a fuel trader access to oil following a $33 million court judgment, accusing the trader of suing to increase pressure in a wider dispute with another of the magnate's businesses.

  • April 17, 2026

    Oschadbank Kicks Off New Russia Claim Over Lost Assets

    One of Ukraine's largest banks has made good on its threat to pursue a second investment treaty claim against Russia over the loss of "substantial" assets and operations near Ukraine's western border.

  • April 17, 2026

    Brexit Backer Owes Inheritance Tax On Donations, Court Says

    A former hedge fund manager who donated about £750,000 ($1 million) to political groups that mostly advocated for Brexit isn't exempt from about £100,000 of inheritance tax on his donations, the First-tier Tribunal said in a judgment.

  • April 17, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen Aston Martin file an appeal in a row with Chinese carmaker Geely over its winged logo for London black cabs, Ineos sue Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team for a £180 million ($244 million) boat, White & Case face a claim from two energy storage companies, and a golf tour company bring a claim against Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after the fund invested in its rival.

  • April 17, 2026

    Businessman Denies Duping Council In £150M Solar Deal Row

    A businessman has denied owing an effectively bankrupt local English council more than £150 million ($204 million) over a series of failed investments that he allegedly misrepresented and siphoned off for his personal spending, arguing that he never deceived the authority.

  • April 17, 2026

    ENRC Seeks $290M As Final SFO Damages Trial Opens

    The 13-year legal battle between the Serious Fraud Office and Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. could be headed for its final chapter on Monday as the mining company demands compensation for a botched criminal investigation.

  • April 17, 2026

    Litigation Funder Fenchurch Legal Enters Administration

    London-based litigation funder Fenchurch Legal has entered administration amid a winding-up petition from an investment manager that previously warred with the company over a multimillion-pound loan.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Petrofac Ruling Shifts Focus To Fairness In Restructurings

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    The recent Court of Appeal overturning of Petrofac's restructuring plans demonstrates a change of direction that will allow previously ignored out-of-the-money creditors a share in the benefits, and means companies must review the fair treatment of different creditor classes, say lawyers at King & Spalding.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: A Battle For Arbitral Voice

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    The English Commercial Court's recent decision in Republic of India v. CC/Devas, although procedural in form, reflects a significant chapter in the ongoing struggle between arbitral autonomy and sovereign intervention, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square Chambers.

  • How Top Court Ruling Limits Scope Of Motor Finance Claims

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in a landmark case concerning car finance commissions clarifies when and how a dealership’s fiduciary duties arise, considerably narrowing that path for mass consumer litigation and highlighting how an upcoming Financial Conduct Authority redress scheme will seek to balance consumer, lender and market interests, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • Why Leveson Review Is Significant For UK Court System

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    Brian Leveson’s recent review into the U.K. criminal justice system calls for judge-only trials in serious and complex fraud cases, a controversial recommendation that is sparking debate over the future of jury trials, says Louise Hodges at Kingsley Napley.

  • Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams

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    Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.

  • High Court Elects Substance Over Form In Arbitration Dispute

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    The High Court recently found that an arbitral tribunal has jurisdiction over the dispute in Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority v. India, underscoring the importance of aligning treaty interpretation with the goal of fostering investment, while rejecting interpretations that unduly limit investor protections, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • French Plans For Call-In Powers Signal More Merger Scrutiny

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    The French Competition Authority’s intention to draft a call-in mechanism for below-threshold transactions demonstrates a growing appetite to expand national investigation tools that will require a balance of effective control and legal certainty to reduce the burden on merging companies, say lawyers at Linklaters.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: UK Injunctions Across Borders

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    A recent High Court of Justice decision allowing JPMorgan Chase Bank to block VTB Bank from bringing suit in a Russian court provides a seminal reflection on the power of English courts to issue antisuit injunctions when global banking disputes increasingly straddle multiple jurisdictions, says Josep Galvez of 4-5 Gray's Inn.

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