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Commercial Litigation UK

  • 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.

  • June 26, 2025

    Qatar National Bank Beats £89M Claim Over Share Deal

    A Qatari bank Thursday beat a Kuwaiti businessman's £89.4 million ($122.8 million) English claim over alleged breaches of a complex financing agreement, after a judge noted his reliance on "hallucinatory" references to cases that didn't exist through the inappropriate use of AI.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • ECHR Ruling May Pave Path For A UK Climate Damage Tort

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    In light of case law on the interaction between human rights law and common law, the European Court of Human Rights' recent ruling in KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland, finding the country at fault for failures to tackle global warming, could tip the scales toward extending English tort law to cover climate change-related losses, say lawyers at Cleary.

  • Disciplinary Ruling Has Lessons For Lawyers On Social Media

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    A recent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal judgment against a solicitor for online posts deemed antisemitic and offensive highlights the serious sanctions that can stem from conduct on social media and the importance of law firms' efforts to ensure that their employees behave properly, say Liz Pearson and Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.

  • The Art Of Corporate Apologies: Crafting An Effective Strategy

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    Public relations challenges often stop companies from apologizing amid alleged wrongdoing, but a recent U.K. government consultation seeks to make this easier, highlighting the importance of corporate apologies and measures to help companies balance the benefits against the potential legal ramifications, says Dina Hudson at Byfield Consultancy.

  • What UK Supreme Court Strike Ruling Means For Employers

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    Although the U.K. Supreme Court recently declared in Mercer v. Secretary of State that part of a trade union rule and employees' human rights were incompatible, the decision will presumably not affect employer engagement with collective bargaining, as most companies are already unlikely to rely on the rule as part of their broader industrial relations strategy, say lawyers at Baker McKenzie.

  • Taking Stock Of The Latest Criminal Court Case Statistics

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    The latest quarterly statistics on the type and volume of cases processed through the criminal court illustrate the severity of the case backlog, highlighting the need for urgent and effective investment in the system, say Ernest Aduwa and Jessica Sarwat at Stokoe Partnership.

  • Hugh Grant Case Raises Questions About Part 36 Offers

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    Actor Hugh Grant's recent decision to settle his privacy suit by accepting a so-called Part 36 offer from News Group — to avoid paying a larger sum in legal costs by proceeding to trial — illustrates how this legal mechanism can be used by parties to force settlements, raising questions about its tactical use and fairness, says Colin Campbell at Kain Knight.

  • Accounting For Climate Change In Flexible Working Requests

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    Although the U.K. government's recent updates to the country's flexible working laws failed to include climate change as a factor for evaluating remote work requests, employers are not prohibited from considering the environmental benefits — or drawbacks — of an employee's request to work remotely, say Jonathan Carr and Gemma Taylor at Lewis Silkin.

  • Opinion

    New Property Category Not Needed To Regulate Digital Assets

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    The U.K. Law Commission's exploration of whether to create a third category of property for digital assets is derived from a misreading of historical case law, and would not be helpful in resolving any questions surrounding digital assets, says Duncan Sheehan at the University of Leeds.

  • Employer Lessons From Red Bull's Misconduct Investigation

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    Red Bull’s recent handling of a high-profile investigation into team principal Christian Horner’s alleged misconduct toward a colleague serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough internal grievance and disciplinary processes, and offers lessons for employers hoping to minimize media attention, say Charlotte Smith and Adam Melling at Walker Morris.

  • Breaking Down The EPO's Revised Practice Guidelines

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    The European Patent Office's updated guidelines for examination recently took effect and include significant changes related to the priority right presumption, the concept of plausibility and artificial intelligence, providing invaluable insight on obtaining patents from the office, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Pharma Remains A Key Focus Of EU Antitrust Enforcement

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    The recently published European Commission report on pharmaceutical sector competition law illustrates that effective enforcement of EU rules remains a matter of high priority for EU and national authorities, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Employment Tribunal Fee Proposal Raises Potential Issues

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    The proposal to reintroduce employment tribunal fees in a recent U.K. government consultation poses serious concerns over the right of access to justice, and will only act as a deterrent for claimants and appellants, says Yulia Fedorenko at CM Murray.

  • ECHR Climate Rulings Hint At Direction Of Future Cases

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    Three recent climate rulings from the European Court of Human Rights show the court's tendency toward a more formalistic, hands-off approach to procedural issues but a more hands-on approach to the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, setting the first guiding principles for key issues in EU climate cases, say Stefanie Spancken-Monz and Leane Meyer at Freshfields.

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