Consumer Law

5PB is one of very few specialist chambers ranked as a “Leading Set” in Consumer Law by both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. It is the “go-to set” for consumer law” and its members “never disappoint”.

Our members appear in the most high-profile and complex consumer cases. Due to their expertise, they are frequently instructed in novel cases, both prosecuting and defending. Recent examples include:

  • Operations Treacle and Zeb, prosecutions of multi-million pound secondary ticket platforms arising in the aftermath of CMA action against ticketing giants including Viagogo;
  • Fox & Others, the UK’s first ever pyramid scheme prosecution;
  • Whatcott, a consumer fraud that involved a unique interplay between CPUTs and penalty charges; and
  • Operation Cleo, in which defendants represented by 5 Paper Buildings were unanimous acquitted in alleged large-scale “copy cat” website fraud.

Members act both for and against a broad spectrum of regulators, including the Competition and Markets Authority, National Trading Standards, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and local trading standards departments nationwide. With their wealth of experience at the highest level, members are ideally placed to provide strategic advice from the pre-charge stage, in restraint, throughout trial, and at confiscation.

We have expertise in the full range of consumer law issues, including rogue traders, penalty charges, product safety, and intellectual property, as well as prosecuting and defending criminal cases, our members appear in related civil proceedings. These include proceedings under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act, and cases before the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

Members provide training in various aspects of law and practice for enforcement authorities, and host sessions every year at the annual Chartered Trading Standards Institute Symposium.

The Blackstone’s Guide to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 was authored by members of chambers. In addition, our members contribute to Consumer and Trading Standards Law and Practice (better known as “the Pink Book”). We are regularly asked to write articles for TS Today and The Journal of Trading Standards.