Two reported judgments for Gareth Shires

August 10, 2023

Gareth Shires from Exchange Chambers has continued to build his group litigation practice with two reported judgments in recent weeks.

The judgments concern claims against the manufacturer of sterilisation device Essure and the latest case management decision in the Mercedes NOx Emissions Group Litigation.

In the Essure litigation, approximately 200 women suffered prolonged pain, abnormal bleeding, and other serious side effects which they allege were caused by the device.  The claims are being pursued against the manufacturer of Essure, German pharmaceutical company Bayer.

The President of the King’s Bench Division has recently approved the making of a GLO, following the judgment of the Senior Master who found that the claims met the relevant threshold tests and that a GLO was the most effective route to manage them.  The judgment is available here.

Instructed by the steering committee (Pogust Goodhead, Leigh Day, Slater & Gordon UK Limited, Hausfeld & Co LLP and Milberg London LLP) Gareth is also a member of the counsel team acting for the claimants in the Mercedes NOx Emissions Group Litigation.

There are now approximately 269,000 claimants on the Group Register, although over 300,000 have either contacted or instructed solicitors.

This latest case management decision dealt with competition disclosure and preliminary case management. As a result of the judgment, the steering committee will receive disclosure of documents related to a technology suppression cartel involving Mercedes, and disclosure from the Korean competition authority of documents relating to another cartel involving collusion in respect of emissions technology.  The court also set down dates for trials in 2024 and 2025.  The full judgment is available here.