Russian litigants have returned to London’s commercial courts in force despite the imposition of sanctions, partly because it has become easier for them to ‘lawyer up’.
That is according to the Commercial Courts Report 2025, the latest annual snapshot of the sector produced by legal communications company Portland.
The number of Russian litigants more than doubled to 60 in the year to March 2025, a new record. Eighty percent had legal presentation, up from just 30% in 2024.
Charles Enderby Smith and Tom Cameron, partners at Carter-Ruck, note in commentary that it has become easier for Russian litigants to access legal representation in the UK even where sanctioned – as many of the 60 are. They also cite an October 2024 rise in the cap on legal fees payable by sanctioned entities (from £500,000 to £2m), ‘permitting more heavyweight disputes to be properly litigated’.
Other factors mentioned include the high number of high-value disputes arising from the sanctions themselves – such as where one party claims the performance of a contract is prohibited.
In 2024-25 some 93 nationalities were represented across judgments before the courts, another new record. There were also more Emirati litigants than ever before (68), with UAE v UAE one of the most frequent matchups. One potential factor underlying that increase was a UAE Ministry of Justice circular from 2022 stating that English judgments could in principle be enforced in the Gul country.
In 2024 the Dubai Court of Cassation duly enforced an English judgment.
Overall, litigants from outside the UK and EU27 rose to an all-time high of 45.5% in 2024-25, while the total number of litigants climbed to 1,368, up 12% year on year. The court’s output, however, remained steady, suggesting that the rise is due to complex, multi-party litigation.
Less positively for London, Singapore fell from 5th to 23rd in the ranking of overseas nationalities. This fall ‘could be due to the success of the Singapore International Commercial Court, as it continues to position itself as an international dispute resolution hub’, the report notes.
Also highlighted this year are public attitudes towards the role of AI in the legal system, exposing a gulf in perception between lawyers and the general public. Only 13% of the public thought AI should be used for decision-making support or judgment recommendations – a figure which more than doubled to 31% among those working in any legal profession.
Simon Pugh, partner and head of Portland’s litigation and disputes practice, said: ‘The international pull of the London commercial courts confirms that, amidst global uncertainty in the rule of law, London has cemented its reputation as trusted centre for commercial dispute resolution.’
