Commercial Litigation UK

  • September 18, 2025

    Think Tank Wants Funders To Bear Costs In Bid To Curb CPOs

    A British think tank pushed for changes on Thursday that could reduce the number of U.K. class action claims that go forward, in anticipation of a major government review of the collective proceedings regime.

  • September 18, 2025

    HSBC Analyst Launches Libel Case Over Online Posts

    An HSBC analyst has accused a company and its director of defaming him by making false allegations that the analyst was a "serial cheater" and liar who had refused to pay £50,000 ($68,000) debts.

  • September 18, 2025

    Ex-AllSaints Chair Spared Prison For Contempt Of Court

    A court in London has handed the former chairman of AllSaints a suspended prison sentence for contempt of court by breaching a court order and claiming an interest in shares in the high street fashion chain after his fraud allegations were rejected.

  • September 18, 2025

    Ex-Havilland CEO To Testify In Qatar Dispute With FCA

    Ex-Banque Havilland SA chief executive Edmund Rowland is due to testify in a dispute with the U.K.'s financial regulator over fines imposed for an alleged scheme to de-peg Qatar's currency from the dollar during a trade embargo, a London tribunal heard Thursday.

  • September 18, 2025

    Bird & Bird Opens Lisbon Office, Expanding Iberian Reach

    Bird & Bird LLP said Thursday that it has hired a new team in Portugal to open an office in Lisbon, strengthening its position in the wider Iberian market after expanding its footprint in Japan and Saudi Arabia in recent years.

  • September 18, 2025

    Racecourse Assoc. Beats Pregnancy Bias Claim For 2nd Time

    A tribunal has rejected an accountant's latest attempt to prove that a racecourse trade body discriminated against her when it dismissed her from the company during maternity leave.

  • September 18, 2025

    Former JP Morgan Employee Revives Unfair Firing Claim

    A former member of staff at J.P. Morgan has revived his unfair dismissal claims against the bank, even though he withdrew them in "unequivocal terms," after an employment tribunal ruled that it was only fair because he was not represented and had made an error. 

  • September 18, 2025

    Carter-Ruck Hired By CryptoQueen 'In Furtherance Of Fraud'

    Fugitive cryptocurrency scammer Ruja Ignatova instructed Carter-Ruck "in furtherance of fraud," and therefore legal filings linked to the prosecution by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of a partner at the law firm must be made public, a tribunal has ruled.

  • September 18, 2025

    Allied World Denies Liability In £3M 'Ponzi Scheme' Dispute

    An insurer has argued that it does not have to indemnify the liquidators of the business behind an investment plan for more than £3 million ($4 million), arguing there is no evidence that the investment was a Ponzi scheme.

  • September 17, 2025

    Investors Want Third Round Of Sanctions Against Romania

    Swedish investors involved in a long-running arbitration row with the Romanian government are asking a D.C. federal judge for a third round of sanctions against the country, saying it still has not answered discovery orders intended to illuminate its assets and help enforce a $356 million award for the brothers.

  • September 17, 2025

    Generali Denies £2M Claim Over Astellas Worker's Alzheimer's

    Generali Group has denied unreasonably refusing to pay out almost £2 million ($2.7 million) to Astellas on an income protection policy for a staffer with Alzheimer's disease, arguing that the employee did not become unable to work before the policy ended.

  • September 17, 2025

    Funder Says Businessman Colluded To Overturn Asset Case

    A litigation funder told a London court on Wednesday that a businessman should not be allowed to participate in proceedings seeking to enforce an asset recovery judgment, because he allegedly improperly colluded with a convicted fraudster to overturn the outcome of past litigation.

  • September 17, 2025

    McDonald's Beats Staffer's Appeal To Revive Race Bias Claim

    A McDonald's franchisee persuaded a London appeals tribunal Wednesday not to revive a former employee's discrimination claim, proving that he waited too long to sue the company.

  • September 17, 2025

    Tech Co. Claims Shenzhen Biz Failed To Make 'FridgeCams'

    A U.K. consumer appliance company has sued a Chinese manufacturer for more than £100 million ($136.6 million) in a London court, accusing it of failing to deliver 30,000 internet-enabled cameras for refrigerators it had ordered for around five years.

  • September 17, 2025

    Ex-Consultancy Execs Liable For £2.4M Over Misleading Sale

    A Birmingham court has ordered the former owners of a technology consultancy to pay more than £2.4 million ($3.3 million) in damages for selling the company under the misleading impression that some of its client contracts were more profitable than they really were.

  • September 17, 2025

    Unqualified Law Firm Staff Can't Conduct Litigation, Court Says

    Unqualified employees of law firms cannot conduct litigation, even under the supervision of a qualified solicitor, a London court has ruled in a decision that clarifies who is able to carry out regulated legal work under the Legal Services Act 2007.

  • September 17, 2025

    Fox Williams Sues Fintech Biz For £130K Unpaid Legal Fees

    Fox Williams LLP has sued a financial technology company at a London court, alleging that it refused to pay fees incurred in an employment dispute with a former employee, according to filings that are now public.

  • September 16, 2025

    Prosecco Consortium Sues Wine Promoter For TM Misuse

    A consortium that promotes Prosecco has sued a U.K. alcoholic drinks company, its former director and its executive chair in a London court, accusing them of infringing its trademark for the sparkling wine.

  • September 16, 2025

    Barrister Can Argue Judge Bias In Race Discrimination Appeal

    A Black barrister on Tuesday won his bid to argue that a judge was biased in handling his claims that he was expelled from 2 Temple Gardens because of his race, with an appellate tribunal ruling that his bias accusation was arguable.

  • September 16, 2025

    Virgin Seeks $30M From Alaska Airlines Over Missed Royalties

    Virgin Group told a court on Tuesday that Alaska Airlines must pay it more than $30 million in missed royalty payments, ahead of the substantive dispute alleging the British conglomerate breached a trademark licensing deal for the now-defunct Virgin America branding.

  • September 16, 2025

    Merrill Lynch Proves Tribunal Claim Barred By Settlement

    Merrill Lynch has persuaded a tribunal to toss a former employee's discrimination claim under a settlement he inked when he exited the company, proving that he did not sign the agreement under duress.

  • September 16, 2025

    Pogust Goodhead Reshuffles Team Leading £36B BHP Case

    Pogust Goodhead has had to reshuffle its team on the BHP class action trial after its lead lawyer on the £36 billion ($49 billion) claim moved to another case and the partner overseeing its Dieselgate litigation left the firm.

  • September 16, 2025

    Insurer Can't Duck $6M Bond Payout Over Ghana Power Plant

    A London court ordered a Ghanaian insurance company on Tuesday to pay a subsidiary of Greek industrial conglomerate Metlen almost $6.3 million for wrongly refusing to pay up under a bond the insurer claimed was obtained by fraud.

  • September 16, 2025

    Tottenham Says Audi Talks Didn't Breach Ineos Sponsor Deal

    Tottenham Hotspur FC has pressed home its £11.2 million ($15.3 million) claim against Ineos Automotive Ltd. for allegedly dropping out part way through a sponsorship deal, adding that the carmaker couldn't ditch the agreement simply because the football club had started negotiations with Audi.

  • September 16, 2025

    Barrister Faces BSB Probe Over Fake Case From ChatGPT

    A barrister who allegedly misled a tribunal by submitting a fictitious case generated by ChatGPT has been referred to the Bar Standards Board.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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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