Unparalleled Circumstances

In Unparalleled Circumstances, a recent article in the New Law Journal, Daniel Lightman QC and Gregor Hogan consider the courts’ willingness to revisit orders to reflect the impact of Covid-19.

Their article considers Dinglis v Dinglis [2020] EWHC 1363 (Ch), where the court declined to vary the terms of a share purchase order made under section 996 of the Companies Act 2006 despite accepting that the Covid-19 pandemic was something “out of the ordinary” and entirely unforeseeable, and contrasts that with a more permissive approach seen in cases involving compliance with procedural deadlines. In the light of those developments and the experience of the 2008 financial crisis, they then consider whether Covid-19 could constitute a Barder event in the context of matrimonial finance.

Related Barristers

As part of a broad Chancery-Commercial practice, Daniel Lightman KC engages with challenging and novel issues of law and civil procedure, in particular concerning shareholder disputes (having appeared in a number of landmark unfair prejudice petitions and derivative claims), company law (including in matrimonial proceedings), insolvency, civil fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and professional negligence.

Shortlisted for Company/Insolvency Silk of the Year in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Awards in both 2026 and 2024 and shortlisted for Chancery Silk of the Year in the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2026, Daniel is recommended in Band 1 for Silks for Company by both Chambers UK, 2027 and the Legal 500, 2027 – and in Band 1 for Chancery Commercial by Chambers. Chambers UK, 2027 describes him as “A go-to silk for high value, complex disputes who leads the pack on shareholder disputes. He has great judgement and always furnishes reliable advice” and praises him for “constantly identifying innovative solutions to complex problems” and building “outstanding relationships with the wider legal team.”

Daniel has an extensive international practice, including current or recent shareholder litigation in the courts of Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey and Qatar, and a multi-shareholder arbitration in Hong Kong.