UK Class Actions: Back Under The Spotlight

Over a series of short articles, I intend to examine ways in which legal advisers in the field of trusts and tax can methodically minimise risk in the way that they advise.

This comprehensive guide examines the procedural framework of LCIA arbitration from commencement through enforcement, analyzing strategic decisions at each stage including tribunal formation, document production, interim relief mechanisms, and cost allocation.

A High Court ruling examines a contentious dispute between a video game developer and publisher over milestone-based funding and "step in" rights for the first-person shooter Six Days in Fallujah. With over $50 million in development costs at stake and allegations of conspiracy to acquire proprietary source code, the court declined to grant either party interim control of the game's development, leaving both sides without the "keys to the kingdom" pending a full trial.

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle claims by 52 US state and territory attorneys general in the largest state consumer-protection settlement in American history outside tobacco. The settlement imposes binding child-safety obligations including time limits and age assurance, but leaves the core algorithmic feed unchanged and raises questions about whether this represents genuine accountability or a commercially managed outcome.

The decision makes it very clear that the consequences for lawyers who breach their professional obligations by misusing AI are likely to be serious.

Although the new UK Bribery Act 2010 (the "Bribery Act") is similar in many respects to the existing anti-bribery provisions of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (as amended) ("FCPA"), overall, the Bribery Act is considered to be broader and more robust than the FCPA.

The Commercial Court ruled on a USD 29 million dispute over an LNG carrier charterparty's index-linked pricing formula, determining whether the "JKM-TTF spread" operated bidirectionally or only when JKM exceeded TTF. The decision examines how unprecedented market conditions—where European gas prices surged above Asian prices due to the Ukraine war—tested the contractual formula's application and whether rectification could remedy an alleged drafting oversight.

During a criminal investigation, there will often be a vast amount of information obtained and considered by the police. When charges are brought, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) may disclose some of this information as evidence, serving it as witness statements and exhibits.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in Logix Aero Ireland Ltd v Siam Aero Repair Co Ltd. The issue related to whether the intervention of a fraudster broke the chain of causation in a breach of contract claim.

A split-second decision can change lives forever. In one-punch manslaughter cases, a single impulsive blow, perhaps thrown in anger, fear or misguided bravado, leads to a tragic death. These ‘death by a single punch’ incidents are more common in the UK than many realise. Dozens of families every year are left devastated, with one family grieving an unimaginable loss, and another family shocked and fearful as their loved one faces a homicide investigation for an outcome no one intended. It’s a tragic reality, one moment of anger, one fatal assault involving a single blow, and two lives (and families) ruined.

New York City has enacted the nation's first municipal click-to-cancel rule, requiring businesses to provide clear disclosures, simple cancellation processes, and advance renewal notices for subscription services. With approximately 30 states already implementing similar regulations and the federal landscape in flux following the FTC's vacated rule, companies now face an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations. The rule takes effect October 1, 2026, and imposes penalties ranging from $525 t

California has enacted SB 1050, a groundbreaking law requiring clear disclosure when AI-generated synthetic performers appear prominently in advertisements. The legislation, which takes effect January 1, 2027, aims to protect consumers from being misled by artificial intelligence-created digital figures and voices while establishing enforcement mechanisms through existing false advertising statutes.

The U.S. government has dramatically expanded Iran-related sanctions through new sectoral determinations, entity designations, and the suspension of key authorizations, while simultaneously targeting third-country financial institutions that facilitate Iranian transactions. These measures significantly broaden secondary sanctions risks across aviation, digital assets, gold, shipping, and technology sectors, marking a comprehensive escalation in economic pressure against Iran and its international networks.

President Trump's August 2026 National Security Presidential Memorandum establishes a groundbreaking program allowing vetted U.S. companies to conduct government-authorized offensive cyber operations against foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations. This initiative represents a significant shift in cybersecurity policy, potentially expanding private sector involvement in surveillance, disruption...

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC have issued a joint final rule redefining "unsafe or unsound practice" and establishing new standards for matters requiring attention (MRAs) in bank supervision. How will these changes, which prioritize material financial risk over procedural deficiencies, reshape the regulatory landscape for financial institutions when they take effect in November 2026?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published a final rule establishing the GLOBE Model, implementing most-favored-nation pricing for Medicare Part B drugs with dramatically expanded exemptions. Pharmaceutical companies face potential rebate obligations under this mandatory payment model, though the rule's narrowed scope and GENEROUS Model carve-out significantly limit its reach compared to the original proposal.

The Supreme Court's decision in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC has fundamentally altered the landscape of political party spending by eliminating federal limits on coordinated expenditures between parties and candidates. This ruling preserves existing campaign finance guardrails while potentially reshaping the power dynamics of party committees, joint fundraising operations, and various political action committees.

This edition focuses on rulings issued between February 16, 2018, and June 15, 2018.

Rules requiring material agreements to be filed as exhibits to reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Japan and the European Union recently announced an agreement to recognize each other's data protection regimes as adequate.