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01 March 2023
Issue: 8015 / Categories: Legal News , Collective action , Intellectual property
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Opt-out action allowed to proceed by High Court

The High Court has rejected a bid to strike out a claim brought on an opt-out basis by a representative against a firm of intellectual property lawyers.

Handing down judgment in Commission Recovery Ltd v Marks & Clerk LLP [2023] EWHC 398 (Comm) last week, Mr Justice Robin Knowles held the claimant had met the threshold for representative claimants set out by the Supreme Court in Lloyd v Google [2021] UKSC 50.

Non-practising solicitor Peter Rouse is the sole director of the claimant company, which alleges Marks & Clerk earned tens of millions of pounds in undisclosed commissions, and seeks the recovery of these.

However, Marks & Clerk and Clarivate (formerly CPA Global, which the claimant alleges paid the commissions) deny any wrongdoing.

Daniel Spendlove, partner at Signature Litigation, representing the claimant, said the judgment was ‘significant for the legal industry, providing greater clarity on the limits of England and Wales’ representative action regime.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

From first-generation student to trailblazing president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, John McElroy of Fieldfisher reflects on resilience, identity and the power of bringing your whole self to the law

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

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Planning and environment team expands with partner hire in Manchester

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Firm appoints chief operating officer to strengthen leadership team

NEWS
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
FIFA’s 2026 Men's World Cup is already mired in controversy, with complaints over ‘excessive prices’ and opaque ticketing. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys warns that governing bodies may face scrutiny under EU competition law, with allegations of a ‘dominant—if not monopolistic—position’ in ticket sales
Ten years after Brexit, UK and EU trade mark regimes are drifting apart in practice if not principle. Writing in NLJ this week, Roger Lush and Lara Elder of Carpmaels & Ransford highlight tighter UK scrutiny after SkyKick, where overly broad filings may signal ‘bad faith’
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
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