Commercial disputes

Thinking - Blog

Hong Kong courts clarify personal data concerns in civil litigation

Published on 23 June 2015.

In a series of cases in Hong Kong in the last year or so, the courts have brought some welcome clarification to the vexed issue of the interaction between disclosure of relevant documents in civil disputes and balancing competing confidentiality and personal data concerns arising out of the contents of such documents.

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Invalidity of buyer's notice sinks warranty claim

15 June 2015

In Ipsos SA v Dentos Aegis Network Limited, the Defendants obtained judgment in the High Court against the Claimants in respect of their claim for breach of warranty for failure to comply with contractual notification requirements set out in a share purchase agreement.

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Thinking - Blog

One-stop adjudication – the rational approach to dispute resolution

Published on 10 June 2015. By Simon Hart, Partner, Head of Banking & Financial Markets Disputes

The Commercial Court has found[1] that an arbitration clause in a consultancy services agreement was superseded by a dispute resolution clause in a later settlement agreement;...

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Two jurisdictions for the price of one? The English Court of Appeal provides guidance on conflicting jurisdiction clauses in related contracts

Published on 03 June 2015. By Davina Given, Partner

In Trust Risk Group SpA v AmTrust Europe Limited[1] the Court of Appeal has rowed back from the presumption that parties who have agreed differing jurisdiction arrangements for their disputes intended their disputes to be governed by one regime.

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Meaning of information of a precise nature in market abuse clarified by ECJ

27 May 2015

Following a recent ECJ decision, the definition of 'inside information' for the purposes of the EU's market abuse regime has been widened.

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Thinking - Publication

Financial Litigation roundup

26 May 2015

Welcome to the latest edition of our Financial Litigation roundup.

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Appeal court considers constructive knowledge in limitation period extension claim

Published on 21 May 2015. By Geraldine Elliott, Partner

The Court of Appeal* has recently held that an individual investor was too late to bring a claim in negligence and could not take advantage of the provisions of section 14A Limitation Act 1980 as she had constructive knowledge of relevant facts ascertainable during the primary limitation period.

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Thinking - Blog

Still no joy for investors' mis-selling claims

Published on 18 May 2015. By Jonathan Cary, Partner

In the latest alleged mis-selling case in Hong Kong, the Court of First Instance maintained a consistent approach with other recent cases, rejecting an investor's claim based on misrepresentation and suggesting that the principle of contractual estoppel is alive and well.(1)

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Marketing to professional investors – the Court of Final Appeal's verdict

Published on 18 May 2015. By Jonathan Cary, Partner

In Securities and Futures Commission v Pacific Sun Advisors Ltd, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal recently ruled that the advertisement of a collective investment scheme intended to be disposed of only to professional investors ...

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Thinking - Blog

Good Russian Service

Published on 07 May 2015. By Alan Williams, Partner

Following the decision in Sloutsker v Romanova[1], it should now be more difficult for parties to evade the effective service of English court documents in Russia.

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Thinking - Blog

Contractual notice of warranty claim

Published on 05 May 2015. By Geraldine Elliott, Partner

In The Hut Group Limited v Nobagar-Cookson[2], the High Court considered what was required to comply with a provision in a share purchase agreement requiring notice to be given of a breach of warranty claim.

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Thinking - Blog

High Court considers iniquity exception for disclosure of privileged documents

Published on 30 April 2015. By Geraldine Elliott, Partner

In the case of London Borough of Brent v Kane, the court considered an application for the disclosure of legal advice that was alleged to have been given for an iniquitous purpose such that the benefit of any privilege that might otherwise have attached to the document was lost.

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Friends without benefits – what happens when investments go wrong?

Published on 01 April 2015.

Investors have had something of a hard time suing financial institutions or financial advisers in Hong Kong for alleged claims sounding in breach of contract or negligence.

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Litigation meets regulation

Published on 26 March 2015. By Davina Given, Partner

In an ever more regulated world, commercial litigators need to be aware of both the risks and opportunities regulation may bring.

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Thinking - Blog

Non-exclusive jurisdiction clauses in cross-border agreements

Published on 25 March 2015. By Jonathan Cary, Partner

Hong Kong courts adopt robust approach to uphold parties' contractual bargain as to their choice of forum

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Important judgment on liquidators' ability to obtain documents

Published on 11 March 2015. By Samuel Hung, Partner

In an important judgment handed down recently by the Court of First Instance in Hong Kong, ...

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Thinking - Blog

Reflex actions: Plaza BV -v- The Law Debenture Trust Corporation

Published on 10 March 2015. By Jake Hardy, Partner

The recent judgment of Mrs Justice Proudman in Plaza BV –v- The Law Debenture Trust Corporation1 illustrates and extends a line of authorities in which the English courts have sought to narrow the scope of the mandatory application of Article 2 of the Brussels Regulation 44/2001.

