Expert Analysis

• Series

  Practice Leader Insights From Wedlake Bell's Edward Starling

  

  Edward Starling, Wedlake Bell's head of disputes, discusses how he endeavors to empower colleagues to excel, the challenges of improving client delivery and efficiency, and why junior lawyers need to be collaborative, commercial and creative.

• How UK Ship Sale Ruling Expands Lost-Bargain Damages

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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.

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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.