Civil fraud

PDVSA Servicios SA v Clyde & Co LLP [2020] EWHC 2819 (Ch) David Allen QC and Michael Ryan successfully appeared in PDVSA Servicios SA v Clyde & Co LLP, a High Court commercial fraud dispute concerning US$330 million held in a solicitors’ escrow account in London. The Claimant, PDVSA – the state oil company of […]

YS GM Marfin II LLC and ors v Muhammad Ali Lakhani and ors [2020] EWHC 2629 (Comm) The High Court has handed down judgment in YS GM Marfin II LLC and ors v Muhammad Ali Lakhani and ors [2020] EWHC 2629 (Comm), following applications heard on 22 and 23 September 2020. The action is brought […]

Lakatamia Shipping Co Ltd v Morimoto [2019] EWCA Civ 2203 The Court of Appeal has unanimously allowed an appeal by Lakatamia Shipping Co Ltd for which SJ Phillips QC, NG Casey and James Goudkamp appeared. Following a trial in the Commercial Court in 2014, Lakatamia had judgment entered in its favour against Mr Nobu Su, […]

Maroil Trading Inc v. Cally Shipholdings Inc and others [2019] EWHC 2949 (Comm) The Commercial Court has given judgment in Maroil Trading Inc v. Cally Shipholdings Inc and others [2019] EWHC 2949 (Comm). The proceedings are at an early stage, and involve high-profile allegations that Daniel Hall, a senior executive of litigation funder Burford Capital, […]

Suez Fortune Investments Ltd & Piraeus Bank AE v. Talbot Underwriting Ltd & others [2019] EWHC 2599 (Comm) The Commercial Court has handed down judgment in Suez Fortune Investments Ltd & Piraeus Bank AE v. Talbot Underwriting Ltd & others [2019] EWHC 2599 (Comm), concerning the loss of the oil tanker Brillante Virtuoso. Following a […]

Simetra Global Assets Limited v Ikon Finance Limited [2019] 4 WLR 112 The Court of Appeal has today handed down judgment in Simetra Global Assets Limited v Ikon Finance Limited [2019] 4 WLR 112.  Stephen Hofmeyr QC and Josephine Higgs acted for the successful appellants, Simetra Global Assets Limited and Richcroft Investments Limited.  Following a […]

Stavrinides & Othrs v Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited [2019] EWHC 1328 (Ch) The High Court (Chancery Division) has today handed down judgment in Stavrinides & Othrs v Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited [2019] EWHC 1328 (Ch), dismissing a claim by a group of customers for specific performance of a purported settlement agreement. […]

Group Seven Ltd v Notable Services LLP [2019] EWCA Civ 614 The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in a major civil fraud case concerning the theft and laundering of €100 million. In Group Seven Ltd v Notable Services LLP [2019] EWCA Civ 614, Sonia Tolaney QC and Michael Ryan, instructed by Alan Sheeley […]

Bv Nederlandse Industrie Van Eiprodukten v Rembrandt Enterprises, Inc. [2019] EWCA Civ 596 Gavin Kealey QC and Henry Moore have won a major case before the Court of Appeal on issues of fundamental importance in the law of contract. They acted for the successful Respondent together with Simon Goldstone of 4 Pump Court, who had […]

Instant Access Properties Ltd v Rosser &ors [2018] EWHC 756 (Ch) Michael Ryan of 7KBW acted in the successful defence of a substantial civil fraud action.  The Inside Track Group was, prior to the financial crash, one of the largest property investment concerns globally.  In Instant Access Properties Ltd v Rosser & ors [2018] EWHC […]

[2018] EWHC 313 (Ch) Acting for Bank of Cyprus in a multi-million pound fraud case in the Chancery division, involving allegations of forgery. Clara has appeared as sole counsel at several hearings in relation to this litigation, including a full-day security for costs application in which she obtained substantial security for her client – the […]

Bilta (UK) Ltd v Royal Bank of Scotland Plc [2017] EWHC 3535 An important judgment on legal professional privilege has been handed down by the High Court.  In Bilta (UK) Ltd v Royal Bank of Scotland Plc [2017] EWHC 3535 the Chancellor considered the scope of litigation privilege and upheld RBS’s claim to privilege over […]

