JLT and Willis will battle it out in court as the major international brokerages settled on a date in 2016.

Willis is pursuing damages against JLT relating to the hiring of more than thirty staff members in the Fine Art, Jewellery and Specie division.

The brokers will head to the High Court in London in April 2016 in a bid to settle the claims in a twenty day hearing.

Gavin Mansfield QC, who is representing Willis in the case, believes that JLT could be faced with a big bill if the trial does head to court.

"It's fanciful to suggest this will be of no or negligible cost," Mansfield said according to Insurance Age.

"Our case is this was a carefully planned, targeted conspiracy to take a profitable division from us."

Daniel Oudrek QC, representing JLT, believes the trial may be able to be settled before it’s court date as both companies will aim to set the record straight.

"At this stage the whole lot should be set down and as many aspects as the court can should be dealt with on the same occasion," Oudrek said.