LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
“Rope: Sometimes you need to let customers hang themselves.” A damning 2009 internal memo entitled “Just Hit Budget!” was published on 17 January by the Treasury Select Committee as MPs…
Property Alliance Group Ltd (“PAG”) has recently filed leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal against a decision of Mrs Justice Asplin in the High Court in…
The Times Brief reports that we have launched an online petition in an attempt to apply public pressure on banks to settle compensation claims for financial product mis-selling.…
Major banks and other financial services institutions are often in dispute with customers who deserve protection. Access to court is costly. The FOS ombudsman scheme is inadequate. The…
RBS’s Global Restructuring Group (GRG) has faced allegations of destroying small businesses. LexLaw has sued RBS on behalf of many businesses including Bowlplex, a family-owned bowling business, claiming excessive fees, increased interest rates, and forced equity transfer. Despite a viable business, Bowlplex was transferred to GRG and ultimately sold on by RBS for a £9m profit and a £50m loss for the owners.
The Court of Appeal has allowed WW Property Investments Ltd to appeal against NatWest over mis-sold interest rate derivatives and the negligent conduct of the IRHP review. This landmark decision challenges banks’ redress offers and recognition of consequential losses, encouraging affected customers and SME victims to seek legal advice for potential claims. The ruling could impact limitation periods and existing non-advisory defenses employed by banks, with major implications for financial services litigation and previous IRHP Review outcomes.
Kiki Loizou, Small Business Editor of The Sunday Times, reports on one of our derivatives litigation cases where Barclays Bank plc mis-sold a highly toxic derivative (a 27-year…
The Times reports that Wenta, a company that supports new businesses, is suing RBS and NatWest for mis-selling a complex financial product. The banks sat on Wenta’s board and encouraged the deal, despite it being a disastrous one that cost the company over £500,000.
Lexlaw, Wenta’s lawyers claim the banks misled the company about the risks involved and have been slow to resolve the dispute. While several other banks have settled similar cases, RBS and NatWest have resisted, forcing Wenta to take legal action. The case is currently undergoing mediation, and a settlement may be reached soon.
Westgate Healthcare settled a legal dispute with RBS for £10m, involving alleged misrepresentation and breach of contract regarding an interest rate swap. Deemed too sophisticated for FCA’s compensation scheme, Westgate’s claim, initiated in April 2014, led to a settlement with RBS, who imposed confidentiality and accepted no liability.
The High Court ruled that fraud allegations against RBS concerning LIBOR manipulation in a derivatives mis-selling claim were “properly arguable,” affecting SMEs sold IRHPs by major banks. LIBOR, a crucial interest rate benchmark, had been rigged by banks including RBS, resulting in hefty fines. RBS admitted misconduct in its LIBOR submissions. Property Alliance Group’s (PAG) case against RBS may set a precedent for extending time limits on claims, emphasizing the importance of seeking legal advice on mis-selling claims affected by LIBOR fraud.