UK sees rise in number of antitrust class action lawsuits

The UK remains a key European jurisdiction for antitrust damages claims, even in a post-Brexit world. In particular, the number of antitrust class actions has increased significantly. This is particularly the case for stand-alone claims that do not rely on a finding of infringement by a competition regulator. There are currently almost fifty pending class actions on the CAT website. The cases cover both breaches of anticompetitive agreements and abuse of injunctions and cover a range of industry sectors, including digital, consumer electronics, utilities and financial services.

As a result of the increase in the number of cases certified by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, more and more precedents are being set in relation to the conditions of certification. Among other things, claims must demonstrate common issues, must be relevant and the claim form must set out a hearing plan before a collective damages action can proceed to full trial.

To find out more, read the article “UK: Maturing CAT collective proceedings process drives up caseload”, written by London partner Oliver Heinisch for Global Competition Overview You can find the EMEA 2025 Antitrust Review here.