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Thinking - Blog

Scheming for foreign companies

19 February 2015

In the recent case of Re LDK Solar Co Ltd,(1) Justice Lam considered the approach that the court should take in deciding whether to invoke its jurisdiction to approve an arrangement or compromise between a foreign company and its creditors or members.

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Thinking - Blog

Civil Appeals - one shot as of right only

10 February 2015

The right of appeal to the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) with respect to final judgments of the Court of Appeal amounting to HK$1 million or more has been repealed as of 24 December 2014.

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Thinking - Blog

High Court considers jurisdiction over non-EU defendant in proceedings also including domestic defendants

30 January 2015

The decision in Jong v HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA and others[i]serves as a useful reminder that the Court will be guided by the substance, and not the form, of proceedings when considering questions of jurisdiction.

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Thinking - Blog

No discretion to extend time to appeal registration of foreign judgments

Published on 29 January 2015. By Dan Wyatt, Partner

In Taylor-Carr -v- Howkins & Harrison LLP[1], it was held that the English courts have no power to extend the time for appealing against the registration of a foreign judgment under Council Regulation 44/2001, which permits judgments in one member state to be enforced in another.

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Thinking - Blog

Injunctions: Hearsay evidence and dissipation risk considered

Published on 27 January 2015. By Geraldine Elliott, Partner

The case of JSC Bank & anor v Sergei Pugachev[1] serves as a useful reminder of the need to take care with the use of hearsay evidence and the standard and evidence required of the dissipation of assets.

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Thinking - Blog

Modified Universalism – Privy to Singular Clarification

Published on 20 January 2015. By Rebecca Wong, Partner

While most jurisdictions provide liquidators with wide investigative powers to locate and realise assets locally, the exercise of such powers becomes more complicated when the assets are situated overseas.

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Thinking - Blog

Mareva Injunctions – Substance and Form

Published on 09 January 2015.

Recent cases in Hong Kong highlight a need to exercise care when applying for a mareva (freezing assets) injunction before trial.

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Thinking - Blog

The claimants that knew too much: High Court rules on applicability of concealment provisions in Limitation Act 1980 in competition damages claim

Published on 24 December 2014. By Chris Ross, Partner

The Arcadia Group[1] case arose in the context of ongoing damages claims brought by a number of retailers and other merchants against both Visa and MasterCard for breaches of competition law in relation to the charging of interchange fees in the Visa and MasterCard payment systems.

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Thinking - Blog

The beginning of the end to mis-selling claims?

Published on 22 December 2014. By Davina Given, Partner

Mis-selling of interest rate products to unsophisticated customers has been the subject of intense regulatory scrutiny, with the banks paying out over £1.5bn to around 10,000 customers in the course of the Financial Conduct Authority's Interest Rate Hedging Product Review which began in May 2013.

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Thinking - Blog

Defend and submit: Challenging the jurisdiction of the Court

Published on 18 December 2014. By Jonathan Cary, Partner

A defendant who wishes to challenge the civil jurisdiction of a Hong Kong court should not file and serve a defence pending the outcome of the challenge.

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Thinking - Blog

Occupy Central: Civil disobedience and civil remedies

16 December 2014

The "Occupy Central" movement in Hong Kong has involved large numbers of protesters occupying major roads in Hong Kong, particularly in the areas of Admiralty (on Hong Kong Island) and Mong Kok (on the Kowloon Peninsula).

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Thinking - Blog

The Commercial Court assesses the power and limitations of "Chabra" jurisdiction

Published on 08 December 2014. By Adam Forster, Senior Associate

The Commercial Court has recently considered[1] that it did not have jurisdiction to grant a freezing order to assist in the enforcement of an arbitration award against subsidiaries of the first defendant, which were incorporated outside the jurisdiction and had no assets or other presence in England.

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Thinking - Blog

Entitlement to inheritance claim not within the "wills and succession" exclusion under Article 1(2) of the "Brussels I" Regulation on jurisdiction and enforcement

03 December 2014

The High Court has recently dismissed a tortious claim[1] for conspiracy to deprive the claimant of inheriting her late father's shares on the basis that it had no real prospect of success.

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Thinking - Blog

Defendant which unreasonably refused to mediate escapes costs sanctions

Published on 21 November 2014. By Alexis Armitage, Senior Associate

When considering costs and exercising its discretion under CPR 44.2, the court has regard to all the circumstances including the conduct of the parties before as well as during the proceedings.

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Thinking - Blog

Injunctions - when will the court order fortification of a cross-undertaking in damages?

Published on 18 November 2014. By Geraldine Elliott, Partner

The Court of Appeal endorsed for the first time the accepted criteria that must be satisfied before the court can order an application for fortification of a cross-undertaking in damages in EVP v Malabu Oil.[1]

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Thinking - Blog

Defendant which unreasonably refused to mediate escapes costs sanctions

18 November 2014

When considering costs and exercising its discretion under CPR 44.2, the court has regard to all the circumstances including the conduct of the parties before as well as during the proceedings.

