header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
13 May 2022 / David Niven , Nicole Blakey
Issue: 7978 / Categories: Features , Profession , Collective action
printer mail-detail

Group actions: Time to join forces?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
81443
In the first of a special three-part series by Penningtons Manches Cooper, David Niven & Nicole Blakey sketch out the changing landscape of group actions & litigation funding in the UK
  • Increase in professional negligence and group actions in the High Court.
  • Conditional fee agreements and after-the-event insurance funding for group actions.
  • Emergence of third-party litigation funding for group actions.

Solomonic’s review of High Court litigation in 2021 revealed a substantial rise in professional negligence disputes, up 289% on 2020 with an increase in actions brought against solicitors and barristers. Group actions filed in the High Court increased by 27% from 2020 to 2021: this upward trend will likely continue.

These statistics are reflective of our own experience. We have seen a rise in professional negligence claims against solicitors and barristers brought by groups of claimants, predominately in relation to failed property investment schemes. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has taken disciplinary action over recent years against law firms involved in these schemes, so we

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Regional law firm expands employment team with partner and senior associate hires

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Nottinghamtrusts, estates and tax team welcomes two senior associates

NEWS
Read All
‘Lost years’ precedent overturned
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
NLJ this week: Neutral counsel in a polarised age
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
NLJ this week: When ‘milk’ really means milk
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
NLJ this week: Civil practice with claws & caution
From cat fouling to Part 36 brinkmanship, the latest 'Civil way' round-up is a reminder that procedural skirmishes can have sharp teeth. NLJ columnist Stephen Gold ranges across recent decisions with his customary wit
NLJ this week: Stealing virtual gold?
Digital loot may feel like property, but civil law is not always convinced. In NLJ this week, Paul Schwartfeger of 36 Stone and Nadia Latti of CMS examine fraud involving platform-controlled digital assets, from ‘account takeover and asset stripping’ to ‘value laundering’
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll