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Commercial Litigation UK

  • June 30, 2025

    Ex-Stobart Boss Loses Latest Conspiracy Case Over Sacking

    Stobart Group's former chief executive has lost his latest battle to prove an alleged conspiracy to remove him as chair of the logistics company, as a judge ruled that his case against some of its shareholders was an unlawful attempt to re-open earlier claims.

  • June 30, 2025

    Japanese Chemicals Biz Takes Aim At Rival's Patents In UK

    A subsidiary of Japanese chemicals firm Kuraray has asked a London court to strip a rival of three patents linked to laminated glass for a head-up display, arguing that the patents are all invalid.

  • June 27, 2025

    UK Tribunal Says Visa, Mastercard Fees Infringe Antitrust Law

    A U.K. tribunal issued a judgment Friday siding with merchants seeking damages from Visa and Mastercard for claims they were charged excessively high transaction fees, finding the interchange fees merchants pay to banks violate competition law.

  • June 27, 2025

    How Staley's Legal Bid To Save His Reputation Backfired

    Former Barclays boss James "Jes" Staley's bid to salvage his reputation has backfired in the face of a London tribunal's findings he "lacked credibility" due to the "overwhelming" evidence of his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

  • June 27, 2025

    Biotech Co. Beats 'Bad Leaver' Ex-CEO's Claim Over Ouster

    An employment tribunal has refused to reconsider a former chief executive's claims that a biotech startup fired him for blowing the whistle on poor company strategies, ruling that his new evidence still didn't prove he was punished. 

  • June 27, 2025

    Law Firm Fails To Ax Vanquis Bank's £4.5M Complaints Case

    A London judge has refused to throw out Vanquis Bank's £4.5 million ($6.1 million) claim against a law firm it alleges inundated it with thousands of meritless complaints over loans, ruling that although the facts underpinning the claim were "novel," it was based on "well-established" principles.

  • June 27, 2025

    UK Joins Arbitration Appeals Alternative Amid WTO Paralysis

    The U.K. has officially joined a World Trade Organization-led contingency plan designed to keep the door open for appeals in international trade disputes, despite the continued dormancy of the WTO Appellate Body.

  • June 27, 2025

    Loft Supplier Denies Copying Rival's 'Loft Leg' Design

    A supplier of loft equipment has denied infringing a rival's designs for a structural support pillar, telling a London court that its own variation gives a different overall impression to consumers.

  • June 27, 2025

    SRA Requests Post Office Files In Horizon IT Scandal Probe

    The English solicitors' watchdog has asked a London court to compel the Post Office to hand over documents to the regulator's investigation into lawyers who worked for the company, following the Horizon IT scandal. 

  • June 27, 2025

    Train Operator To Pay £75K After Failing To Rehire Conductor

    A former West Midlands Trains conductor has won more than £75,000 ($103,000) after the rail operator defied a tribunal order to give him his job back, despite a ruling that reinstatement was not only possible but fair and reasonable.

  • June 27, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen the British Basketball Federation sued by members of the men's professional basketball league for alleged competition breaches, songwriter Coco Star file an intellectual property claim against Universal Music Publishing, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the Post Office amid ongoing investigations into law firms linked to the Horizon IT Scandal. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 27, 2025

    Aon Denies Ex-Exec's $1.3M Bonus Bid Over Early Exit

    Aon has rejected its former insurance consulting chief's $1.3 million claim for bonus and stock options, arguing that his employment contract ended before the payout date.

  • June 27, 2025

    Tottenham Sues Ineos For £11.2M Over Sponsorship Exit

    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club asked a London court to order Ineos Automotive to pay it almost £11.2 million ($15 million) for dropping out of a five-year sponsorship deal part way through.

  • June 27, 2025

    Joey Barton Defends Aluko's Libel Claims Over Online Posts

    Former professional footballer Joey Barton has hit back at claims that he defamed a Black England women's player turned pundit by alleging that she "cynically sought to exploit her race," telling a London court that the remark was true.

