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Russian litigants in ‘dramatic’ London rebound

A report on London’s Commercial Court has highlighted a “dramatic rebound” in the number of Russian litigants over the past 12 months, after a fall in the previous period. 

According to legal-services group Portland, there were 60 Russian litigants involved in such cases between April 2024 and March 2025 – up from 27 the previous year and the highest figure since records began 13 years ago. 

Portland’s report finds that 80% of Russian litigants had legal representation – up from just 30% in 2024. Just nine Russian parties appeared as claimants, compared with 51 as defendants.

The report cites several potential reasons for the bounce in Russia-linked cases – including easier access to legal representation for Russian clients in Britain and high-value disputes arising out of the sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

UAE surge 

For the second year in a row, the number of litigants from the UAE reached record highs, seeing a 106% increase over just two years.  

This figure has been boosted, the report says, by “ongoing legal alignment” between the two jurisdictions, with a 2022 directive from the UAE’s Ministry of Justice stating that English judgments were enforceable in the Gulf state. 

The 68 litigants from the UAE made it second to Britain among nationalities appearing in the courts. 

The UAE replaced Ireland in second place, partly due to a reduction in judgments concerning Russian aircraft claims that involved Irish litigants. 

Record number of nationalities 

The report shows that 93 different nationalities were represented in the 257 judgments handed down – the highest figure ever recorded and the third consecutive annual increase. 

The total number of litigants (1,368) rose by 12% compared with the previous year, but the number of judgments was steady. 

Just over 60% of litigants were not from Britain – the second-highest percentage recorded since the reports began.