Parker Kerrigan

Parker Kerrigan, group litigation for car finance claims

Parker Kerrigan is the consumer-facing brand of Harcus Parker, a commercial litigation and dispute resolution firm based in London. The company presents itself as a specialist in group claims and class actions, and runs the cases it takes on directly, without referring them to a panel of solicitors or third parties.

The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and appears in the Legal 500 (Group Litigation) and Chambers UK 2026 rankings. Damon Parker is the managing partner and Daniel Kerrigan is a partner. The firm cites a Legal 500 UK assessment that places it among the best group action firms in London.

PCP and HP car finance claims

The activity Parker Kerrigan most prominently promotes is the handling of claims for allegedly mis-sold car finance. The firm assesses whether PCP or HP agreements taken out between 2007 and 2024 may give rise to compensation, through a free check that, it says, takes around 60 seconds and requires no prior paperwork: the firm locates the agreements itself.

The process has three steps. First, the client provides their name, address and date of birth, and the firm carries out a soft search to locate any agreements that may fall within the scope of the FCA redress scheme. Parker Kerrigan then checks eligibility based on what is known about some lenders' commission policies. Finally, if the claim is valid, it is pursued under the FCA scheme or via the appropriate route. The firm says it reviews cases within two working days.

The model is no win, no fee. The search does not affect your credit score and the service is reviewed by SRA-regulated solicitors, not by a call centre.

Types of finance and grounds for claim

The firm covers both PCP and HP agreements, as well as finance for vans, motorhomes and motorcycles. According to its information, those who took out an agreement before October 2024 in England, Scotland or Wales and used the vehicle mainly for personal purposes may be able to claim, provided one of the following applies:

• Having paid a discretionary commission, a practice by which the lender incentivised the dealer to apply higher rates and which was banned in January 2021.
• The agreement was unfair because of a high commission, understood as equal to or greater than 39% of the total cost of credit and 10% of the loan.
• The agreement was unfair because of a linked commercial relationship between the lender and the dealer, with exclusivity or a right of first refusal.

The firm pursues claims against the UK's major motor finance lenders. Among those it identifies as in scope are Black Horse, Volkswagen Finance, BMW Financial, Santander Consumer, MotoNovo, Close Brothers, Moneybarn, Mercedes-Benz Finance, Hyundai Capital, Toyota Financial, PSA Finance, Vauxhall Finance, Blue Motor, Clydesdale, FCE Bank, Alphera, Northridge and RCI / Mobilize.

Fees and case management

Parker Kerrigan charges fees only on success, calculated in tiers on the compensation obtained:

• 30% + VAT, capped at £420, for compensation of between £1 and £1,499.
• 28% + VAT, capped at £2,500, for compensation of between £1,500 and £9,999.
• 25% + VAT, capped at £5,000, for compensation of between £10,000 and £24,999.
• 20% + VAT, capped at £7,500, for compensation of between £25,000 and £49,000.
• 15% + VAT, capped at £10,000, for compensation above £50,000.

The firm notes that most of its clients pay between 28% and 30% plus VAT of their compensation, with no upfront costs, and that it is also possible to claim yourself without charge. It handles multiple claims for the same client, even with several lenders and with agreements dating back to 2007.

Among the advantages it highlights over claiming individually are lenders locating clients, which is not guaranteed, and the 12-month window from the start of the scheme to be contacted, after which the opportunity to claim is lost. It also mentions the possibility of checking lenders' calculations, requiring disclosure of the underlying information, challenging rejected or insufficient decisions, arguing for a higher rate of compensatory interest, raising irresponsible lending claims and seeking disclosure of commissions on insurances such as GAP, paint and alloy wheel insurance.

Background to the FCA redress scheme

The site explains the origin and status of the process. The practices giving rise to these claims occurred between 2007 and 2021 in the case of discretionary commissions, banned by the FCA in January 2021 after a review that had initially begun in 2017, and up to 1 November 2024 in the case of very high undisclosed fixed commissions and undisclosed tied commercial relationships.

In January 2024 the FCA opened an investigation into hidden commissions in motor finance, which kept complaint handling paused until 31 May 2026. On 30 March 2026 the FCA confirmed the details of an industry-wide redress scheme. On 2 July 2026 it announced that the Upper Tribunal had ordered a partial suspension of the scheme, on terms agreed with the four challengers: three lenders (Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Volkswagen Financial Services and Crédit Agricole Auto Finance) and Consumer Voice, a consumer body. The tribunal is due to hear these challenges in December 2026 or February 2027. The FCA indicated that the scheme and redress payments will not commence before 2027 and cautioned that compensation could be delayed to 2028 or beyond if the scheme is halted.

The firm puts the industry's estimated liability between 2007 and 2024 at £7.5 billion, and cites an FCA estimate of an average payout of £829 per agreement. The site shows an average claim value of £1,658, based on two agreements per driver.

Other ongoing group actions

In addition to the car finance claim, which it describes as the largest consumer redress scheme in UK history, Parker Kerrigan is running other group actions:

• The Tesco equal pay action, on behalf of thousands of store workers.
• The litigation of mortgage borrowers trapped on uncompetitive rates after the financial crisis.
• Energy sector claims arising from the collapse of suppliers and costs passed on to consumers.
• The Home REIT claim, a securities action on behalf of investors in the social housing REIT.

Harcus Parker's track record

Damon Parker founded Harcus Parker in 2019. Before that, he and his team built a group and commercial litigation practice at Harcus Sinclair LLP, in which they acted in some of the UK's highest profile group actions on behalf of shareholders, investors and consumers. They obtained the first financial services Group Litigation Order following the introduction of the GLO regime in the early 2000s and helped to establish the use of litigation funding to enable claimants to pursue their claims.

Since 2019, the firm has grown from a team of 12 to more than 50 professionals, with teams dedicated to competition, cyber, data & privacy, and media, information & communications disputes. The company describes itself as a campaigning law firm committed to bringing about positive social change, raising awareness of legal rights and promoting access to justice; it notes that many of its cases highlight critical failings in regulatory oversight and corporate governance, the gender pay gap and major financial scandals, capturing the attention of national and international media.