New report data from HFW highlights surge in high-stakes “bet-the-company” litigation in London’s Commercial Court

The average London Commercial Court claim value has surged from just over £10m to almost £40m in 2025 amidst a rise in “bet-the-company” disputes, according to data from global law firm HFW’s latest report on litigation trends seen in London’s Commercial Court.

HFW’s report, INSIDE LONDON’S COMMERCIAL COURT: HOW THE COMMERCIAL COURT CEMENTED ITS POSITION AS THE DESTINATION FOR HIGH-STAKES INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION, provides an analysis of data from the Commercial Court for the last 12 years, as published by litigation analytics platform Solomonic.

The report closely examines the trends of various aspects of the Commercial Court, including claim volume by sector, median claim value, consistency and expectation of probable outcomes, the length of proceedings and the proportion of claims involving non-UK parties.

The data suggests how firms are increasingly looking to the London Commercial Court for high-stakes and complex litigation, set to make-or-break the future of either party.

The data analysed in the report was taken from court documents (claims, hearings, judgments) which were analysed through a combination of machine learning and qualified solicitor and barrister assessment.

The report can be accessed here: HFW and Solomonic – Inside London’s Commercial Court | HFW

Andrew Williams, Partner and Global Head of Commercial Litigation, HFW:

“HFW is seeing an increasing influx of major cases coming to the Commercial Court and our clients around the world absolutely recognise the value of litigating in this forum. We expect this trend for bet-the-company disputes being heard by the court only to increase.

As disputes become larger, more complex and more international, having access to high‑quality London Commercial Court data is increasingly critical to shaping effective legal strategy.

Understanding how the court is operating in practice, from claim values and timeframes to settlement behaviour and success rates, enables clients to make better‑informed decisions about risk, forum and approach in bet‑the‑company litigation.”