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Thinking - Blog

No anti-suit injunction for parties not subject to an arbitration agreement

17 November 2014

The importance of drafting arbitration agreements carefully and precisely has been highlighted by the Commercial Court when it rejected an application for an anti-suit injunction restraining New York court proceedings in favour of arbitration[1].

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Thinking - Blog

Bribes and Undisclosed Commissions to Agents: Supreme Clarity.

Published on 29 October 2014. By Jake Hardy, Partner

In late July, the Supreme Court of England and Wales handed down a succinct judgment on a topic which, while narrow, is of considerable importance in its sphere.

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Thinking - Blog

FTT prevents HMRC from having two bites of the cherry!

Published on 22 October 2014. By Dan Wyatt, Partner

In Lady Henrietta Pearson v HMRC [2014] UKFTT 890 (TC), the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) ('FTT') concluded that HMRC had "ignored" its previous decision by seeking to reduce the amount of a VAT refund which it had ordered HMRC make to Lady Henrietta Pearson ('the taxpayer').

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Thinking - Blog

The importance of commercial considerations in contractual construction

Published on 13 October 2014. By Chris Ross, Partner

The principles governing contractual interpretation under English law are reasonably well-established.

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Thinking - Blog

Leveling the playing field - SFC conclusions on professional investor regime and client agreements

Published on 03 October 2014. By Jonathan Cary, Partner

Despite the ongoing political noise coming out of Hong Kong, commercial life and the operation of the financial markets continue unabated.

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Thinking - Blog

Crime and privilege

Published on 23 September 2014. By Davina Given, Partner

Under English law, legal professional privilege permits a civil litigant or a defendant in criminal proceedings to withhold from the other side documents subject to the privilege.

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Thinking - Blog

Turning the clock back

Published on 15 September 2014. By Alan Williams, Partner

A recent Court of Appeal decision[1] in a pensions' dispute provides a reminder of circumstances in which the English courts will allow a statement of case to be amended to bring a new claim which would otherwise be time barred.

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Thinking - Blog

Permission refused to use disclosed documents in foreign proceedings

22 August 2014

At the end of June the SFO announced that it had settled claims brought by Vincent Tchenguiz arising from the manner in which his alleged involvement in the collapse of the Icelandic bank Kaupthing hf. was investigated by the SFO.

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Thinking - Blog

Trust and wealth disputes update

29 July 2014

Our latest trust and wealth disputes update is available by clicking here. Topics include:

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Thinking - Blog

Manage your damages expectations! Says the Commercial Court

23 July 2014

The Commercial Court recently dampened the Fiat car group's hopes of receiving a loss of profits pay out from Lotus by dismissing its application for summary judgment on a claim for repudiatory breach of contract[1].

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Thinking - Blog

Be prepared to mediate or prepare to pay

11 July 2014

The High Court has ordered costs on an indemnity basis after a continuing and unreasonable failure on the part of the Defendant to engage with mediation before then accepting a Part 36 offer late following trial.

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Thinking - Blog

Repudiation: dentist's breach does not go to the root of the contract

Published on 03 July 2014. By Daniel Hemming, Partner

The Court of Appeal has determined that the actual and threatened breach by a dentist of the payment terms (requiring payments to be made monthly) for the use of a practice, was not a repudiation of the contract and the principal was wrong to terminate the contract.

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Thinking - Blog

Joint defendants, default judgments and the limits of issue estoppel

Published on 30 June 2014. By Jake Hardy, Partner

In proceedings with multiple Defendants in which the Claimant had obtained default judgment against Defendant A, another Defendant, B, (which had statutory joint liability for A's actions) was not bound by an issue estoppel raised by the default judgment against A.

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Thinking - Blog

Assessing compensation under cross-undertakings in damages: is remoteness relevant?

Published on 19 June 2014. By Dan Wyatt, Partner

In short, yes; compensation under cross-undertakings in damages is assessed using the same rules as assessing damages for breach of contract, i.e. the principles of causation, remoteness and mitigation apply.

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Thinking - Blog

Whistleblowing partners – no need to add any mystery ingredient

12 June 2014

The Supreme Court has provided welcome clarification of the scope of whistleblowing protection for partners and members of LLPs in the case of Clyde & Co v Bates van Winkelhof[1].

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Thinking - Blog

Court shuts door on challenge to arbitral tribunal's findings

Published on 03 June 2014. By Chris Ross, Partner

Applicants cannot use s.68 of the Arbitration Act to challenge indirectly the tribunal's finding of fact when they don’t like the decision made.

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Thinking - Blog

Supreme Court clarification on follow-on damages claims timing

27 May 2014

On 9 April 2014, the Supreme Court, reversing the Court of Appeal's decision, ...

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