Welcome to the Autumn 2021 edition of our biannual Banking Litigation Update, in which we highlight the most important cases and developments affecting UK financial institutions over the past six months. Read the full Banking Litigation Update here. We have also recorded a short video to provide a high level overview of developments during this period, … Read more

There have been only a limited number of commercial cases arising solely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and so judicial guidance on the legal principles applicable to the disruption of commercial contracts in this specific context is sparse. However, in a recent decision, the High Court has granted summary judgment to the landlord … Read more

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal against a High Court decision striking out the representative element of claims for failing to satisfy the “same interest” requirement under CPR 19.6: Jalla & Anr v Shell International Trading & Anr [2021] EWCA Civ 1389. The Court of Appeal rejected the submission that this case was “materially … Read more

Our Financial Services Regulatory team have published an article in the September 2021 edition of Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, making the case for more guidance from sectoral regulators and competition authorities to allow banks and their service providers to get comfortable with the option to participate in collective assurance activities, as … Read more

The Critical Benchmarks (References and Administrators’ Liability) Bill (Bill) was today introduced to the UK Parliament and the first reading took place. The Bill introduces a legal “safe harbour” within the primary legislative framework for the UK’s LIBOR legislative solution, the Financial Services Act 2021 (FSA 2021). It follows a consultation paper published by HMT … Read more

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal against a Court of Appeal decision which found that a contract should not be rescinded on the basis of lawful act economic duress, in circumstances where the defendant had threatened to end any contractual relationship with the claimant (as it was entitled to do) unless the claimant waived … Read more

The High Court has granted an application by a claimant state for orders that the defendant bank disclose an accounting firm’s investigation report (and associated documents) originally withheld from disclosure on the grounds of litigation privilege, as well as to disclose certain categories of documents on a Model E or “train of enquiry” basis and … Read more

The Board of the Privy Council has allowed an appeal in relation to the application of the so-called “reflective loss” principle, confirming that the rule falls to be assessed as at the point in time when a claimant suffers loss and not at the time proceedings are brought Primeo Fund v Bank of Bermuda (Cayman) … Read more