Commercial Litigation UK

  • July 22, 2026

    Top Court Upholds Lost-Bargain Damages In $15M Ship Sale

    The U.K.'s top court on Wednesday upheld a $1.85 million arbitral award over the aborted $15 million sale of a vessel, ruling that buyers can recover "loss of bargain" damages where sellers negligently fail to deliver on time under a standard ship sale contract.

  • July 22, 2026

    Apple Says Tech Co.'s US Action Undercuts Wireless Fee Deal

    Apple has urged an Israeli tech company to abandon U.S. litigation over a royalties dispute for wireless charging patents, saying the case is no longer necessary because the companies agreed to negotiate new licensing terms in the U.K.

  • July 22, 2026

    Rugby Bodies Seek To Ax Brain Injury Claims Over Disclosure

    World Rugby and the sport's governing bodies in England and Wales sought on Wednesday to throw out hundreds of brain injury claims by former players over alleged failures to disclose medical information after their law firm withdrew from the case.

  • July 22, 2026

    Payments Biz Says Rival Copied Business Advice Guide

    A payments software company has filed a copyright infringement claim over a 6,000-word guide for businesses that it had published online, telling a London court that a rival republished the text on its own websites.

  • July 22, 2026

    Broker Tries To Kick South African Workers' Case Out Of UK

    An English motor insurance broker accused 30 former South African call center workers Wednesday of "forum-shopping" by suing it in England, arguing at a London court that the claims should be sent back to South Africa. 

  • July 22, 2026

    Lawfront Sues Slater Heelis Partners For £4.6M Over Sale

    Legal services group Lawfront has filed a £4.6 million ($6.2 million) claim over its acquisition of Slater Heelis, arguing that five of the law firm's partners at the time made false promises about the value of its book of work during the purchase.

  • July 22, 2026

    SRA Defends Access To Privileged Files In Carter-Ruck Row

    The solicitors' watchdog told the High Court on Wednesday that it is not seeking unfettered power to override clients' legal professional privilege, but said limited access to privileged documents is essential if it is to investigate solicitors accused of professional misconduct.

  • July 22, 2026

    Austrian Bank Sues Italian Province In €19M Swaps Dispute

    Austrian banking group Bawag is pursuing an Italian province for damages in England, claiming that the province breached a jurisdiction clause in an interest rate swap deal by suing the bank in Italy.

  • July 22, 2026

    Spy Tactic Costs Billionaire Asset Freeze In $415M Fraud Case

    A London appeals court has lifted a worldwide freezing order on a man accused of defrauding a Mexican billionaire out of more than $415 million, ruling that Salinas had obtained privileged information from his opponent's solicitor by "unlawful as well as abusive" means.

  • July 22, 2026

    Receptionist Wins Unpaid Tips In Early Victory Under New Law

    A tribunal has ordered a hotel to pay its former receptionist £200 ($267) in tips that she should have received, marking one of the first payouts under new U.K. laws regulating the distribution of gratuities among staff.

  • July 21, 2026

    Trump Must Produce Trust Records In BBC Defamation Suit

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust to produce financial records relating to $10 billion of damages allegedly caused by BBC's documentary about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying that Trump's properties and businesses are now issues in the case.

  • July 21, 2026

    Santander Says £670M AXA PPI Indemnity Isn't Retroactive

    Santander told an appeals court Tuesday it should not pay out £670 million ($896 million) AXA lost when dealing with mis-sold payment protection insurance claims, arguing an earlier judge wrongly found it was liable irrespective of when the policies were sold.

  • July 21, 2026

    Woodville Forced Into Administration As Finance Claims Frozen

    Litigation funder Woodville Consultants Ltd. has been forced into administration amid a freeze in the motor finance complaints it had been backing, Crowell & Moring LLP said Tuesday.

  • July 21, 2026

    Charles Russell Says Ex-Footballer Client Is 'Harassing' Firm

    A former Premier League footballer attempted Tuesday to save his resurrected negligence case against Charles Russell Speechlys over advice given about a multimillion-pound dispute with his brother.

