Commercial Litigation UK

  • November 04, 2026

    Lambretta Owner Says Betrayal Fueled Brand Rights Grab

    The company claiming ownership of the Lambretta brand told a court on Wednesday that a longtime licensee betrayed its former trademark owner by handing rights to a businessman who had spent years trying to wrest control of the famed scooter name.

  • November 04, 2026

    Bratz Maker Fends Off Startup's £90M Antitrust Appeal

    A startup toymaker failed on Wednesday to revive its claim against MGA Entertainment after the Court of Appeal rejected its argument that it was entitled to damages for being unlawfully excluded from the market by the maker of Bratz dolls.

  • November 04, 2026

    Care Provider Loses £928M Contract Row Over Late Filing

    Verity Healthcare has lost its claim against Cambridgeshire County Council over an £928 million ($1.3 billion) home-care services contract, as a London court ruled that the care provider sued the council outside the statutory 30-day time limit.

  • November 04, 2026

    BBC Says Amersi Called Uzbek Deals His 'Favorite' Graft Case

    The BBC told a London trial on Wednesday that a prominent political donor and businessman had operated "in countries where corruption was rife" and had good reason to know about admitted bribery.

  • November 04, 2026

    Builder's £7.3M Cladding Claim Survives Prior Settlement

    Architect Hawkins Brown cannot block United Living's £7.3 million ($10 million) claim over cladding defects at a London development, a court ruled Tuesday, finding the builder acted in good faith by excluding the allegations from an earlier dispute.

  • November 03, 2026

    MSC Cruises Says Florida IP Suit Violates UK NDAs

    MSC Cruises and its executive chair argued at the start of a London trial Tuesday that an American immersive entertainment company should be blocked from pursuing claims for misappropriation of confidential information in Florida federal court in Miami, saying the claims breach restrictions in two contracts.

  • November 03, 2026

    New Cladding Law Puts Manufacturers In Litigation Crosshairs

    Lawyers believe that the cladding remediation bill before Parliament will draw manufacturers into more building safety disputes by giving developers and contractors an easier route to recover repair costs, widening litigation over who ultimately pays to make residential buildings safe.

  • November 03, 2026

    Plumber Blames Kitchen Co.'s Director In £20M Flood Dispute

    A plumbing company has denied negligence in a £20 million ($26 million) claim over flooding at a high-end kitchen designer's Knightsbridge showroom, arguing that the designer's former director failed to warn its engineer about a potentially faulty plastic pipe joint.

  • November 03, 2026

    MI5 Contempt Bid Rejected Despite False Evidence Findings

    Two MI5 officers could face further investigation over false evidence provided to courts regarding the agency's handling of an informant, but a court declined Tuesday to bring contempt proceedings, saying police are better placed to investigate potential criminal offenses.

  • November 03, 2026

    Hogan Lovells Largely Wins Privilege Row In HMRC Tax Probe

    Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has largely succeeded in arguing that legal privilege applies to internal documents amid an HM Revenue & Customs probe into payments made by its U.K. branch to its U.S. body.

  • November 03, 2026

    Music Producer Alleges Fraud In 1996 Copyright Case

    A producer who claims to be behind Gabrielle's hit track "Dreams" has sued Universal in a London court, alleging that fraud and the concealment of evidence tainted a 1996 copyright case that saw him lose out on royalties.

  • November 03, 2026

    Celeb Loses Injunction Bid But Keeps Anonymity Until Appeal

    The High Court rejected on Tuesday an attempt by a public figure to block ITN and The Guardian from publishing allegations of sexual misconduct against him, but maintained restrictions preventing the media from naming the man before any appeal.  

  • November 03, 2026

    Colliers Hit With £4.2M Negligence Claim Over Valuations

    A real estate lender has sued Colliers for £4.2 million ($5.6 million), alleging that negligent property valuations led it to finance a developer's purchase of land in Edinburgh.

