Finance and Consumer Credit
Our work covers four broad areas: consumer credit, consumer protection, commercial debt recovery and asset finance.
We are one of the very few sets that are pre-eminent in consumer credit. We have a large, highly-experienced team which is regularly involved in consumer credit and banking work.
We have particular expertise in the various challenges that consumers make to the enforceability of regulated credit and hire agreements.
We also have a wealth of experience in the wide variety of disputes that arise in relation to unregulated finance agreements (whether loans, hire purchase, hire or other structured finance). We have huge experience in the law governing equipment leasing – whether the finance is provided by a hire or hire-purchase agreement, credit or conditional sale arrangement, or whether secured or unsecured.
We are well-used to dealing with the many issues that may arise from such contractual relationships – such as issues of title, quality, delivery, carriage and insurance. We regularly act in commercial litigation stemming from such asset finance arrangements, and we have a particular reputation for our expertise in cases involving defective goods.
Our specialist knowledge of these areas provides a good base for our general debt recovery work.
As well as being litigators, we have a hard-won reputation for our non-contentious work in this area. We advise on all aspects of consumer credit compliance, whether licensing, advertising, paperwork or procedures. We regularly draft credit agreements and their related financial instruments. We advise industry bodies in their dealings with regulators.
Our clients include banks, trade associations, insurance companies, FTSE 100/250 companies, government departments and agencies, local authorities, nongovernmental organisations, professional bodies, consumer groups and private individuals in a wide variety of matters.
Members of the group are the authors or editors of the leading text-books in the field, including Goode: Consumer Credit Law & Practice; The Blackstone’s Guide to the Consumer Credit Act 2006; Rosenthal’s Consumer Credit Law and Practice; Butterworths Commercial and Consumer Law Handbook (2008); and the consumer credit volume of Halsbury’s Laws of England.
We are also authors of the relevant precedents in Butterworths Encyclopaedia of Forms & Precedents, Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Precedents of Pleadings, and Butterworths Civil Court Precedents.