  • July 21, 2026

    Carter-Ruck Fights SRA Bid For Privileged Client Files

    Carter-Ruck and businessman Mohamed Amersi urged the High Court on Tuesday to rule that the solicitors' watchdog cannot compel law firms to hand over documents protected by clients' legal professional privilege during misconduct investigations.

  • July 21, 2026

    Jellycat Hits Back At Retailer Over Plush Bag Charms

    Jellycat has pushed back against a claim by a London accessories retailer that its bag charms would not be mistaken for the toymaker's plush range, arguing that consumers would struggle to tell them apart because of their anthropomorphic features.

  • July 21, 2026

    Orrick Beats $74M Negligence Claim Over Carlyle Deal Advice

    Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP defeated a Nigerian tourism company's $74 million professional negligence claim over legal advice on an investment deal with The Carlyle Group, as a London judge ruled Tuesday that the claim was time-barred.

  • July 21, 2026

    Ex-HBOS Manager Can't Boost £10K Discrimination Award

    Halifax Bank of Scotland has persuaded a tribunal not to increase a £10,000 ($13,400) payout to a former manager who lost her job after returning from maternity leave.

  • July 21, 2026

    US Arms-Maker Says Rival Can't Void Drone Tech Over Demo

    An American defense contractor has maintained that a drone manufacturer deliberately copied its design, telling a court that its British rival could not sidestep the claim by arguing that the patent was invalid because it had publicly demonstrated a prototype.

  • July 21, 2026

    Economist Copy Chief Claims Bias Complaint Led To Layoff

    A former copy chief at The Economist told a London tribunal on Tuesday that its publisher carried out a sham redundancy process after she raised complaints of misogyny and discrimination at the publication.

  • July 21, 2026

    Lloyd's Unit Beats Scrap Dealer Over Undisclosed Fire History

    A Lloyd's of London syndicate was entitled to reject an insurance claim by a Belgian scrap metal dealer because the company failed to disclose five significant cargo fires before it renewed its policy, a London court ruled Tuesday.

  • July 21, 2026

    Property Group Settles £13M Fraud Recovery Claim

    A property development group has settled its claim against a property tycoon's brother who it alleged had transferred his shares from an investment venture to frustrate attempts to recover money funneled from a £13 million ($17.5 million) fraud.

  • July 20, 2026

    DOJ Hints Russian Court Ruling May Not Stop $5B Award

    The Trump administration on Monday urged the D.C. Circuit to closely evaluate a Russian court's determination that an underlying arbitration agreement is invalid as it weighs whether to enforce a nearly $5 billion arbitral award against the Kremlin, saying circumstances surrounding the ruling should be a factor.

  • July 20, 2026

    Staffing Co. Loses VAT Credit Fight Over Fraud Knowledge

    A construction recruitment company can't recover input value-added tax after a London court held Monday that its director knew or should have known that its supply chain was compromised by fraud and that the transactions giving rise to the input tax credit were related to the fraud.

  • July 20, 2026

    Carter-Ruck Challenge Threatens SRA Misconduct Cases

    Carter-Ruck's upcoming challenge to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's demand for documents that the law firm says are protected by legal professional privilege could reshape how the SRA investigates SLAPPs and the misuse of client funds — even if the regulator wins.

Expert Analysis

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Post-Award Noncompliance

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    Grainful Holdings v. Mineev, a recent Commercial Court decision that resulted in a sentence for contempt following post-award enforcement proceedings, illustrates the point at which proceedings, having moved beyond recognition of an arbitral obligation, engage the court's own coercive jurisdiction, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Baker McKenzie's Andy Moody

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    Andy Moody, head of Baker McKenzie's London disputes team, discusses the traits that he prioritizes as a leader, the unique challenges of international arbitration cases, and how global political and economic disruption is likely to generate more litigation and arbitration.

