Leigh Day Cleared of Wrongdoing in £55M Shell Settlement with Nigeria

Leigh Day has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) over its role in the £55 million settlement with Shell over an oil spill in Nigeria.

The SRA concluded that Leigh Day had not breached any regulatory requirements and had acted in the best interests of its clients.

The settlement, which was reached in 2021, saw Shell pay £55 million to compensate 15,000 Bille Kingdom residents for an oil spill which devastated their land and waterways.

Leigh Day represented the Bille Kingdom residents and was accused of overcharging its clients and putting their interests second, but the SRA has found no evidence of this.

The SRA said in a statement: "The SRA has concluded that there is no evidence that Leigh Day breached any regulatory requirements or that they acted other than in the best interests of their clients."

Leigh Day said in a statement: "We are pleased that the SRA has cleared us of any wrongdoing. We have always maintained that we acted in the best interests of our clients and we are grateful for the SRA's confirmation of this."

The settlement with Shell was the culmination of a 13-year legal battle. Leigh Day represented the Bille Kingdom residents on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning that they only received payment if they were successful in their case.

The settlement is one of the largest ever awarded in a case involving environmental damage in Nigeria. It is hoped that it will deter Shell and other oil companies from polluting the environment in the future.