The first half of 2024 has seen the continuation of 2023’s volatile environment, with political conflict, economic uncertainty and climate challenges driving litigation trends.

Despite a slight dip in new disputes, the courts have seen significant activity from the top law firms and new entrants have emerged within the top 30 rankings.

Key findings of the H1 2024 report:

• Courts under the lens: New insights into sub-court trends reveal a 50% drop in the Admiralty Court, stable volumes in the TCC, a rise in Pensions List claims, continued growth in collective proceedings in the CAT and a sharp increase in appeals across both the King’s Bench and Chancery Divisions.

• Solomonic’s ‘Hot 15’: The most tracked cases in Solomonic include landmark AI, infrastructure, fraud and employment disputes, alongside several claims involving institutional investors. See what is hot in the market in our most-viewed list.

• Law firm movers and shakers: The top firms remain largely unchanged, though seven new firms have entered the top 30 and while US firms have been busy acquiring disputes teams and partners, this has not yet fully translated into claim activity, although they are firmly engaged in some of the highest value disputes.

• Sector analysis: The financial sector continues to drive the most litigation activity, while large collective proceedings filed in the CAT intensify pressure on the consumer products and TMT sectors. New insurance and aviation disputes also persist.

The report also explores key claim hotspots and risks:

• Securities litigation 

• Cyberattacks and data breaches

• Aircraft leasing cases

• Covid-19 and business interruption insurance

• Fraud claims

• Class actions, collective proceedings and the CAT