Public Institution for Social Security v Banque Pictet & Cie SA [2022] EWCA Civ 29; Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Ors [2020] EWHC 2979 (Comm): led by Jonathan Adkin QC, successfully challenged the English court’s jurisdiction in one of the largest fraud disputes ever heard in the Commercial Court (one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases in 2020). Successfully resisted the Claimant’s appeal on jurisdiction in a three-day appeal which decided novel points on establishing jurisdiction under Art.6 Lugano Convention where there are (i) overlapping claims against the same defendant, some of which must be considered in that defendant’s state of domicile under a jurisdiction clause, and (ii) connected claims against another defendant.

King v Stiefel [2021] EWHC 1045 (Comm); The Times, 4 June 2021: acted, led by Daniel Lightman QC, for five of the defendants to a £58 million claim in unlawful means conspiracy brought by the defendants to previous (discontinued) litigation against the same claimants, their solicitors and QC. Succeeded in striking out and obtaining summary judgment in a rare example of a court striking out a fraud claim. The case raised a number of significant legal and procedural issues.

Accident Exchange v McLean & Ors: acted, with Hugh Norbury QC and Dan McCourt Fritz, for Keoghs, one of three firms of solicitors joined to Accident Exchange’s £130m conspiracy claim said to arise out of Autofocus’ “perjury on an industrial scale”. Following successful applications by Keoghs and the other firms for security for costs, the claim settled shortly before trial.

Tatneft PJSC v Bogolyubov & Ors: acted in this very substantial Commercial Court dispute involving claims under Article 1064 of the Russian Civil Code.

Grand View Private Trust Company and another v Wong and others (Bermuda) No 1 and No 2: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC and with James Weale, for the Second Appellant on the appeal to the Privy Council concerning assets worth around $500 million and raising issues of legal principle arising out of a trustee’s decision to add to the class of beneficiaries of a family discretionary trust a Bermuda purpose trust from which the pre-existing beneficiaries could never benefit and to appoint the entirety of the trust assets to the purpose trust.

Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Ors: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC, Jonathan Harris QC and James Weale, for the Eighth Defendant in proceedings concerning claims to recover assets worth at least $20bn currently held in Bermudian purpose trusts. The case is thought to be one of the largest ever trust disputes in the common law world. The trial was heard over six months in 2021. The Bermuda Court of Appeal and Supreme Court handed down judgments on issues including: joint interest privilege ([2021] CA (Bda) 3 Civ, 12 April 2021); hearsay evidence ([2021] SC (Bda) 46 Com, 9 June 2021); open justice ([2021] SC (Bda) 32 Com, 16 April 2021); and the iniquity exception ([2021] CA (Bda) 6 Civ, 11 June 2021).

Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million-pound chemicals business with trading operations in the US, South Africa and Europe.

Instructed in highly contentious, confidential proceedings concerning a family trust for one of the world’s wealthiest families.

Instructed in a case concerning claims brought against the former trustee of a trust holding the valuable IP and international trading business of a successful Italian fashion brand. The former trustee was alleged to have been grossly negligent in breaching an alleged duty to review and take appropriate legal advice about the fiscal profile of the trust and its underlying companies.

Instructed in contentious proceedings seeking the removal of a trustee of two connected Jersey trusts together with rectification and ratification/confirmation orders. The case was heard over a ten-day trial in which the Court heard live evidence from seven witnesses of fact as well as extensive legal submissions.

Instructed to appear as sole counsel for a third party in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) raising various issues as to the beneficial ownership of two UK properties.

Instructed, as specialist Chancery counsel to defend claims advanced by the wife in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) that various holding structures constituted a nuptial settlement amenable to variation by the court.

Hagen v Hagen: acted, led by Dakis Hagen QC, for the Respondent husband in financial remedy proceedings in the High Court. The case, which settled mid-trial, involved the family behind Viking River Cruises.

Re BHS Group Ltd; Wright v Chappell [2021] EWHC 3501 (Ch): acting, led by Daniel Lightman QC, for the Third Respondent in high-profile proceedings brought by the liquidators of BHS Companies against their former directors for alleged wrongful trading and breaches of duty. The claims, which raise issues in relation to the large deficits in the BHS Group’s pension schemes, are alleged to be worth over £160m and are said to have arisen in the period following the sale of BHS by Sir Philip Green to Retail Acquisitions Limited for £1.

Officeserve Technologies Ltd (In Liquidation) v Anthony-Mike [2017] B.C.C. 574 – acted, with Dakis Hagen QC, for the former Executive Chairman of a failed tech company accused of misapplying corporate funds for his own benefit.

Assisted Philip Marshall QC in acting for administrators in the Lehman Brothers "waterfall" litigation.

Currently instructed in a Hong Kong commercial arbitration. Acting for the claimant BVI company in a large-scale and complex dispute arising out of alleged deceit and fraudulent breaches of the shareholders agreement of a company operating in the satellite industry.

Public Institution for Social Security v Banque Pictet & Cie SA [2022] EWCA Civ 29; Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Ors [2020] EWHC 2979 (Comm): led by Jonathan Adkin QC, successfully challenged the English court’s jurisdiction in one of the largest fraud disputes ever heard in the Commercial Court (one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases in 2020). Successfully resisted the Claimant’s appeal on jurisdiction in a three-day appeal which decided novel points on establishing jurisdiction under Art.6 Lugano Convention where there are (i) overlapping claims against the same defendant, some of which must be considered in that defendant’s state of domicile under a jurisdiction clause, and (ii) connected claims against another defendant.

