Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer launches third edition of class actions book as landscape evolves at pace

With the class actions landscape continuing to evolve at pace, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has launched a new edition of its essential text on class actions in England and Wales.

Class actions in England and Wales is a practical guide for practitioners involved in class action litigation in the courts of England and Wales. The book brings practitioners right up to date on significant developments since the last edition in 2022, including landmark decisions from the Supreme Court and other appellate courts. New to the 2026 edition are chapters examining representative actions, tax disputes and arbitration.

The book, which is published by Sweet & Maxwell, draws on the experience and knowledge of its editors, partners Damian Grave and Gregg Rowan, and knowledge counsel Maura McIntosh, and 16 co-author partners from across the firm’s disputes, competition and employment practices. HSF Kramer lawyers have acted in many of the leading class actions before the English courts, including the Pan NOx Emissions Group Litigation, Gormsen v Meta and Various Claimants v Standard Chartered plc. Previous editions of the book have been cited in two Supreme Court decisions, Lloyd v Google (2021) and AXA Insurance UK PLC v Commissioners of Inland Revenue (2026).

Commenting on the launch, editor and partner Gregg Rowan said: “Class actions have grown to be a significant risk for many of our clients. Many of the largest and most high-profile cases in the English courts are class actions - whether opt-out collective proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal, or multi-claimant actions in the High Court. Since we first launched this book in 2018, it has become an important reference for practitioners. We hope this new edition will continue to guide practitioners as they navigate the shifting landscape of class actions practice.”

In addition to the editors, the book’s co-authors include partners Greig Anderson, David Bennett, Neil Blake, Chris Bushell, Andrew Cannon, Simon Clarke, Nick Clayton, Julian Copeman, Kim Dietzel, Natasha Johnson, Rachel Lidgate, Rupert Lewis, Andrew Taggart, Alan Watts, Joe Williams and Stephen Wisking.

Find out more here: Class Actions in England and Wales