Commercial Litigation UK

  • September 11, 2026

    Oligarch's Estate Can Run Matrimonial Law Case In $3B Fight

    The widow and daughter of a Russian tycoon have failed to prevent a representative for his estate from pursuing Ukrainian matrimonial asset arguments in the English court, the latest development in their long-running $3 billion inheritance dispute.

  • September 11, 2026

    Insurers Still Liable For Petrofac Execs' Bribery Defense Costs

    Nine Lloyd's insurers lost the first round of their bid to avoid covering the criminal defense costs of two former Petrofac executives when a London judge rejected their arguments on Friday, ahead of their bribery trial in October.

  • September 10, 2026

    EU Beats Challenge To Block €1.6B Booking.com Buy

    A European Union court refused to upend an EU decision blocking Booking.com's €1.63 billion ($1.89 billion) purchase of Swedish flight booking service eTraveli, rejecting Booking's assertions that the European Commission went against its own merger review guidelines.

  • September 10, 2026

    Nigerian Villagers Get OK To Broaden Shell Oil Spill Claim

    Nigerian communities suing Shell over damage from oil spills gained permission Thursday to amend their claim to add allegations that systemic failures meant the oil giant was responsible for all environmental devastation in the region.

  • September 10, 2026

    Travers Smith Hires Baker McKenzie's Arbitration Chair

    Travers Smith LLP has hired Baker McKenzie's global chair of international arbitration as a partner in its dispute resolution practice in London, bringing in more than two decades of experience.

  • September 10, 2026

    MFS Unit Administrator Exits Amid Concerns Over Link To Owner

    An administrator for a unit of Market Financial Solutions voluntarily left his post on Thursday after creditors of the collapsed mortgage lender raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

  • September 10, 2026

    Grindr's £26M Payout Deal Shows Potential Of Privacy Claims

    The £26 million ($35 million) settlement reached by Grindr over claims that it shared users' HIV data is unlikely to open the floodgates to mass privacy litigation in England, lawyers say, but it highlights the potential value of carefully selected cases involving highly sensitive information.

  • September 10, 2026

    Entain Must Bolster Copyright Claim To Keep Case Alive

    A London court said Thursday that it will throw out Entain's copyright claim against a matched betting website operator unless the gambling giant provides more details to back up its allegations.

  • September 10, 2026

    Oil Company Can't Use Jurisdiction To Escape $23M Claim

    An oil and gas company can't escape a marine fuel trader's claim for $23 million due under a fuel supply agreement, after a court held Thursday that England is the appropriate forum for the dispute.

  • September 10, 2026

    Covéa Insurance Rejects London Pub's COVID Loss Claim

    Covéa Insurance PLC has denied it owes money to a London pub and guest house operator for its alleged losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that the hospitality business has "highly inflated" the claim.

  • September 09, 2026

    Fraudulent Co. Can't Claw Back Doctors' Pay, UK Court Says

    An umbrella company that was shuttered for tax fraud, along with its liquidators, cannot claw back overpayments to two doctors resulting from the company not collecting payroll taxes, a London court found Wednesday.

  • September 09, 2026

    Aramark Loses £6.8M Employment Tax Avoidance Appeal

    Food service company Aramark is liable for a £6.8 million ($9.2 million) tax bill from Britain's tax authority over an offshore employment arrangement after a London tribunal ruled Wednesday that catering crews on North Sea rigs were effectively supplied to provide services in the U.K.

  • September 09, 2026

    Mastercard Sued By 300 Hotels In Latest Swipe-Fees Case

    A group of 300 hotel companies has brought a competition claim against Mastercard, the latest in a series of swipe-fee dispute claims the payments giant has faced.

  • September 09, 2026

    Next's Win Shows Retailers Can Justify Warehouse Pay Gaps

    High Street chain Next has given employers hope of defending unequal pay claims of warehouse workers and shop staff after it successfully justified its own pay gap on appeal, but experts say other employers will face no easy path in relying on the decision.

  • September 09, 2026

    Florist Infringed Rival Mark By Causing Customer Confusion

    A luxury florist infringed a rival's "Flowerbx" trademark by trading as "Flowers Box," causing customers seeking out its competitor to mistakenly buy flowers from the wrong company, a London court has ruled.

