High Court cases involving FTSE-100 companies jumped 16% in the last year (179 cases compared to 154 in the previous year to June 2010) but the signs suggest the surge in litigation following the economic downturn is yet to peak, says Sweet & Maxwell.
One in six of these cases involved financial services companies even though these companies make up only 18% of the FTSE-100. The four main banks—RBS, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays—accounted for 43% of the cases.
These may be only the tip of the iceberg since the bulk of disputes are resolved through ADR.