From humble beginnings in England in the 12th century, to landmark civil rights court cases in the US in the 1960s, class actions are now rarely out of the headlines.

They’re a means of bringing together large groups of people – sometimes millions – under the umbrella of a collective claim for damages.

Their popularity has spread from the US back to Europe and beyond, which is becoming a concern for businesses fearful of finding themselves in multi-million-dollar litigation cases. Now, there are growing calls for legislation to curb their rise.

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Presenter: Ed Butler

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol.

(Picture: High angle view of lawyers researching at a table in a board room. Credit: Getty Images)