  • September 09, 2026

    EasyJet Sued For $72M For Abandoning Jets Over Sanctions

    EasyJet has been hit with a $72 million claim by the liquidators for the Irish arm of a Russian aircraft lessor, who allege that the airline "abandoned" six aircraft and stopped paying rent.

  • September 09, 2026

    Insurers Blame Unattended Machinery For £7M Fire Claim

    Insurers have denied owing a metal processing company £7 million ($9.5 million) for fire damage, arguing that the blaze was caused by unattended machinery.

  • September 09, 2026

    Roman Abramovich Loses 3rd EU Sanctions Challenge

    Roman Abramovich failed on Wednesday in his third attempt to lift European Union sanctions against him after a court ruled that the billionaire was designated over activities "providing substantial revenue" to Russia.

  • September 09, 2026

    Indonesian Airline Sued For $17M Over Raid On Aircraft Parts

    An Irish aircraft leasing company has sued an Indonesian carrier for $16.6M, accusing the airline of not paying rent and cannibalizing one of its leased aircraft for parts before letting it fall into disrepair.

  • September 08, 2026

    Financial Adviser Denies Ripping Off Ex-Employer's Brand

    A financial adviser has denied unlawfully trading under the previous brand of his former employer, telling a London court that he adopted the moniker because it incorporates his surname.

  • September 08, 2026

    Potanin Wins Rusal Disclosure Fight Over Russian Data Law

    One of Russia's richest men won a fight over disclosure of documents Tuesday, in litigation involving the alleged defrauding and mismanagement of a nickel miner, when a London judge found that Russian law required personal data in disclosed documents to be redacted.

  • September 08, 2026

    Wider FCA Misconduct Reference Rules Set To Spur Litigation

    Finance firms are bracing for a surge in disputes over obligatory references after non-financial misconduct rules were extended to 37,000 non-bank firms, legal experts say.

  • September 08, 2026

    CBRE Wins Tower Rent Row Over JLL's €920M Valuation

    CBRE defeated allegations Tuesday that it pressured JLL to undervalue a 36-story Brussels skyscraper after a court found its €920 million ($1.1 billion) assessment legitimate despite shortcomings in its work.

  • September 08, 2026

    FOS Must Pay Banks' Costs Despite Fears Of Chill Effect

    The Financial Ombudsman Service has been ordered to pay most of the costs incurred by four banks which successfully challenged the regulator's approach to consumer credit complaints.

  • September 08, 2026

    Film Financier Sues For $19M Over 'Cliffhanger 2' Loan Default

    An American film financier has sued a reinsurer for $19.3 million over its alleged failure to pay out to lenders after a borrower defaulted on a loan designed to fund preproduction costs of a sequel to Sylvester Stallone's 1993 thriller "Cliffhanger."

Expert Analysis

  • How UK Ship Sale Ruling Expands Lost-Bargain Damages

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Great Asia Maritime v. Orion Shipping – upholding a "loss of bargain" damages award in a disagreement over a vessel sale – sharpens parties’ ability to contractually control damages outcomes in the event of a dispute, say lawyers at Crowell & Moring.

  • Ruling On Witness AI Use Sends Lawyers Strong Message

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    The Court of Appeal's recent decision in R v. FGD clarifies that the requirement to preserve the integrity of evidence given in court extends to the use of artificial intelligence, providing a clear warning to practitioners that coaching witnesses by any means is prohibited, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • How AI Can Complicate Liability Limits In Contracts

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    With the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce's recent legal statement on liability for harms confirming that contract clauses remain subject to established norms, AI-drafted limits on liability pose concern, as the wording chosen must account for human definition and interpretation, says solicitor Daniel Erskine.

  • 2 ECJ Rulings Give Guidance On Sport Agent Regs

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    The European Court of Justice recently settled two long-running disputes, Rogon and RRC Sports, by finding that the antitrust rules governing these leagues offer exceptions for regulating players' agents, and offering a path for sports associations to implement rules controlling services ancillary to their sport, say lawyers at Skadden.

  • Drug Rulings Clarify Pricing Test And Penalty Reviews

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    The Court of Appeals’ recent drug price rulings in Pfizer v. Competition and Markets Authority and Auden Mckenzie v. CMA are both notable for how the court settled the legal test for excessive pricing, as well as for how it has restated the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s obligations when reviewing penalties, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.

  • 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.

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