Metro Bank is preparing to defend itself in a High Court case brought by US software provider Arkeyo LLC, which claims the bank breached copyright and licensing agreements linked to its in-branch coin-counting machines, known as “Magic Money Machines.”
The dispute centres on allegations that Metro Bank replicated Arkeyo’s technology without authorisation after a partnership between the two companies, which ran from 2010 to 2016, ended. The case, led by Brighton-based law firm Helix Law on behalf of Arkeyo, is scheduled for its next hearing on 17 September. Metro Bank has instructed City law firm Eversheds Sutherland to represent it in the proceedings.
Helix Law partner Alex Cook described the case as a defining moment for smaller firms challenging corporate giants. “By breaching their agreement with our client, Metro Bank has not only caused financial damage, but severely damaged its own reputation and trust among its customers,” Cook said. “More widely, we see this as a David and Goliath moment for our industry.”
The case is also drawing attention because of the way Helix Law has managed disclosure costs, which are often prohibitive for smaller litigants. Using advanced document review systems, the firm cut its disclosure bill from an estimated £350,000 to £100,000. In contrast, Metro Bank’s legal team budgeted £557,000 for the same process.
Cook said the savings were crucial in enabling Arkeyo to pursue the case. “The cost savings are game-changing. They have allowed a small software company to continue its fight against a much larger opponent,” he explained. “As an independent firm ourselves, we understand how challenging access to this type of justice can be.”
According to Helix, its approach typically saves clients up to 60% on comparable cases, thanks to technology that can process large sets of documents and court bundles rapidly, flagging gaps and inconsistencies that might otherwise be overlooked. Cook noted that during disclosure, the firm had identified deficiencies in Metro Bank’s submissions, which are expected to be scrutinised further in court later this year.
He also suggested that larger firms have been slow to adopt similar cost-saving tools, partly because of traditional billing structures. “But change is coming,” he said. “Smaller firms are at the forefront of it.”
Alongside the court battle, Helix Law confirmed it is also pursuing mediation in the hope of reaching a resolution later in the year.
The outcome of the case could have wider implications for both financial institutions and technology providers, testing how far contractual and intellectual property protections extend once business partnerships end.