The Court of Appeal has handed down a judgment concerning the effect of exclusive jurisdiction agreements and how, notwithstanding clear wording of such an agreement, a party may nevertheless submit to the jurisdiction of the English Court and waive any right to rely upon an exclusive jurisdiction agreement in favour of the courts of another […]

[2017] EWHC 246 (QB) Harry Wright acted for the successful Defendant, a solicitor sued by her former law firm for alleged breaches of duty arising in the context of a mortgage transaction in which the borrowers turned out to be fraudsters. The Claimant suffered loss in settling with the mortgage lender, and having been indemnified […]

On 5th-6th July 2011 the vessel Brillante Virtuoso was severely damaged by fire while off the coast of Aden, Yemen. The Claimants (the vessel’s owners and its mortgagee bank) maintained that the fire was caused by pirates (or thieves or terrorists or persons acting maliciously or from a political motive) and claimed under its war […]

Orb a.r.l. and ors v Ruhan [2016] EWHC 850 (Comm) This is a complex and high value multi-party commercial fraud dispute, that was listed for a four-month trial in December 2016.  (It has now been settled.) James Drake QC, Sarah Martin and James Goudkamp (together with Matthew Ryder QC, Lorna Skinner and Nicholas Gibson, all […]

The Commercial Court has given judgment in The Republic of Djibouti & ors v. Abdourahman Boreh & ors, a major civil fraud case in which wide-ranging allegations of dishonesty were made against a prominent African businessman. The defendants were represented during the 10 week trial by Dominic Kendrick QC, Richard Waller QC, Jocelin Gale and […]

[2015] EWHC 3269 (Ch D) A major shareholders dispute between overseas companies concerning ownership and management of an English telecommunications company. Encompassed allegations of fraud, forgery, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of directors duties. Michael, together with Justin Fenwick QC and Dan Saoul, successfully represented the Defendant at the trial. To view the judgment […]

In a highly publicised case, Clive Freedman QC of 7 KBW has successfully represented the Ritz Hotel Casino and obtained judgment for £2,000,000 plus interest and indemnity costs against Mr Al Geabury on a gambling debt. The judgment was handed down in the High Court in London by Mrs Justice Simler today 31 July 2015. […]

Dominic Kendrick QC and Keir Howie (Instructed by Yvonne Jefferies of Byrne and Partners) acted for the Defendant, Mr Abdourahman Boreh, in his successful application to discharge a worldwide freezing order covering assets worth over $100 million. The Claimants in the action are the Republic of Djibouti and two of its state agencies, and their […]

James Drake QC appeared for the Orb Parties (viz, the Claimants, the Fifth Party and the Seventh Party), leading Paul Greenwood and Nicholas Gibson. Tim Jenns appeared for the Defendant, Mr Ruhan. This is a complex and high value multi-party commercial fraud dispute. After a five day hearing in February 2015 before Mr Justice Cooke, […]

Richard Waller QC, Tim Jenns and Andrew Pearson acted for the Defendant, Mr Andrew Ruhan, in a substantial interlocutory application, in this complex and high value multi-party commercial fraud dispute, which is due to come on for a 4-month hearing before the Commercial Court in late 2016/early 2017. The Defendant brought applications, inter alia (i) […]

[2014] UKSC 64 ; [2014] 1 WLR 4495 Michael was part of the counsel team to represent HRH Prince Abdulaziz in his appeal to the Supreme Court in the context of this major fraud case.  Michael also successfully appeared in the eventual trial of this action: see Apex Global Management v Fi Call Ltd [2015] […]

The Court of Appeal allowed an appeal by the Appellants, Blue Holdings (1) Pte Ltd and Blue Holdings (2) Ltd, from an order of Field J which had continued an interim freezing injunction granted to the Respondents, the United States of America. The Court held that it had not been expedient to grant the injunction […]

[2013] EWHC 3530 (Ch D) Trial of a claim against directors for diverting assets from the company (led by Patrick Lawrence QC). The case raised issues of breach of fiduciary duty, constructive trusts and lifting of the corporate veil. Successfully obtained orders that a significant property be held on trust. To view the judgment please […]

NEW SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT: ALTERNATIVE SERVICE OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION – HOW EXORBITANT IS THAT? 26.06.2013 The following judgment was handed down from the Supreme Court this morning. It has important ramifications in cases about service out of the jurisdiction. To view the judgment please click here.  Clive Freedman QC of 7 King’s Bench Walk together […]