“offers a variety of skill sets that others can’t provide, and houses some of the biggest names at the Bar”
Members of Serle Court are regularly involved in professional disciplinary and regulatory matters and appear (for both regulators and defendants) before a wide range of tribunals and other professional disciplinary bodies.
In financial services, members of Serle Court have been involved in matters across sector including in the banking, insurance and payment sectors. Members have been involved in many of the most important cases since the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, including the disciplinary cases brought by the FSA against CSFB International, Legal & General and Shell. Various members also acted in the long running FSA investigation into the split capital investment trust market. A member of chambers provides support to the Financial Conduct Authority across a range of matters including disclosure, enforcement, competition law, data protection, and conduct regulation. Members of chambers also sit (in some cases as chairman) on the disciplinary tribunals (and appeal tribunals) of institutions such as Lloyds and LIFFE.
Members of chambers also advise and are involved in disciplinary cases brought by the governing bodies of numerous other professions, in particular the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Law Society. Professor Suzanne Rab has been appointed as special advisor to the bar Standards Board’s pool of advisors (in the areas of competition and data protection). She has also advised the Legal Services Board and the Law Society on regulatory matters.
Serle Court also has regular involvement in disciplinary proceedings brought by the governing bodies of various sports, including in particular the RFU, the FA, the ICC, British Swimming and the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association. Recent examples of cases in which members of Serle Court have been involved include charges brought by the FA against Wayne Rooney’s agent.
Individual members of chambers are also involved in disciplinary proceedings in other areas, including acting for the Church of England in various ecclesiastical and church matters.
EasyJet Data Breach Litigation:
David Blayney QC and Sophie Holcombe are instructed by PGMBM in relation to the easyJet data breach involving around 9 million of their customers, which was announced by easyJet last month.
In May 2020, easyJet customers received an email titled ‘Notice of cyber security incident’ informing them that the airline had been the target of a cyber-attack. Customers’ names, email addresses, and travel details relating to easyJet flights or easyJet holidays booked between 17th October 2019 and 4th March 2020 had been accessed by unauthorised persons. Some 2,208 individuals also had their credit card details stolen, including the three-digit security code – known as the CVV number.
Under Article 82 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) customers have a right to compensation for financial loss, inconvenience, distress, annoyance, and loss of control of data.
David and Sophie will assist PGMBM in seeking a group litigation order to ensure that the affected customers can pursue compensation against easyJet for the exposure of their confidential personal data.
British Airways Data Breach:
On Friday 4 October 2019, Mr Justice Warby granted a Group Litigation Order (‘GLO’), paving the way for many thousands of claimants to bring legal action against British Airways arising out of the well-publicised breach of its website and mobile app which resulted in the theft of customers’ personal data. David Blayney QC, Sophie Holcombe, and Sophia Hurst act for the largest group of claimants, represented by the Lead Solicitors under the GLO, SPG Law.
In July 2019 the ICO published a notice of its intention to fine BA a record £183.39 million for breaches of data protection law caused by poor security arrangements, estimating that the data of over 500,000 customers were compromised in the incident. However, the fine does not compensate individual claimants in respect of the breach, who may be entitled to compensation under the GDPR. To date, around 6,000 claimants are represented in the Group action.
Welcome to SerleShare
SerleShare is an up-to-date digital marketing initiative that came to life in July 2020 when our Business Development and... Read More
Professor Suzanne Rab writes for The European Advocate
In an article for The European Advocate, the journal of the Bar European Group, Professor Suzanne Rab writes, 'Artificial... Read More
“impressive silks and juniors are praised for their strength in depth”
Welcome to SerleShare
SerleShare is an up-to-date digital marketing initiative that came to life in July 2020 when our Business Development and... Read More
Professor Suzanne Rab writes for The European Advocate
In an article for The European Advocate, the journal of the Bar European Group, Professor Suzanne Rab writes, 'Artificial... Read More
