LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
In addressing the challenge of stalled litigation, the Civil Procedure Rules provide an extensive legal framework designed to facilitate swift and just resolution of cases. Central to this framework is the overriding objective of the CPR, which mandates that cases should be handled justly and at proportionate cost.
English law Unfair Prejudice Petitions offer a remedy for minority shareholders facing oppression by the majority within a company. Where the prospect of winding-up proves undesirable, section 994(1) of the Companies Act 2006 provides an alternative avenue for seeking redress. At LEXLAW, our expert company law team specialises in navigating the complexities of shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice claims.
The High Court, in its decision on Litasco SA v Der Mond Oil and Gas Africa SA & Anor [2023] EWHC 2866 (Comm), clarified the application of force majeure and the “ownership and control” test under UK sanctions law. It emphasized that significant difficulty, nearly impossible to overcome, is necessary to invoke force majeure for debt obligations. The ruling further established stringent criteria for proving “control” in relation to sanctioned entities, highlighting the necessity for actual influence over business decisions, rather than theoretical possibilities, to satisfy this condition. This decision provides a clearer framework for businesses handling contracts under these terms.
The case of Dr Markus Boettcher v (Xio (UK) LLP & Ors [2023] EWHC 801 (Comm) (05 April 2023) recently had an interim judgment decided by the Commercial Court.
An award of indemnity costs might give a party in a lawsuit a major advantage, due to the fact that the paying party will be responsible for the legal expenses and the proportionality criterion will not be applied. Since costs on the standard basis are the norm, the indemnity costs principle (included in Civil Procedure Rules 44.3(3)) can be considered punitive in nature.
In the case of Robert Don Hunter Dougan v HMRC [2022] TC8471, the First Tier Tribunal (“FTT”) ruled the taxpayer had not deliberately intended to cause a loss…
In Gorbachev v Guriev & Ors [2022] EWHC 1907 (Comm), the Court of Appeal held that it had jurisdiction to permit service of a third-party disclosure application outside…
UK judges opened a path for a group of more than 200,000 plaintiffs to bring a suit against BHP Group Ltd over its role in the collapse of…
Expert evidence is important and can help prove a claim or disprove allegations, especially where the case involves matters on which the court does not have the requisite technical or academic knowledge, or the case involves issues of foreign law. Unlike witnesses of fact, a qualified expert is permitted to give opinion evidence on any relevant matter.
In a midnight deadline case, there is a complete undivided day following the expiry of the deadline, which should be included when calculating the limitation period. It is, therefore, crucial that limitation issues are considered at the outset of any potential claims.