  • November 02, 2026

    Taylor Rose Sued By Lender Over Unpaid Land Charges

    A property lender has accused Taylor Rose of failing to pay land charges on a London property that a borrower was refinancing, forcing it to discharge them instead to the tune of £251,394 ($337,177).

  • November 02, 2026

    Lawyers Left Guessing On AI Influence In Witness Statements

    Uncertainty over what counts as artificial intelligence "influencing" witness evidence could complicate proposed safeguards on its use in court documents, lawyers say, as even routine preparation and research could potentially fall within the guidance.

  • November 02, 2026

    Audley Chauce Denies Liability In £1.2M Property Sale Fraud

    A law firm has denied owing a property investment company £1.2 million ($1.6 million) after it acted for scammers who pretended to be the owners of a house during a fraudulent property sale.

  • November 02, 2026

    Playwright Says Plagiarism Isn't Copyright Infringement

    A playwright and writer has told a London judge his admission that a book on Black theater pioneers involved plagiarism didn't make him liable for copyright infringement, saying the "full documentary context" needs to be assessed.

  • November 02, 2026

    Amersi Denies Kazakh Payment Was Corrupt In BBC Trial

    A prominent business executive and political donor denied Monday making a corrupt payment to a Kazakh woman connected to the country's ruling politicians in the early stages of the London trial of his libel claim against the BBC.

  • November 02, 2026

    Spain Blocks Investors' €29M ICSID Award Assignment

    The Court of Appeal has blocked the transfer of a €29.3 million ($32.8 million) arbitration award against Spain, ruling Monday that the investors who won the award cannot transfer its enforcement to another party.

  • November 02, 2026

    Retailer Fights Jellycat's Case Over Copycat Plushies

    A discount retailer has pushed back against claims it deliberately copied dozens of Jellycat's anthropomorphic plush toys, arguing that small limbs and smiley faces existed in the soft toy industry long before the British toymaker launched its own range.

  • November 02, 2026

    Thales Patent Challenged By Passport Maker Over 2008 Demo

    A Canadian passport maker is seeking to revoke a Thales patent, alleging in a London court that it had already developed and publicly demonstrated the technology at an industry conference a year before the French multinational sought patent protection.

  • November 02, 2026

    Reinsurer Says $19M 'Cliffhanger 2' Claim Exceeds Cover

    A Caribbean reinsurer has hit back at a $19.3 million claim in a film financing dispute involving the upcoming Pierce Brosnan movie, "Cliffhanger 2."

  • November 02, 2026

    Rightmove Alone Would Gain If £1B Claim Is Opt-In, CAT Told

    Only Rightmove would benefit if thousands of estate agents were forced to opt in to a proposed £1.1 billion ($1.5 billion) class action over allegedly excessive fees, the accountant seeking to bring the claim told a tribunal Monday.

  • October 30, 2026

    Irwin Mitchell Beats £1.4M Negligence Claim Over Advice

    Irwin Mitchell LLP defeated a negligence claim worth over £1.4 million ($1.9 million) by a finance broker, with a court holding Friday that the law firm was right to advise its former client to settle two meritless claims.

  • October 30, 2026

    Taylor Woodrow Seeks Appeal In £33M Fire Defects Dispute

    A unit of French construction giant Vinci asked a London court on Monday for permission to try again to block a £33 million ($44.2 million) claim from contractor Taylor Wimpey over fire safety defects in apartment blocks.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Points From High Court Ruling On FOS Time Bar Rule

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    In Barclays Bank v. Financial Ombudsman Service, the High Court recently blocked the FOS from investigating consumer complaints that fall outside the legal time limit, demonstrating courts’ willingness to look at the ombudsman's approach to its own jurisdiction, says Rachael Healey at RPC.

  • Landmark UK Ruling Broadens Tipping Off Liability For Cos.

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    The recent Court of Appeal ruling in R v. Osmond, the first appellate decision on the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 tipping off offense, confirms that even where a wider investigation is publicly known, disclosure of a nonpublic strand of the inquiry may engage the offense, say lawyers at Norton Rose.

