In England and Wales, while there are numerous avenues for multi-party litigation, the collective actions framework continues to develop. Collective action procedures in the antitrust and competition space have been tested in a number of cases since major reforms introduced in 2015. In other areas, there remains potential for an increasing incidence of collective actions arising from regulatory breaches by financial institutions and significant shareholder claims following alleged financial misstatements. Recent reforms to consumer protection, and the continued development of litigation funding, indicate further collective action litigation ahead.
This overview of class and collection actions and current trends in the UK (England & Wales), written by partners Omar Shah and Frances Murphy with associates Paul Mesquitta and Emma Walsh and published by Thomson Reuters, provides a high level overview of class/collective actions, including current trends; the regulatory framework; limitation periods; standing and the procedural framework for bringing an action; funding and costs; disclosure; damages and relief; settlement; appeals; alternative dispute resolution and proposals for reform.