Chambers UK 2020 

Serle Court represents a strong choice for company law matters, particularly shareholder disputes, breach of duty claims and derivative claims, among other litigious issues. Its practitioners also assist in transactional matters, and are active in cross-border cases involving interests in the BVI, the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong. Significant instructions from the last year include West Coast Capital v House of Fraser, an unfair prejudice claim, and continued involvement in the Edwardian Group litigation. Clients say: "You have the confidence that, with anybody there, you'll get a leader, and someone who is good at what they do."

Client Service: "It's a good clerking team. They work with you to find solutions to client situations, and are responsive and helpful."

Silks:

Alan Boyle QC: "Alan is a fantastically robust advocate and a real pleasure to work with. He's good strategically and straight as a die."

Daniel Lightman QC: "Daniel displays incredible attention to detail, is a creative thinker and is someone who produces brilliant skeleton arguments."

David Blayney QC: "Quickly earns the confidence of clients. He's very approachable, easy to get on with and happy to make himself available at short notice."

Lance Ashworth QC: "Lance was exceptionally good to work with, providing expert and insightful strategic input and lateral thinking. His advice was pragmatic, commercially minded and robust. His was an extremely collaborative approach and he offered fantastic availability."

Philip Jones QC: "Always happy to get into the detail and very good technically. He is also really responsive and lovely to deal with."

Philip Marhsall QC: "Forceful, clever and direct."

Juniors:

David Drake: "David is excellent on the technical detail and grasps highly complex issues quickly. He's very responsive and trusted by those that instruct him."

Paul Adams: "Incredibly bright and highly approachable. He works very fast as well, so you can refer questions to him and a polished answer will come back almost instantaneously."

Timothy Collingwood: "He is easy to work with, quick, responsive, and intelligent."

Legal 500 2020

Silks:

Alan Boyle QC: "He is very responsive and experienced."

Philip Jones QC: "He is pragmatic and commercially astute."

Phillip Marshall QC: "He is one of the best courtroom advocates at the commercial Bar."

Daniel Lightman QC: "He is a leading company silk whose knowledge in the area and strategic nous is legendary."

Lance Ashworth QC:"He is bright and engaging."

Juniors:

Timothy Collingwood: "He is experienced in breach of duty cases."

David Drake: "He has knowledge of the law and confidence in his own advice."

Giles Richardson: "Clever advocate with good commercial nous and is a great strategist."

Dan McCourt Fritz: "He brings a very sensible and pragmatic approach and is good at working collaboratively."

Matthew Morrison: "He is extremely bright and works hard, turning things around quickly."

Paul Adams: "He is an excellent lawyer and a formidable adversary; he is very quick and clever and a tenacious advocate."

Thomas Braithwaite: "He has a precise and forensic legal mind and appears to have complete mastery of his practice."

Thomas Elias: "He has excellent judgement and tactical sense, well beyond what would be expected from his level of call."

Who's Who Legal 2019

Silks:

Lance Ashworth QC: "a first rate perfomer"

John Machell QC: "the LLP guru" and "the go-to person" at the Bar. "He is such a big name in the field that nothing further needs to be said"

Daniel Lightman QC: "excellent sense of the court and very good judgment" "He is one of the most brilliant barristers I have ever instructed"

Loveridge v Loveridge [2020] EWCA Civ 1104:

Judgment in Loveridge v Loveridge [2020] EWCA Civ 1104 handed down on 24th August 2020 discusses its reasons for having on 30th July 2020 allowed both appeals against interim orders in (1) a partnership dispute and (2) an unfair prejudice petition brought by a son against his parents.

Lance Ashworth QC and Dan McCourt Fritz instructed by Thursfields appeared for the appellants.

Please click here to view the article discussing the judgment, and here for the judgment.

Moutreuil v (1) Andreewitch (2) Pier Investment Company Ltd [2020] EWHC 2068 (Fam):

James Weale acted for the successful claimant in a claim to the beneficial ownership of 100% of the shares in company which held various property assets including a valuable property in Chelsea. In his judgment, Mr Justice Cobb rejected the First Defendant’s case that the shares had been transferred into the name of his partner as mere nominee. James also obtained an order for costs to be assessed on the indemnity basis. Following initial reporting restrictions, the judgment was published on 3 September 2020.

A link to the judgment can be found here.

Saatchi v Gajjar [2019] EWHC 3472 (Ch):

Hugh Norbury QC and Mark Wraith appeared for the claimant in Saatchi v Gajjar [2019] EWHC 3472 (Ch), and obtained permission to continue a derivative claim arising out of alleged misappropriation by the defendant from a company involved in the storage and transportation of Mr Saatchi's art collection. 

De Silva v Lucas & Ribeiro:

Lance Ashworth QC and Zahler Bryan are representing the Portuguese claimant in De Silva v Lucas & Ribeiro in the Chancery Division seeking specific performance of the obligation to transfer shares in an Estonian company which indirectly controls a substantial land development in Lisbon.

