Patagonia faces PR backlash over trademark lawsuit with drag queen Legal Patagonia is in hot water over its legal action against a drag queen, but as lawyers suggest, businesses face a double-edged sword when it comes to protecting their trademarks. A drag queen artist and environmentalist, Wyn Wiley, was sued by the US outdoor retailer Patagonia, which alleged the performer violated its trademark by going professionally [...]
Richard Desmond hit with £40m bill over ‘fanciful’ lottery feud Legal Media tycoon Richard Desmond’s company Northern and Shell has been ordered to pay over £40m after a two-year-long legal feud with the Gambling Commission over the 2022 National Lottery license. A High Court judge has ordered media giant Northern and Shell and its subsidiary, the New Lottery Company, to cough up 75 per cent of [...]
Workplace NDA ban may lead to more tribunals Legal A government proposal to ban the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination may make it harder for disputes to be settled outside of tribunals. The proposal, ‘Make Work Pay’, which is open for consultation until 8 July and part of the recent overhaul of the Employment Rights Act, would ban [...]
Emma Sleep agrees to change ‘illegal’ sales practices following court settlement May 28, 2026 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has agreed a partial settlement with mattress company Emma Sleep after it admitted to breaking consumer law over its pricing tactics. The settlement is legally binding, so if Emma Sleep fails to comply, it “could result in contempt of court proceedings, potentially leading to significant penalties,” the CMA said. [...]
Pinsent Masons is not the only City law firm walking a dangerous AI tightrope May 28, 2026 A junior lawyer at Pinsent Masons used AI to draft misleading emails for a High Court case, highlighting how generational attitudes and lack of training risk new mistakes as law firms rush to adopt new technology, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. It has been a slow burner, but we finally have the first notable UK law firm [...]
Gen Z craze toy maker Jellycat launches legal action against Next and Hamleys May 26, 2026 Jellycat, the British soft toy company that took Gen-Z by storm, has filed several legal actions in the London High Court over trademark allegations. Lawyers at Stephenson Harwood filed three separate lawsuits last week against retail giants over passing off and trademark allegations, as seen by City AM. The firm, founded by Thomas Gatacre in [...]
US law firms jostle for highest-stakes London disputes May 25, 2026 US law firms are securing some of the biggest legal disputes in London and positioning themselves at the top of the litigation food chain, according to a new report from consultancy Solomonic. Over 100 US legal outfits have “evidently established themselves as a go-to choice for the most complex, highest-value and most trial-intensive disputes in [...]
Southampton ‘Spygate’ expulsion ‘severe’, admits commission member May 22, 2026 One of the members of the independent panel that kicked Southampton out of the Championship play-off final for spying says the punishment was “severe” but “necessary”. The unprecedented decision was upheld by the panel on Wednesday following a fast-tracked disciplinary process triggered when Middlesbrough spotted a Southampton staff member filming their training session ahead of [...]
SpaceX IPO puts Musk’s AI empire – and ambitions – in the spotlight May 21, 2026 SpaceX has finally opened its books to public markets, revealing a company generating tens of billions in revenue, burning through cash at an extraordinary speed and betting its future on AI as much as rockets. The long-awaited Nasdaq float, expected next month, could value Elon Musk’s space and AI empire at as much as $1.75 [...]
Former Tory MP set to call Sunak in libel spat with Hancock May 20, 2026 The Court of Appeal is set to hear the latest chapter in a libel claim brought by expelled Tory MP Andrew Bridgen against former ex-health minister Matt Hancock MP. The legal battle between the ex-politicians erupted in January 2023, when Hancock posted on social media about Bridgen after the Tories suspended him over a “disgraceful” [...]