TLT Advises Home Office on Market-First £600 Million Collective Claim

TLT advised the UK Home Office, acting as the claim funder and the largest class member, and Ashurst advised Ms Clare Spottiswoode CBE, the appointed class representative; the Government Legal Department’s Commercial Law Group supported the Home Office. The Competition Appeal Tribunal handed down judgment on 13 October in Clare Mary Joan Spottiswoode CBE v Airwave Solutions Limited, Motorola Solutions UK Limited & Motorola Solutions Inc, approving the appointment of Ms Clare Spottiswoode as the class representative for a £600 million claim brought on behalf of purchasers of Airwave emergency radio services. The Tribunal certified the claim to proceed as a collective, opt-out action, rejecting submissions by Motorola that the class was defined too broadly and that the claim should proceed on an opt-in basis. The claim addresses alleged overcharges incurred before the imposition of a charge control on Airwave following the Competition and Markets Authority’s Market Investigation. The proceedings are now permitted to continue, with a trial expected in 2027 or 2028. The decision represents the certification of the UK’s first non-commercially funded competition collective claim, with the Home Office funding the claim brought by Ms Spottiswoode. TLT worked in close partnership with the Government Legal Department’s Commercial Law Group in developing the collective proceedings on behalf of the Home Office as both funder and largest class member. TLT also acted for the Home Office in relation to the CMA Market Investigation and subsequent appeals, including the dismissal of an appeal by Motorola Solutions, Inc. against the CMA’s decision to cap the revenue that Motorola may earn from mobile radio services provided over the Airwave Network. TLT continues to advise the Home Office on Motorola’s compliance with the charge control, a pending review, and on the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network programme and the migration of users from Airwave. TLT represented the UK Home Office (claim funder and largest class member) with a team composed by: Vicky Mabbett, Partner, Commercial Dispute; Stuart Murray, Partner, Competition Regulatory and Trade (Digital); supported by members of TLT’s Competition, Regulatory and Trade; Commercial Dispute Resolution; and Tech, IP and Data teams. Ashurst represented Ms Clare Spottiswoode CBE (class representative) with a team composed by members of Ashurst. Government Legal Department Commercial Law Group assisted the UK Home Office with a team composed by members of the Commercial Law Group (Home Office).

TLT Advises Home Office on Market-First £600 Million Collective Claim

Read the full story

Cookie Preferences

Strictly Necessary

Analytics & Statistics

Marketing & Ads