The Litigation Podcast

To celebrate our summer travels, the Blackstone Chambers Breakfast Briefing returns with a look at a series of recent important cases with both an international and a key procedural element.​Mark Vinall takes us to Venezuela to discuss the Court of Appeal’s decision in Illiquidx Ltd v Atlanta Wealth Ltd. concerning the contractual construction of phrases with well-established market meanings such as, in this case, “public domain”.​Drishti Suri keeps us in the Court of Appeal to look at their consideration in Kerish International Motors v Opel of what “national law” might mean in a contract in the context of the Government’s changing approach to the recognition of Palestine as a state and to what extent challenges to foreign law findings on appeal must be treated as questions of fact.​Rayan Fakhoury speeds us off to Italy to update us on another recent consideration of principles of the comity of nations in the context of an application for pre-action disclosure – Robert Ebart v Ferrari. Is there also time for a Case of the Quarter? Of course there is.​Peter Head brings us right back to England to look at a recent critical consideration of the law of causation and the procedural rules that apply to its pleading in Gallagher Benefit Services v Meagher.​Andrew George KC directs your journey from the Chair.

Welcome to episode 35 of The Litigation Podcast. In this episode, Lord Burnett of Maldon presents highlights from Session 3 of the Public Law Conference 2026, with Sir Jeffrey Jowell KC, Thomas de la Mare KC, Charlotte Kilroy KC and Naina Patel KC discussing the rule of law.If you haven't already, listen to Part 1 with Hanif Mussa KC, Tom Leary, Daniel Cashman, Flora Robertson & Rayan Fakhoury and Part 2 with Hanif Mussa KC, Iain Steele, Tom Coates, Rachel Jones & Tom Lowenthal.

Welcome to episode 34 of The Litigation Podcast.In this episode, Hanif Mussa KC presents recorded highlights from Session 2 of the Public Law Conference 2026.Tom Coates discusses interim relief in judicial review: principles and practice.Tom Lowenthal examines Duty of Candour.Iain Steele discusses the latest on delay.Rachel Jones discusses practice and procedure, with some updates from the Administrative Court.If you haven't already, listen to Part 1 with Hanif Mussa KC, Tom Leary, Daniel Cashman, Flora Robertson & Rayan Fakhoury and stay tuned for Part 3 with Sir Jeffrey Jowell KC, Thomas de la Mare KC, Charlotte Kilroy KC & Naina Patel KC!

Welcome to episode 33 of The Litigation Podcast. In this episode, Hanif Mussa KC presents recorded highlights from Session 1 of the Public Law Conference 2026.Flora Robertson discusses automated decision making in public law.Daniel Cashman explores the availability and scope of judicial review of a public body’s private law decision-making.Rayan Fakhoury examines international Law and Judicial Review.Tom Leary discusses deference and Margin of Appreciation.Stay tuned for Part 2 with Iain Steele, Tom Coates, Tom Lowenthal & Rachel Jones and Part 3 with Sir Jeffrey Jowell KC, Thomas de la Mare KC, Charlotte Kilroy KC & Naina Patel KC!

The Blackstone Commercial Breakfast Briefing returns for its first outing of 2026.In this episode, Luka Krsljanin first takes an in-depth look at recent developments in primary, vicarious and accessory liability in the context of fraud claims. Keeping him company over the croissants, Antonia Eklund highlights the recent landmark decision in Municipo de Mariana v BHP & ors. (the Brazilian Dam case) whilst Grant Kynaston examines the significance of the Privy Council’s decision concerning the need for subjective awareness of representations in the tort of deceit - Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) v Ivanishvili & ors. Andrew George KC polices proceedings from the Chair.

Welcome to episode 31 of the Litigation Podcast: Mediation: Voluntary and Involuntary.In the first in a series of short podcasts on mediation, Mark Shaw KC and Jane Mulcahy KC remind us of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and share thoughts on how mediation can be a powerful tool in even the most contentious and combative case.

Tune in to episode 30 of The Litigation Podcast: The Impact of AI: Are Existing Laws Enough? AI-powered automated systems are rapidly reshaping decision-making across sectors. In this episode, the panel examines whether current legal frameworks are sufficiently robust and adaptable to meet the challenges this poses. The discussion addresses two core issues: the right to a human decision and the legal implications of automated decision-making by public authorities and private entities. It then assesses how these challenges are already playing out in practice across both the public and private sectors. The panel asks: do we need new legal safeguards, or can existing laws rise to the occasion? The seminar was chaired by James Segan KC, Blackstone Chambers, and the episode includes: Jeremias Adams-Prassl, Professor of Law & Associate Dean (Research), Oxford University, Blackstone Chambers Academic Panel Member Joe Tomlinson, Professor of Administrative Law at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, Blackstone Chambers Academic Panel Member Ravi Mehta, Blackstone Chambers Ava Mayer, Blackstone Chambers Hugo Murphy, Blackstone Chambers

The Blackstone Breakfast Briefing returns with a roller-coaster round-up of the summer’s key fraud-related judgments.In this episode, the speakers will explore sanctions, illegality and public policy (Alan MacLean KC and Tom Leary – Eurochem v Societe Generale), deep-fake AI images (Marlena Valles – Getty Images v Stability AI), and judgments obtained by fraud (Madelaine Clifford – Commercial Bank of Dubai v Al Sari). Meanwhile, the wealth of recent judgments means the ever-popular Case of the Quarter slot takes on an extended role – as Cases of the Quarter. Fraser Campbell KC highlights the significant insurance judgment in Axa v Santander whilst Andrew Scott KC reports on car finance and all things fiduciary from the Supreme Court (Hopcroft v Close Brothers et al). Andrew George KC keeps everyone honest and on time from the Chair.

Welcome to episode 28 of the Blackstone Chambers Litigation Podcast: Litigating War - Ukraine v Russia 2025.This session followed the European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber judgment of 9 July 2025 in which the Grand Chamber revisited its case law on jurisdiction and held Russia responsible for “an unprecedented and flagrant attack on the fundamental values of the Council of Europe” and for widespread violations of the Convention across Ukraine dating back to 2014 and embracing all aspects of the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. The judgment has been described by a former President of the Court as the greatest in the 65 year history of the Court. The session was chaired by Tim Otty KC, leading counsel for Ukraine, with speakers including Tom Richards KC, Naina Patel KC, Jason Pobjoy KC, George Molyneaux and Isabel Buchanan, all of whom were also part of Ukraine’s counsel team.

Blackstone Chambers’ Breakfast Briefing is back and thrilled to start 2025 by celebrating Blackstone Chambers’ recent sponsorship of the Conflicts of Laws Prize on the University of Oxford’s prestigious BCL course.Andrew Scott KC surveys recent events with our keynote conflicts address before Blackstone’s barristers run through a series of their recent stand-out cases in the field including Tom de la Mare KC (Kingdom of Spain v London Steam-Ship Owners’ Mutua), Peter Head (Magomedov v TPG Group), Gayatri Sarathy (Kireevav Bedzhamov), Tim Otty KC and Drishti Suri. Andrew George KC smoothes everything over from the Chair.