Whether it is a negligence claim against a multinational company, or a divorce case, high-profile disagreements can be very costly, with many cases dragging on for years. To date the most expensive litigation battle in an English court is that of Boris Berezovsky versus Roman Abramovich, and this incurred £140 million in legal fees. The most expensive lawsuit was in 1998, when $206 billion was agreed as a settlement figure by the tobacco industry after a court battle with the states and territories of the United States.
The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was the 7th largest private bank in the world (by assets). Shut down due to concerns that it was poorly regulated, the liquidators, Deloitte, brought a £850m claim on behalf of creditors against the Bank of England. £113 million was spent by both parties on legal fees, with the liquidators finally dropping the case.
When it comes to celebrity divorces, film star Mel Gibson currently holds the title for the most expensive as he agreed to pay his wife of 31 years an amazing $425 million. However, this figure pales in comparison with that of the divorce of media tycoon Keith Murdoch and his second wife, who received a total of $1.7 billion.
