A sharp resurgence in Russian litigants in London’s Commercial Court
Portland’s annual Commercial Courts Report, which analyses judgments from the London Commercial Courts, includes a dedicated chapter outlining key trends in Russia-related disputes.
The report notes that Russian litigants have long featured prominently in London’s Commercial Court, with steady growth since 2018. However, this trend faltered amid the Russia-Ukraine war, sweeping UK sanctions, and a reluctance among UK firms to act for Russian clients. As highlighted in last year’s report, Russian litigants dropped by over 50% from 2022/23 to 2023/24.
However, the 2024/2025 period saw a strong rebound — despite ongoing geopolitical tensions — with Russian litigants not only recovering lost ground but exceeding prior levels. A major factor appears to be improved access to UK legal representation: 80% had counsel this year, compared to just 30% last year.
This shift, according to the report, may be explained by three reasons. First, the October 2024 increase in the UK legal fees cap (from £500,000 to £2 million), allowing more complex disputes to proceed. Second, law firms adopting a more nuanced stance towards non-sanctioned Russian clients. Third, the growing familiarity with the Russia sanctions regime, reducing the tendency to over-comply.
The report notes that over the past six years, Russian litigants have consistently played a significant role in the Commercial Court. Although their dominance appeared to decline in 2024 — likely because of a reduction in law firms acting for Russian clients impacted by UK sanctions targeting regime-linked individuals and entities — that trend now seems to be reversing.
According to the report authors, this resurgence could mark a renewed Russian presence in London’s legal landscape, or it may be a short-lived spike driven by a handful of high-value cases, such as the Russian Aircraft Operator Policy Claims. It’s also possible that 2024 was an anomaly and that UK sanctions have had limited long-term effect on litigation involving Russian parties. Alternatively, the uptick may reflect a “twilight period,” where cases initiated before the conflict—and subsequently delayed by sanctions—are finally progressing through the courts.
According to the report. it has long been more common for Russian parties to appear as defendants rather than claimants in the Commercial Court, but in 2025 this disparity reached unprecedented levels. Only nine Russian litigants appeared as claimants, compared to 51 as defendants—meaning 85% were defending cases, the most pronounced imbalance seen in recent years. While this pattern is not new, the scale in 2025 is striking. It highlights the predominantly reactive nature of Russian-related litigation in London, which is frequently connected to enforcement actions, asset preservation strategies, or disputes stemming from sanctions and complex cross-border relationships.
Also driving the surge is a rise in sanctions-related commercial disputes, especially where Russian parties—often designated or restricted—are defending claims due to non-performance. Of 60 Russian litigants this year, 51 were defendants, reflecting the broader impact of sanctions on contractual obligations.
The report notes that litigants from other major jurisdictions present a more balanced profile. For example, 56% of UK and 57% of UAE parties appeared as defendants. As for the most common nationality pairings in 2025, Russia v United Kingdom leads with four judgments, followed by two cases involving the United States v Russia. Three intra-Russian judgments were also recorded, including two linked to jailed businessman Ziyavudin Magomedov. Additional countries involved in disputes with Russian parties include Germany (two cases), and France, Cyprus, and the British Virgin Islands (one each).
Overall, Portland’s latest Commercial Courts Report reveals a sharp resurgence in Russian litigants in London’s Commercial Court in 2024–2025. Despite ongoing sanctions, the litigants are driven by improved access to legal representation, a rise in sanctions-related disputes, and a shift in law firms’ attitudes, with most Russian parties appearing as defendants in high-stakes, reactive litigation.
Download Portland Commercial Courts Report 2025.
About the Author: Yarik Kryvoi
Professor Yarik Kryvoi, is the founder and co-editor of the CIS Arbitration Forum. He is the Senior Fellow in International Economic Law and Director of the Investment Treaty Forum at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL). He holds law degrees from UCL, Harvard, Moscow and St Petersburg. Before moving to academia, he practiced law with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Washington, D.C. and Baker & McKenzie in St Petersburg. He often acts as a Russian Law expert in litigation and arbitration proceedings in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
