Press Release
Data: HFW Top Firm For Commercial Litigation In English High Court
Independent data reveals that HFW handled more commercial litigation in the English Commercial Court than any other law firm over the past eight years – both by number of cases and days in court.
HFW acted on 74 commercial litigation cases in the Commercial Court between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2022 – equivalent to almost one in every 10 cases heard in the Court – spending a total of 174 days in court.
Of the more than 440 other law firms to have litigated in the Commercial Court during that period, only 13 had more than 20 cases and just seven spent more than 100 days in the Court, according to The Lawyer's Litigation Tracker, which records cases and judgments in the UK courts.
Several HFW partners are among the most active in the market for commercial litigation in the English Commercial Court over the same period, according to The Lawyer's data, with Brian Perrott, the firm's Co-Head of Commercial Disputes, top of all lawyers by number of cases, and Alistair Feeney, the firm's Global Head of Commodities, in fifth.
In total, HFW has five lawyers in the top 30 by number of commercial litigation cases, with a further two in the top 50 – both more than any other law firm, according to the data.
| Rank | Law Firm | Cases | Market Share | Case Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HFW |
72 |
8.9% |
174 |
| 2 | Clyde & Co |
64 |
7.9% |
152 |
| 3 | Stephenson Harwood |
46 |
5.7% |
164 |
| 4 | Reed Smith |
44 |
5.4% |
131 |
| 5 | Hill Dickinson |
31 |
3.8% |
126 |
| 6 | Hogan Lovells |
25 |
3.1% |
126 |
| 7= | Allen & Overy |
25 |
3.1% |
99 |
| 7= | Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
25 |
3.1% |
88 |
| 7= | Norton Rose Fulbright |
25 |
3.1% |
86 |
| 7= | Herbert Smith Freehills |
25 |
3.1% |
83 |
| 11= | Mishcon de Reya |
23 |
2.8% |
105 |
| 11= | Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan |
23 |
2.8% |
87 |
| 13 | Clifford Chance |
22 |
2.7% |
68 |
| 14 | RPC |
21 |
2.6% |
75 |
| 15 | Baker McKenzie |
19 |
2.3% |
113 |
Source: The Lawyer Litigation Tracker
Damian Honey and Brian Perrott, Co-Heads of Commercial Disputes, EMEA, HFW:
"This data clearly shows that we are one of the market's leading litigation practices. While HFW is best known for its sector focus, we are first and foremost a disputes firm, with contentious work accounting for almost three-quarters of our entire business globally. We pride ourselves on our experience and expertise as commercial litigators, and frequently appear on behalf of clients in court – in England and around the world."
HFW is ranked as one of the UK's top commercial disputes practices by The Times. The firm has more than 350 specialist disputes lawyers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, handling high-value, complex, multi-party and multi-jurisdictional disputes, including fraud and asset recovery, insolvency, class actions, and enforcement actions.
About HFW
HFW is a leading global law firm in the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance, and shipping sectors. The firm has more than 600 lawyers, including 185 partners, based in offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. HFW prides itself on its deep industry expertise and its entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative culture.
Chris Johnson
Head of Communications
D +44 (0)20 7264 8159
M +44 (0)7976 939864
E chris.johnson@hfw.com