  • June 27, 2025

    ZTE Scolded For 'Bad Faith' Tactics In Samsung Patent Clash

    A London judge has rebuked Chinese technology company ZTE after it drew Samsung into "trench warfare" in several jurisdictions in a dispute over whether a court in China or England should fix a cross-license over their essential cellular patents.

  • June 27, 2025

    Justice Birss To Become High Court Chancellor

    Justice Colin Birss has been appointed to become the new chancellor of the High Court, putting an appeals court judge who specializes in intellectual property law in one of the most senior judicial roles in England and Wales.

  • June 27, 2025

    HMRC Beats Dentist's Appeal Over Tax Avoidance Scheme

    A dental practice has failed to overturn a finding that it engaged in tax avoidance by making loan payments to its owner through a trust, after an appeals court Friday found that the payments fall to be taxed as income.

  • June 26, 2025

    European Commission Loses Appeal Over Spanish Tax Break

    Spain can grant tax deductions to companies buying out foreign businesses despite the European Commission's decision that this counts as illegal state aid, the Court of Justice of the European Union affirmed Thursday.

  • June 26, 2025

    Tokio Marine Unit Hit In £46M Case Over Mayfair Development

    A Jersey-based property development company has sued a Tokio Marine HCC unit and an insolvent construction contractor for around £46 million ($63.2 million) for a string of alleged failures linked to the building of an apartment block and luxury hotel in Mayfair, west London.

  • June 26, 2025

    Microsoft Can Appeal IP Ruling In £270M Antitrust Case

    The Competition Appeal Tribunal on Thursday allowed Microsoft to challenge the tribunal's jurisdiction over copyright law issues that arose out of a £270 million ($370 million) antitrust claim against the technology titan.

  • June 26, 2025

    Stability AI Says Getty Has No Evidence For TM Claim

    Stability AI told a court Thursday that Getty must provide evidence that a U.K. user of its generative artificial intelligence model has generated any images bearing the media giant's watermark to succeed in its surviving trademark claim, as the landmark AI intellectual property trial winds down.

  • June 26, 2025

    Law Firm Settles Crypto Fraud Victim's Negligence Claim

    A boutique investment fraud law firm and a cryptocurrency fraud victim have inked a settlement to end a claim accusing the firm of providing negligent advice to recover £500,000 ($687,600) in stolen funds.

  • June 26, 2025

    BHP Fails To Block Contempt Bid In £36B Dam Disaster Battle

    BHP lost its bid on Thursday to block Brazilian municipalities from bringing criminal contempt proceedings in a £36 billion ($50 billion) case over Brazil's worst environmental disaster, with a London court ruling there were reasonable grounds to argue the mining giant was in contempt.

  • June 26, 2025

    Ex-Consultant Wants £1.4M Over Botched Insurance Cover

    A former consultant has sued a wealth management and benefits consultancy for £1.4 million ($1.9 million) for allegedly failing to arrange adequate insurance cover, which she claims left her short of money during serious illness and surgery.  

  • June 26, 2025

    Restructuring Filings Surge Amid AI, Geopolitical Strains

    The first half of 2025 has seen a surge in companies filing for restructuring plans amid increasing financial distress caused by geopolitical troubles and the advent of AI, according to a LexisNexis report published Thursday on the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the plans.

Expert Analysis

  • CPR Proposal Affirms The Emphasis On Early Mediation

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    While the recent proposal to incorporate mandatory alternative dispute resolution into the Civil Procedure Rules following a 2023 appeal decision would not lead to seismic change, given current practice, it signals a shift in how litigation should be pursued toward out-of-court solutions, say Heather Welham and Cyra Roshan at Foot Anstey.

  • How Law Firms Can Handle Challenges Of Mass Claims

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    With a wave of volume litigation possibly about to hit the U.K. courts, firms developing mass claim practices should ensure they heed the Solicitors Regulation Authority's May warning and adopt strategies to ensure regulatory compliance and fair client representation, says Claire Van der Zant at Shieldpay.

