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Briefing Notes
Disputes
Haulage buyers win tribunal approval to serve £436 million class action against Scania over alleged price-fixing cartel
Pass-on litigation lets indirect purchasers recover cartel overcharges, and the Scania case tests that chain in UK courts.
Regulation
FCA pricing rules for insurance renewals said to have 'hollowed out' consumer cover, prompting fresh scrutiny of the regime's unintended effects
When price rules cut margins, insurers find other levers: excess levels, exclusions, and cover scope all shrink.
Banking & Finance
Leveraged loan amend-and-extend volume hits $106 billion in the first half of 2026, running well ahead of last year's pace
Amend-and-extend activity at $106 billion signals borrowers are managing maturity walls without returning to public markets.
Energy & Tech
EU tech sovereignty package extends cyber and supply chain resilience rules to critical infrastructure entities under NIS2-adjacent framework
The EU tech sovereignty package extends resilience duties beyond cyber to physical and supply chain risks for critical entities.
AI & Law
Reed Smith launches Aquarius crypto-compliance platform and Litera announces relaunch as law firm AI product investment accelerates
Law firms building AI platforms face a commercial tension: efficiency gains that improve PEP or savings passed to clients.
M&A
BGF invests multi-million pounds in engineering and environmental consultancy Rappor, with Freeths advising the target
Growth capital rounds demand integrated corporate, finance, and tax advice even at mid-market deal sizes.
Capital Markets
Global equity funds draw inflows for an eighth consecutive week as earnings season and cooling US inflation lift investor appetite
Eight straight weeks of equity fund inflows open the primary issuance window that deal teams have been watching.
International
London litigation roundup reveals Snapchat and Dolby pressing fresh UK patent infringement claims as cross-border IP disputes intensify
US tech giants using English courts for patent disputes confirms London's value as an international IP litigation venue.