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    Practice Leader Insights From Mishcon's Victoria Pigott

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    Victoria Pigott, chair of Mishcon Private at Mishcon de Reya, discusses the challenges of lengthy multijurisdictional matters, how artificial intelligence helps lawyers deliver better outcomes for clients, and why curiosity is an essential skill for those joining the legal profession.

  • Why Tonzip Is Notable In English Sanctions Law Development

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    The Court of Appeal's ruling in Tonzip Maritime Ltd. v. 2Rivers Pte Ltd., the latest in the English law of sanctions ownership and control, confirms that where a contract refers to sanctions exposure, the relevant question may be whether there is a real and objectively reasonable risk, not whether a sanctions breach has already been proved, say lawyers at Michelman Robinson.

  • AI Makes Law Firm Change Management A Client Issue

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    As artificial intelligence implementation is causing clients' expectations of outside counsel to shift toward greater risk control and more transparent value, successful law firm transformation and the preservation of professional trust will require governance, training and accountability, says John Hutchinson at Broadfield.

  • Top Law Firm Error Shows Lawyers Must Not Delegate To AI

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    A High Court judge's recent criticism of Pinsent Masons lawyers for reliance on a fictitious authority generated by artificial intelligence is a timely reminder that technology cannot replace lawyers’ proper analysis or verification, say lawyers at Wedlake Bell.

  • Considering Rules For Expert Witness Use Of Generative AI

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    As U.K. legal industry policymakers debate how to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in expert testimony, lawyers can take steps now when working with experts to understand and mitigate risks of proposed AI use, says Andrew Judkins at Norton Rose.

  • Series

    Practice Leader Insights From Broadfield's Sinéad Lester

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    Sinéad Lester, Broadfield's head of commercial litigation, discusses how important it is for a leader to support their team in meeting deadlines, the challenges of not receiving instructions from a client in good time, and how the reforms to witness evidence continue to reshape how lawyers prepare cases.

  • EU Protocol Strengthens Int'l Criminal Asset Recovery Powers

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    The Council of Europe’s recently adopted protocol to the Warsaw Convention marks a significant evolution in the international asset recovery landscape, signaling a focus on proactive and coordinated methods that require organizations to consider how to respond quickly to unexpected enforcement action, say lawyers at Trowers & Hamlin.

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    Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Miriam Bruce

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    Miriam Bruce, Mayer Brown's head of business protection, discusses how being promoted on the eve of the pandemic was a baptism of fire in leadership, the challenges of multidimensional disputes, and why lawyers should invest in relationships, not just technical knowledge.

  • A Potent EU Tool To Block Russian Arbitration Interference

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    The European Union’s latest sanctions package introduces an EU-wide antisuit injunction mechanism that offers businesses a powerful weapon against Russia's efforts to derail international arbitration with forum-shopping tactics, say lawyers at Signature Litigation.

  • Bar AI Guidance Shifts Verification Duty Focus To Law Firms

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    The Bar Standards Board’s new guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, following two recent cases highlighting risks of misuse, sends a clear message to law firm leadership that firms’ operational processes and the conduct of those who supervise now sit within the regulatory frame, says Marcella Rich at Williams Lea.

  • Nonequity Partner Tier Presents Lawyers With Pros And Cons

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    While the nonequity partner model may offer law firms' management flexibility and be a genuine stepping stone for lawyers in some organizations, at others the tier functions more as an extended holding pattern whose uncertainty can cause frustration for ambitious lawyers, say Filippo Falchi and Portia White at Major Lindsey.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: Curial Review Limits In Singapore

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    The Singapore International Commercial Court's recent decision to dismiss an application for supervisory relief from a Singapore International Arbitration Centre final costs award illustrates the limits of converting adverse financial consequences into public policy objections, even where the commercial result is severe, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

  • Diverging Global AI Rules Raise IP Risks For UK Cos.

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    Several recent updates to U.K. intellectual property law as it relates to artificial intelligence mark a sharp divergence with approaches in the European Union and U.S., highlighting why a one-size-fits-all IP strategy is not viable for U.K. businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions, say lawyers at Skadden.

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