King v Stiefel [2021] EWHC 1045 (Comm); The Times, 4 June 2021: acted, led by Daniel Lightman QC, for five of the defendants to a £58 million claim in unlawful means conspiracy brought by the defendants to previous (discontinued) litigation against the same claimants, their solicitors and QC. Succeeded in striking out and obtaining summary judgment in a rare example of a court striking out a fraud claim. The case raised a number of significant legal and procedural issues.

Accident Exchange v McLean & Ors: acted, with Hugh Norbury QC and Dan McCourt Fritz, for Keoghs, one of three firms of solicitors joined to Accident Exchange’s £130m conspiracy claim said to arise out of Autofocus’ “perjury on an industrial scale”. Following successful applications by Keoghs and the other firms for security for costs, the claim settled shortly before trial.

Tatneft PJSC v Bogolyubov & Ors – acted in this very substantial Commercial Court dispute involving claims under Article 1064 of the Russian Civil Code.

Sim v Shurgard UK Limited – acted as sole counsel for the Defendant company and successfully obtained an order striking out the Claimant’s claims.

Robinson v Travel Trade Group Limited – acted for the Claimants/Applicants in Part 8 proceedings against their co-directors seeking information as to the financial position of the company.

Currently instructed in a Hong Kong commercial arbitration. Acting for the claimant BVI company in a large-scale and complex dispute arising out of alleged deceit and fraudulent breaches of the shareholders agreement of a company operating in the satellite industry.

Grand View Private Trust Company and another v Wong and others (Bermuda) No 1 and No 2: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC and with James Weale, for the Second Appellant on the appeal to the Privy Council concerning assets worth around $500 million and raising issues of legal principle arising out of a trustee’s decision to add to the class of beneficiaries of a family discretionary trust a Bermuda purpose trust from which the pre-existing beneficiaries could never benefit and to appoint the entirety of the trust assets to the purpose trust.

Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Ors: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC, Jonathan Harris QC and James Weale, for the Eighth Defendant in proceedings concerning claims to recover assets worth at least $20bn currently held in Bermudian purpose trusts. The case is thought to be one of the largest ever trust disputes in the common law world. The trial was heard over six months in 2021. The Bermuda Court of Appeal and Supreme Court handed down judgments on issues including: joint interest privilege ([2021] CA (Bda) 3 Civ, 12 April 2021); hearsay evidence ([2021] SC (Bda) 46 Com, 9 June 2021); open justice ([2021] SC (Bda) 32 Com, 16 April 2021); and the iniquity exception ([2021] CA (Bda) 6 Civ, 11 June 2021).

Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million-pound chemicals business.

Instructed in highly contentious, confidential proceedings concerning a family trust for one of the world’s wealthiest families.

Instructed in a case concerning claims brought against the former trustee of a trust holding the valuable IP and international trading business of a successful Italian fashion brand. The former trustee was alleged to have been grossly negligent in breaching an alleged duty to review and take appropriate legal advice about the fiscal profile of the trust and its underlying companies.

Instructed in contentious proceedings seeking the removal of a trustee of two connected Jersey trusts together with rectification and ratification/confirmation orders. The case was heard over a ten-day trial in which the Court heard live evidence from seven witnesses of fact as well as extensive legal submissions.

Acted in a multi-billion dollar dispute arising out of mining activities in South America involving complex choice of law and jurisdiction issues.

Defended proceedings in the BVI for enforcement of a multi-million-dollar judgment against assets held by a Panamanian Foundation.

Grand View Private Trust Company and another v Wong and others (Bermuda) No 1 and No 2: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC and with James Weale, for the Second Appellant on the appeal to the Privy Council concerning assets worth around $500 million and raising issues of legal principle arising out of a trustee’s decision to add to the class of beneficiaries of a family discretionary trust a Bermuda purpose trust from which the pre-existing beneficiaries could never benefit and to appoint the entirety of the trust assets to the purpose trust.

Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Ors: acted, led by Richard Wilson QC, Jonathan Harris QC and James Weale, for the Eighth Defendant in proceedings concerning claims to recover assets worth at least $20bn currently held in Bermudian purpose trusts. The case is thought to be one of the largest ever trust disputes in the common law world. The trial was heard over six months in 2021. The Bermuda Court of Appeal and Supreme Court handed down judgments on issues including: joint interest privilege ([2021] CA (Bda) 3 Civ, 12 April 2021); hearsay evidence ([2021] SC (Bda) 46 Com, 9 June 2021); open justice ([2021] SC (Bda) 32 Com, 16 April 2021); and the iniquity exception ([2021] CA (Bda) 6 Civ, 11 June 2021).

Acting in overlapping trusts and matrimonial proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) in which the wife seeks orders to vary a Jersey discretionary trust which holds a multi-million-pound chemicals business

Instructed to appear as sole counsel for a third party in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) raising various issues as to the beneficial ownership of two UK properties.

Instructed, as specialist Chancery counsel to defend claims advanced by the wife in financial remedy proceedings (subject to reporting restrictions) that various holding structures constituted a nuptial settlement amenable to variation by the court.

Hagen v Hagen: acted, led by Dakis Hagen QC, for the Respondent husband in financial remedy proceedings in the High Court. The case, which settled mid-trial, involved the family behind Viking River Cruises.