Costs
Various Claimants v Mercedes-Benz Group AG and others [2025] EWHC 2307 (KB)
The King’s Bench Division ruled on the costs management order following the second costs management hearing in this extensive group litigation related to NOx emissions involving multiple claimants and automotive defendants. The court determined that budgets for the expert reports and alternative dispute resolution phases were premature and deferred their approval. The judgment reaffirmed that costs budgeting should act as a safeguard for reasonableness and proportionality without undermining fair representation and necessary litigation activities.
Employment
Equity and others v Talent Systems Europe Ltd (trading as Spotlight) [2025] EWHC 2254 (KB)
The King’s Bench Division, in dismissing the claimants’ claim against the defendant company (Spotlight), held that Spotlight did not qualify as an ‘employment agency’ within the meaning of s 13(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and, therefore, that it was not subject to the Act’s associated restrictions and regulations. The court held that the Act required services for the purpose of finding persons employment, and that Spotlight’s directory serves as a marketing tool, enabling performers to promote
