Tom Stewart Coats and Bethanie Chambers are instructed in the matters of Crane Bank v DFCU and Professor Barry Rodger v Alphabet and others respectively which both feature in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases of 2026”.
Tom is instructed in Crane Bank v DFCU Bank which is listed for a 12-week trial in the Commercial Court and due to commence on 1 October 2026. The proceedings, which involve claims in unlawful means conspiracy, bribery and dishonest assistance, arise out of the sale of most of Crane Bank’s assets and liabilities to DFCU Bank as part of the resolution of Crane Bank by the Central Bank of Uganda. The claim will also involve consideration of the Foreign Act of State Doctrine.
Tom acts for the seventh defendant, instructed by Michelmores LLP and led by Thomas Plewman KC.
In September 2026, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) will hear one of the most complex claims to date concerning collective proceedings brought by Professor Barry Rodger on behalf of UK app developers against Google in relation to Google’s Play Store. The proceedings will be heard alongside the matters of Elizabeth Helen Coll v Alphabet and others and Epic Games v Alphabet and others. Professor Rodger’s case is that Google has adopted a range of exclusionary practices to eliminate competition in app distribution and has then exploited its dominant position by charging excessive and unfair prices.
Bethanie acts for the class representative in the case of Rodger v Alphabet & others alongside Brick Court’s Robert O’Donoghue KC and Sarah O’Keeffe, Monckton’s Anneliese Blackwood, and Fountain Court’s Daniel Carall-Green. She is instructed by Geradin partners David Gallagher, Jennifer Reeves, Patrick Teague and Anthony Ojukwu.
A full list of the featured cases can be viewed here (via The Lawyer website – subscription needed).
