Our articles are written by experts in their field and include individual barristers, solicitors, academics, judges, and leading firms in relevant areas of practice. JIBFL offers authoritative insights into global banking and financial law, providing essential updates for legal practitioners and policymakers. Covering key topics like lending, security interests, derivatives, debt capital markets, banking and finance related disputes, crypto, FinTech and financial regulation, JIBFL serves as a trusted resource for navigating complex legal challenges and staying informed in the financial sector. If you would like to contribute, please email .

Swaps litigation: the continuing search for certainty

19 March 2024 / Author(s): Andrew Fulton KC
Issue: March 2023 / Categories: Feature

Banks who enter into swaps with public sector entities might reasonably have hoped that during the three decades since Hazell v Hammersmith & Fulham LBC [1992] 2 AC 1 (in which the House of Lords ruled that the local authority’s interest-rate swaps were speculative and ultra vires) most of the associated legal problems would have been resolved. Two recent cases in the Commercial Court involving Italian authorities show that quite a lot remains to be argued about. These are Deutsche Bank AG London v Comune di Busto Arsizio [2021] EWHC 2706 (Comm) (Busto) and Banca Intesa Sanpaolo SPA & Anor v Comune Di Venezia [2022] EWHC 2586 (Comm) (Venezia). In this article Andrew Fulton KC highlights the continuing problems so far as the enforceability of a disputed swap is concerned.

If you are already a User, sign in
Or you can register free of charge to read a limited amount of subscriber content per month.
Once you have registered, you will receive an email directing you back to read this article in full.
Alternatively you can subscribe here to read unlimited content.