GJN 2024 London Meeting

How it Went – 2024 GJN London Meeting

On February 8-9, the 14th ‘Meeting and Workshop’ of the Global Justice Network (GJN) was held at the London offices of the law firm Irwin Mitchell. The event brought together lawyers from 17 countries to discuss cases and trends in international class or collective actions aimed at the global protection of victims.

Created in 2011 from an intuition of Robert Lieff, GJN has grown over the years, becoming a true laboratory of ideas. The London meeting once again demonstrated how the comparison of members’ experiences from areas with different legal cultures and operating in various countries and continents adds value. We may very well define it as the basis of a ‘community of jurists’ that enhances their overall skills for the ultimate benefit of represented claimants.

Participants engaged in a two-day workshop focusing on the most relevant matters for each specific case – jurisdiction, claimable heads of damage, applicable law, limitation, and causation. New members participated in the meeting, and the agenda was quite exciting. Topics included global phenomena such as PFAS pollution (ubiquitous carcinogenic perfluoroalkyl substances) and available legal solutions for impacted communities, and damages caused by Philips Respironics medical devices. Updates were provided by our members who successfully filed actions in EU countries regarding these cases (see our recent posts on PFAS and Philips).

Other compelling topics included Sodium Valproate drug side effects and related litigation in France and England, as well as the consequences of a massive fire that occurred in October 2023 in Osijek, Croatia. The topic of litigation funding was also discussed in depth. IVO Capital Partners and LitFin, among the main European players in the sector, addressed the audience about key market points and concrete business opportunities.

The meeting concluded with a speech by Robert L. Lieff, one of the most innovative and influential global lawyers of the last 50 years, and founder of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. Mr. Lieff outlined his vision for the future development of collective litigation, highlighting once again how coordinated action and close partnership are essential to achieving significant goals for the protection of victims globally.

The GJN is now working to turn what was discussed in London into legal reality.