  • UK Corp. Crime Landscape Raises Global Governance Stakes

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    The Crime and Policing Act 2026 recently entered into force, highlighting a growing emphasis on governance and senior management oversight, the influence of compliance on commercial decision-making, and an overlap between legal and regulatory risk across jurisdictions, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Shakespeare's David Vaughan

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    David Vaughan, international disputes lead at Shakespeare Martineau, discusses how a European upbringing and working across different firms have shaped his leadership abilities, the challenges of representing a sovereign in a foreign court, and how proper global networks are needed to deliver results in cross-border disputes.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Award Enforcement Is Just Step 1

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    In Qatar National Bank v. South Sudan and Bank of South Sudan, a D.C. federal court recently confirmed a $1 billion arbitral award, but the judgment itself remains only the entrance to the asset-recovery exercise, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • UK Top Court Eases Creditors' Path To Enforcing Foreign Debt

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    The recent U.K. Supreme Court ruling in Drelle v. Servis-Terminal that an unrecognized and unregistrable foreign judgment may found a bankruptcy petition presents a real risk for debtors, who could find themselves facing insolvency proceedings with very little warning, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Int'l Arbitration Can Serve As Critical Tool In Hormuz Crisis

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    As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to severely disrupt global commercial navigation, companies should understand the key claims likely to arise in emergency and expedited arbitration procedures — including force majeure, breach of contract and pricing disputes — and the contractual safeguards and protective measures to consider, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Despite Acquittal, Gallery Case Warns Of UK Sanctions Risk

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    Although art gallery Hauser & Wirth was able to defeat criminal charges of breaching the U.K. Russia sanctions regime, the ruling illustrates that prosecution for those operating in high-value international markets is a real-world risk, say lawyers at Fieldfisher.

  • Saxon Woods Ruling Clarifies Directors' Duty Of Good Faith

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent landmark judgment in Saxon Woods sends a clear message to businesses that a director's conduct must withstand objective scrutiny, affirming that even if an individual believes they are acting in the company's best interests, they cannot deceive fellow board members, says Richard Clayman at Kingsley Napley.

  • Entain Ruling Offers Parties Key E-File Guidance

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    The U.K. Commercial Court’s recent decision in Various Claimants v. Entain PLC provides guidance for the first time for those navigating a court document filing pilot scheme, offering a practical template for parties to litigation involving sensitive issues by balancing transparency obligations with legitimate confidentiality concerns, say lawyers at HSFK.

  • BlueCrest Decision Tightens Test For LLP Tax Treatment

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent judgment in HMRC v. BlueCrest Capital Management clarifies the tax framework for assessing whether limited liability partnership members are genuinely operating as partners or should be treated as employees, which is likely to be significant far beyond the hedge fund sector, say lawyers at Stewarts Law.

  • Patent Dispute Takeaways From Ruling In Kodak Appeal

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    The Unified Patent Court’s recent appeal decision in Kodak v. Fujifilm, confirming that the UPC may exercise jurisdiction over non-UPC patent designations, creates opportunities for patentees to pursue claims involving both UPC and non-UPC designations before a single forum, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Employers Can Prep For EU Pay Transparency Directive

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    Although most EU member states failed to implement the Pay Transparency Directive by the June deadline, employers should take steps to address the overarching requirements, as compliance obligations could come into force quickly and with little advance notice, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Covington's Louise Freeman

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    Louise Freeman, Covington's co-chair of commercial litigation, discusses how she combines a longer-term outlook with a fast-paced approach, the challenges of representing clients from six different jurisdictions, and why junior lawyers need to be ready to adapt and pivot to where the work is.

  • A Practical Guide To Key Changes In ICC Int'l Arbitration Rules

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    The International Chamber of Commerce’s recently revised arbitration rules, while not a seismic reset, create a coherent set of practical reforms focused on streamlining the process to parties’ needs, sending the message that preparation and strategic clarity will be rewarded, say lawyers at White & Case.

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