Cobussen Principal Investment Holdings Ltd v Akbar & Ors [2020] EWHC 476 (QB)

James Weale acts for the claimant in an application for a charging order against a valuable property in London held through a trust structure to enforce a $20m judgment debt. Following a heavily contested application disclosure, James succeeded in obtaining an order for specific disclosure in respect of over 50 separate categories of documents.

In the course of his judgment handed down on 3 March 2020 [2020] EWHC 476 (QB), Edis J held that a solicitor’s professional duties required them to take possession, and carry out searches, of their clients documents themselves rather than to allow such searches to be conducted by their clients. The judgment also highlights the very limited weight which will be attached to witness statements from solicitors given on instructions.

Please click here to view the judgment.

Related Barristers

James Weale KC has a very busy commercial chancery practice with a focus on domestic and international commercial and trusts disputes.

He is recognised as a leading practitioner in those fields by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers High Net Worth, and Who’s Who Legal, where they describe him as a “brilliant lawyer” and a “Superstar”. He was Chambers & Partners’ Chancery Junior of the Year in 2023.

He regularly appears (both as sole and junior counsel) in the English High Court and has appeared several times in the Court of Appeal. He also has considerable experience in overseas jurisdictions (including as sole counsel), including Bermuda, the DIFC, the BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and Panama.