  • Potential EPO Reproducibility Ruling May Affect IP Strategies

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    A potential European Patent Office decision in referral G1/23, concerning the reproducibility criteria for patenting commercial products, may affect how disclosures are assessed as prior art and could influence how companies weigh protecting innovations as trade secrets versus patents, says Michael Stott at Mathys & Squire.

  • Insurance Ruling Stresses High Hurdle To Fix Policy Wording

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    In Project Angel v. Axis, the Court of Appeal recently refused to rewrite the exclusion clause of an insurance policy, reminding parties in the warranty and indemnity market to carefully word clauses, as there is a high threshold before courts will intervene to amend policies, say Joseph Moore and Laura McCann at Travers Smith.

  • Taking Stock Of Changes UK Economic Crime Act Will Bring

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    With more than six months since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act's enactment, it is time to look at the steps organizations can take to prepare for imminent changes, including the new failure to prevent fraud offense and extensions to Companies House authority, say lawyers at Mayer Brown.

  • Sanctions Ruling Opens Door For Enforcer To Clear Up Rules

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    In Vneshprombank v. Bedzhamov, the High Court recently argued against a broader interpretation of the test on reasonable suspicion for asset freezes, offering the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation an opportunity to clarify when freezes should be applied and respond to judicial criticism of its guidance on financial sanctions, says Tasha Benkhadra at Corker Binning.

  • How Gov't Response Addresses Investment Act Concerns

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    The government’s recently published response to a call for evidence on the National Security and Investment Act is largely appropriate to stakeholder concerns raised and demonstrates in its five areas of focus that it is willing to respond to live issues, say lawyers at Watson Farley.

  • UPC Appeal Ruling Clarifies Language Change Framework

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    In 10x Genomics v. Curio Bioscience, the Unified Patent Court recently allowed proceedings to be conducted in English, rather than German, shedding light on the framework on UPC language change applications and hopefully helping prevent future disputes, say Conor McLaughlin and Nina O'Sullivan at Mishcon de Reya.

  • How Generative AI Can Enhance Disclosure Review Processes

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    As recent developments show that implementing artificial intelligence in legal processes remains a critical challenge, the disclosure process — one of the most document-intensive legal exercises — presents itself as a prime use-case, illustrating how generative AI can supplement traditional technology-assisted review, say lawyers at Macfarlanes.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • Experian Ruling Helps Cos. Navigate GDPR Transparency

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    In Information Commissioner v. Experian, the Upper Tribunal recently reaffirmed the lawfulness of the company's marketing practices, providing guidance that will assist organizations in complying with the GDPR’s transparency obligations, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

  • Salvaging The Investor-State Arbitration System's Legitimacy

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    Recent developments in Europe and Ecuador highlight the vulnerability of the investor-state arbitration framework, but arbitrators can avert a crisis by relying on a poorly understood doctrine of fairness and equity, rather than law, to resolve the disputes before them, says Phillip Euell at Diaz Reus.

  • UK Trademark Law May Further Diverge From EU Standards

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    The recently enacted Retained EU Law Act, which removes the principle of EU law supremacy, offers a path for U.K. trademark law to distance itself even further from EU precedent — beyond the existing differences between the two trademark examination processes, say David Kemp and Michael Shaw at Marks & Clerk.

  • Clarity Is Central Theme In FCA's Greenwashing Guidance

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    Recent Financial Conduct Authority guidance for complying with the U.K. regulator's anti-greenwashing rule sends an overarching message that sustainability claims must be clear, accurate and capable of being substantiated, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • How Clinical Trials Affect Patentability In US And Europe

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    A comparison of recent U.S. and European patent decisions — concerning the effect of disclosures in clinical trials on the patentability of products — offers guidance on good practice for companies dealing with public use issues and prior art documents in these commercially important jurisdictions, say lawyers at Finnegan.

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