Re Dinglis Properties Ltd:

In Re Dinglis Properties Ltd, Daniel Lightman QC, and Eleni Dinenis represent the respondents to a s. 994 petition concerning a family-established property company. In February 2019 Daniel successfully applied for permission to amend the respondents' defence shortly before trial ([2019] EWHC 738 (Ch)). A landmark judgment in July 2019 ([2019] Bus LR 3100) rejected the petitioner's quasi-partnership claim and ordered his shares to be purchased subject to a minority discount. 

Brown & Anor v MML Capital Europe VI Equity II SA & Ors [2020] EWHC 23 (Ch):

In Brown v MML Capital Timothy Collingwood acts for the petitioner in an unfair prejudice petition. He appeared successfully on their behalf when they obtained an injunction to restrain the continuation of disciplinary proceedings concerning disputed allegations of misconduct pending determination of the petition [2020] EWHC 23 (Ch). 

Please click here to view the judgment.

Re Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd & Re Nord Anglia Education Inc:

Jonathan Adkin QC acted for a number of dissenting shareholders in two high-value company share appraisal actions arising under s.238 of the Cayman Islands Companies Law. In Re Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd he appeared in a three-week trial in the Grand Court of the Cayman Island for the determination of the fair value of a Chinese web-based travel company's shares. In Re: Nord Anglia Education Inc he acted in a three-week trial in the Grand Court for the determination of the fair value of shares in the world's leading private school business. 

Mahdavi v Sterling Avram:

Daniel Lightman QC and Zahler Bryan acted for the successful claimants in Mahdavi v Sterling Avram, a case arising from a multi-million-pound property fraud by a consultant engaged by a solicitors' firm. The proceedings raised novel questions about (i) the legal protection available against property fraud where the fraudster operates within a solicitors' firm and (ii) the availability of relief under s 61 of the Trustee Act 1925 to solicitors who have paid away client monies in breach of trust. 

Griffith v Gourgey:

In Griffith v Gourgey, Daniel Lightman QC, Adil Mohamedbhai and Emma Hargreaves continue to represent respondents to three unfair prejudice petitions seeking orders for the purchase of their shares in substantial property development companies. In November 2019, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment ([2019] EWCA Civ 2046) on appeals against two rulings by Sir Nicholas Warren regarding strike-out of the petitions and amendment of another petition. 

Please click here to view the recent judgment. 

Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2018] UKUT 316 (TCC) and [2016] UKFTT 536 (TC):

Ruth Jordan acted for HMRC in Union Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2018] UKUT 316 (TCC) and [2016] UKFTT 536 (TC)  a case about the use of derivative contract rules to engineer £39m in tax deductible losses. The taxpayer's appeal against the decision of the Upper Tribunal which deals with the definition of 'loss and arise from' and widens the application of transfer pricing rules to certain shareholder transactions (bonus share issues) is likely to be heard by the Court of Appeal (along with another related appeal by Ladbrokes Group Finance Plc in which Ruth is also instructed) in 2019 or early 2020.

Please click here to view the judgment.  

Glenn v Watson [2018] EWCH 2016 (Ch):

Elizabeth Jones QC, Justin Higgo, Gareth Tilley, Paul Adams, Zahler Bryan and Oliver Jones continue to act for Sir Owen Glenn and his company, Kea Investments Limited in their dispute with New Zealand businessman Eric Watson, following the judgment in Glenn v Watson [2018] EWCH 2016 (Ch) in which Kea suceeded in establishing its entitlement to set aside agreements relating to a joint venture etween Sir Owen and Eric Watson on the baiss of (i) fraudulent misrepresentations made on behalf of Mr Watson, (ii) breach of Mr Watson's fiduciary duty to Kea. The court gave an important decision on equitable interest, awarding interest of 6.5% compounded annually, at [2018] EWCH 2016 (Ch). Litigation continues as Kea seeks to enforce its judgment againts Mr Watson's assets in the UK and internationally. 

Please click here to view the judgment. 

Instant Access Properties v Rosser [2018] EWHC 756 (Ch):

Lance Ashworth QC and Matthew Morrison secured judgment secured judgment for the First Defendant , Mr Rosser in Instant Access Properties v Rosser successfully defeating a fraudulent trading and breach of fiduciary duty claim of £35 million.

Please click here to view the judgment. 

Fox-Davies v Burberry Group PLC [2017] EWCA Civ 1129:

Timothy Collingwood represented the appellant on the leading case on public access to a company's register of members under the Companies Act 2006.

Please click here for the judgment.

Cullen Investments Ltd & Ors v Brown & Ors [2017] EWHC 1586 (Ch):

Timothy Collingwood represented the claimants at trial in personal and derivate claims against a director and joint venture partner and his brother (also a director of the joint venture company), which claims concerned allegations of conflicts of interest and issues as to the extent of duties owed.

Please click here for the judgment.

Gunewardena v Conran Holdings Ltd [2016] EWHC 2983 (Ch):

Philip Jones QC successfully acted for Conran Holdings, a company owned by Sir Terence Conran and his children, in defending a claim brought by a former shareholder and chief executive who objected to his shares having been compulsorily purchased at nil value. 

Please click here for the judgment.