“Over-lawyering” was the key criticism of the High Court in another round of costs budgeting the Pan Nox Emissions group litigations.

In this third Tranche, the Claimants’ budgets were reduced from £55.7m to £21m and the Defendants’ budgets from £75.8m to £48m with Mrs Justice Cockerill DBE and Senior Costs Judge Rowley deciding that in respect of the Claimants’ budgets “the largest reductions stem from the layers of representation leading to, for example, claims for individual, non-lead firms to audit or replicate work already being done by the Lead firms”.

The full judgment can be read here: Various Claimants v Mercedes-Benz Group AG & Ors (Re Pan NOx Emissions Litigation) [2025] EWHC 2307 (KB) (10 September 2025)