Update · 28 August 2026
On 28 August 2026, the Client Committee for the Mariana litigation in England decided to appoint Bailey Glasser International to take the case forward from Pogust Goodhead, on behalf of the clients it represents. Your claim continues in the hands of a dedicated new team.
In short
The claim is being pursued in the English courts against BHP over the 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam. It is conducted by English solicitors, working alongside your lawyers in Brazil.
The Client Committee, which represents most of the clients in the Mariana litigation in England, decided unanimously to move conduct of the litigation from Pogust Goodhead to Bailey Glasser International.
Your existing claim carries on, on the same terms. Nothing about your entitlement changes because of the change of legal team.
There is nothing you need to do right now. If anything is ever needed from you, we will tell you here and explain exactly what to do.
This page will be an authoritative source of information about the case. Please treat information circulating on social media with caution, as it may be misleading.
What this page covers
Bailey Glasser International is the firm that will now represent the majority of Claimants in the Mariana litigation following the Client Committee's decision. The firm is a joint venture with the US firm Bailey & Glasser LLP, and is supported in conducting the litigation in London by Hausfeld & Co LLP.
The next step
For now, there is nothing you need to do immediately, and your existing claim in England will continue. If anything is ever needed from you, we will tell you here and explain exactly what to do.
Common FAQs
For now, there is nothing you need to do immediately, and your existing claim in England will continue.
Your case will be handled by an experienced legal team that includes lawyers with direct knowledge of the Mariana case. Bailey Glasser International is supported in conducting the litigation in London by Hausfeld & Co LLP.
You may be asked to confirm or update some contact and case details. Any information you give will be collected securely and with your consent. We may also be able to obtain relevant information directly from Pogust Goodhead.
No. There is no cost to clients arising from the transition. As before, you will only pay fees if the case is successful.
From this webpage, which will be an authoritative source of information about the case. To the extent possible, we will also communicate all relevant information to your lawyers in Brazil.
Under the governing contracts (the Litigation Management Agreement and the Collective Conditional Fee Agreement), the Committee has authority to take this decision on behalf of the majority of the client group, so the change takes effect for the clients it represents without each individual client needing to sign first. In practical terms, your claim continues; only your legal representation changes, moving to Bailey Glasser International.
No. Your existing claim continues. Changing the firm that has conduct of the case does not stop, reset or restart the proceedings.
No. The claim continues, and the transition is designed to protect it.
Some claimants hold their own separate representation agreements, for example certain municipalities, utility companies, and businesses retained under a Damages Based Agreement. For such claimants, the Committee's decision will not apply.
The proceedings in the Dutch courts against Vale S.A. and Samarco's Dutch subsidiary are a separate matter from the English litigation against BHP that this webpage concerns. The Client Committee's decision does not relate to the clients in the Dutch proceedings.
Answers drawn only from the information on this page. If it is not here, the assistant says so.
Notices
Bailey Glasser International is a trading name of Edward McCourt & Company LLP, which operates in London as a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under company number OC421154, and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Bailey Glasser International is not registered to practice law in Brazil. Edward McCourt & Company LLP operates under a commercial cooperation agreement with the separate and independent U.S. limited liability partnership of Bailey & Glasser, LLP, which is organised under the laws of the State of West Virginia, USA.
The content of this website is provided for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice tailored to your circumstances. Nothing on this website creates a solicitor-client relationship, and no such relationship arises unless and until we have confirmed in writing that we are able and willing to act for you.
Your privacy is important to us. We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, as read with the Data Protection Act 2018, with the EU General Data Protection Regulation where we process the personal data of individuals in the European Union, and with the Brazilian Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados.
We aim to give every client a good service. If something has gone wrong, tell us: raising a complaint costs you nothing and will not affect the way we handle your claim.