At Mishcon de Reya, we specialise in representing groups of claimants affected by similar issues, providing a powerful collective voice to seek justice and compensation. Our experienced team is dedicated to managing complex group actions efficiently and effectively, ensuring each client's needs are met with the utmost care and professionalism.
Expertise across a broad range of group claims
Our specialist litigators have extensive experience handling group actions across various sectors for both individuals and businesses including:
- consumer rights issues
- product lability
- competition claims
- environmental claims
- data claims, and
- financial mis-selling claims under section 90 and 90A and Schedule 10A of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 (FSMA).
We are adept at pursuing group litigation through the full range of procedural mechanisms, including group litigation orders, representative actions, test cases and competition collective actions in the Competition Appeals Tribunal.
Litigation funding and costs solutions
The size, breadth, and variety of our group litigation practice, combined with our lawyers' strong relationships with funders, brokers, and After-The-Event (ATE) insurers, enable us to negotiate and structure funding for even the most complex group actions.
Leading counsel and cross-border capabilities
Our connections with leading chambers provide us access to the finest procedural minds, a significant advantage for those developing and launching novel and complex claims, whilst our international links and extensive experience enable us to manage and execute cross-border group actions adeptly.
We represent all types of claimants, including:
- individuals based in the UK and abroad
- consumers
- retail investors
- SMEs and
- high-net-worth individuals and institutions, all of whom appreciate the benefits of litigating as part of a group.
Claims management
Complex group actions require not only technical legal knowledge but also efficient claims management processing. Mishcon's group action management business, Somos, is a full-service operation that builds, develops, and manages group action claims from inception to conclusion. Somos provides the expertise law firms need to manage proceedings and assist clients throughout the journey, offering tailored marketing expertise, efficient technology solutions and a multilingual client care team.
If you're looking for group action management expertise and would like to obtain a quote, please send a message to contact@somos.us to find out more.
Our experience
We have extensive experience managing group actions on behalf of claimants across multiple sectors, including data breach claims, shareholder litigation, competition disputes, environmental matters, international disputes, insurance coverage and ESG claims. Our track record across the full range of mechanisms for multi-party proceedings demonstrates our ability to handle complex, high value litigation involving thousands of claimants, from initial investigation through to successful resolution.
Active cases
Data breach
We are currently acting in a High Court claim on behalf of Brazilian individuals affected by the leak of over 200 million individuals’ personal data. It is believed that the leaked data was originally collected by the Serasa Experian Group.
Join today: Brazilian people whose personal data was exposed may register their details and apply to join the collective action via the website www.casomegavazamento.com.
Shareholder and securities litigation
Wirral BC & Ors v Reckitt plc and Indivior plc: We act for over 300 shareholders against two pharmaceutical companies for losses arising out significant decreases in the share value of each company following investigations and settlements in the US relating to marketing of anti-addiction drug Suboxone. The claims, which were originally pursued by way of a representative action under CPR 19.8, are now proceeding as a multi-party action.
Black cab drivers against Uber
White & Ors v Uber: We act for approximately 13,500 licensed London black cab drivers in claims against Uber for losses suffered as a result of Uber's unlawful activities in the London taxi market between May 2012 and March 2018.
Insurance
The Master and Scholars of Balliol College in the University of Oxford & Ors v Aviva Insurance Ltd: We are representing 36 Oxford colleges in a large business interruption insurance claim against a global insurer in respect of losses sustained in connection with Covid-19. The case is the latest in a series of group actions we have brought on behalf of policyholders in relation to Covid-19 business interruption losses.
Past cases
Competition litigation
European Trucks Cartel: We acted for the lead claimants, a group of the UK's leading retailers, including Asda, Curry's, Iceland, John Lewis, Sainsbury's and Wilko, in relation to damages claims against the European Trucks Cartelists.
Le Patourel v BT plc: Our competition team also acted for Justin Le Patourel, the class representative in the lead collective proceedings in the CAT against BT for alleged abuse of its dominant position in the market for landline services. This was the first collective proceeding to reach trial in the UK.
Environmental litigation
Various Claimants v Mercedes-Benz & Ors: Acting for grassroots campaign group Mums for Lungs and environmental charity ClientEarth we intervened in the Pan-NOx Emissions Group Litigation - one of the UK's largest environmental group actions. Our clients were concerned that redactions applied to the statements of case prevented the public from fully understanding the circumstances in which vehicles’ emission control systems were alleged to be less effective or switched off altogether. We successfully applied to make unredacted copies of the parties' statements of case publicly available on public interest grounds.
Insurance
Hiscox Action Group v Hiscox plc: We successfully acted on behalf of over 400 Hiscox insurance policyholders (the Hiscox Action Group) over its refusal to pay out on its Business Interruption insurance policies for losses suffered as a result of the lockdown imposed by the UK Government in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shareholder and securities litigation
Rowe & Ors v Ingenious Media Holdings plc & Ors: We acted for over 100 investors in consolidated proceedings, valued at over £250 million, relating to claims for fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence and breach of contract arising out of statements in promotional materials used to market allegedly tax efficient film investment schemes which were subsequently challenged by HMRC.
RBS Rights Issue Litigation: We represented a group of institutional investors in the RBS rights issue litigation, concerning claims that the bank had misled shareholders when it carried out a £12 billion rights issue in 2008, shortly before it had to be bailed out by the UK government.
Data breach
Prismall v Google & DeepMind Technologies: We acted in an opt-out representative action before the English High Court on behalf of 1.6 million individuals against Google and DeepMind Technologies regarding the misuse of patients' confidential medical records.
Current investigations
We are investigating various potential group actions across multiple sectors, including:
ESG claims
We are investigating a potential shareholder action against a global renewable energy company in relation to allegedly misleading ESG claims that adversely affected share values.
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Environmental litigation
Mishcon de Reya are instructed by Cleaner Bentham, a community organisation in Bentham, in relation to potential claims arising from PFAS contamination.
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