The judgment clarifies the Court’s approach to proposed transfers under Part VII of FSMA, as well as the scope and application of s. 110(1)(b). On 24 November 2021, the High Court of England and Wales (the Court) sanctioned a £10.1 billion annuity book transfer from The Prudential Assurance Company Limited (PAC) to Rothesay Life Plc … Continue Reading
Will the UK join the Lugano Convention 2007? By Oliver Browne and Tom Watret Introduction Conflicting reports have emerged in recent days as to whether the EU will approve the UK’s application to join the Lugano Convention 2007, the UK’s preferred regime for governing jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments with EU Member States after … Continue Reading
Parties seeking to rely on video-link evidence should plan ahead and, where necessary, obtain local and foreign court approval. By Dan Smith The COVID-19 pandemic has (albeit by necessity) ushered in a move towards remote justice. The vaccine rollout continues, and as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, English courts are now considering to what extent … Continue Reading
Two recent English cases illustrate the court’s receptiveness to disclosure orders in relation to informal communications on personal devices. By Dan Smith and Aisling Billington In two recent decisions, the English Court has demonstrated a pragmatic and targeted approach to ordering disclosure of material held on personal devices of third parties, and a recognition of … Continue Reading
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement has now been agreed. So what rules will apply to jurisdiction and foreign judgments in the UK from 1 January 2021? By Oliver Browne and Tom Watret Introduction It has been a long time in the making, but the UK and EU have finally reached an agreement (the EU-UK … Continue Reading
Court of Appeal sets out correct approach to transfer of long-term Insurance. By Victoria Sander, Jon Holland, Alex Cox, and Duncan Graves Latham & Watkins has won an appeal on behalf of Rothesay Life Plc (Rothesay) in an unprecedented challenge to the High Court’s refusal to sanction the transfer of around 370,000 annuity policies in … Continue Reading
English law, courts and arbitral tribunals may become more relevant and popular after Brexit, not less. By Oliver Browne, Sophie J. Lamb QC, Sanjev D. Warna-kula-suriya, and Tom Watret Introduction English law, courts, and arbitral tribunals may become more relevant and popular after Brexit, not less, and parties should continue to feel confident about including … Continue Reading
Four recent developments highlight the benefit of arbitration clauses amidst uncertainty about choice of court clauses. By Oliver Browne and Tom Watret Introduction With the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 fast approaching, four new important and interrelated developments have highlighted uncertainty about which courts will have jurisdiction in cross-border disputes … Continue Reading
English High Court holds that alleged breaches of a director’s statutory duties can engage the ‘iniquity exception’, which disapplies legal professional privilege under certain conditions. By Stuart Alford QC and George Schurr In Barrowfen Properties v Girish Dahyanhai Patel & Ors.,[i] the English High Court held that the ‘iniquity exception’ to legal professional privilege will … Continue Reading
The Convention, which entered into force this month, should allow courts in certain jurisdictions to recognize and enforce settlement agreements directly. By Oliver E. Browne and Philip Clifford QC Settling a dispute via mediation is one of the most time- and cost-effective approaches a party can take to resolve contentious issues. Mediation — a confidential … Continue Reading
High Court holds that English law legal advice privilege can extend to such communications regardless of whether or not the lawyers are in-house practitioners. By George Schurr In PJSC Tatneft v Gennady Bogolyubov & Ors.,[i] the English High Court held that legal advice privilege can apply to communications with foreign lawyers in certain circumstances. Specifically, … Continue Reading
The decision overturns a series of cases deemed to have over-expanded a principle preventing shareholders from claiming against third parties for falls in a company’s value. By Oliver Middleton and Thomas F. Lane On 15 July 2020, the UK Supreme Court unanimously overturned a Court of Appeal decision that had barred a creditor of companies … Continue Reading
Parties should avoid uncertainties by stipulating the applicable law to the arbitration agreement. By Eleanor M. Scogings and Robert Price The decision in J (Lebanon) v. K (Kuwait)[i] provides a useful analysis of which law (i.e., the law of the arbitration agreement or the law of the seat) governs the issue of whether a non-party … Continue Reading
The English High Court held the tribunal lacked jurisdiction as the defendant ceased to exist. By Eleanor M. Scogings In Ga-Hyun Chung v. Silver Dry Bulk Co Ltd,[i] the English High Court upheld a challenge to an award under Section 67 of the Arbitration Act (the Act). The award was made in favour of Silver … Continue Reading
English Supreme Court rules that there is no reasonable diligence requirement barring a fresh action to set aside a judgment obtained by fraud. Oliver E. Browne and Alex Cox Introduction In Takhar v Gracefield Developments Limited and others [2019] UKSC 13, the English Supreme Court considered whether a party applying to set aside an earlier … Continue Reading
A rare example of the English High Court varying an arbitral award. By Oliver E. Browne and Eleanor M. Scogings In Dakshu Patel v. Kesha Patel [2019] EWHC 298 (Ch), the English High Court upheld an appeal under section 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 (the Act) against an arbitral award. The court concluded that … Continue Reading
Non-parties are entitled to obtain documents related to an arbitration if the case falls within the “interests of justice” exception. By Eleanor M. Scogings In The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators v B, C and D,[1] the English High Court granted the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Institute) access to documents related to an arbitration for use … Continue Reading
The decision clarifies how lawyer-client privilege applies in the context of transactions. By Daniel Smith and James Fagan The recent English High Court decision Raiffeisen Bank International AG v Asia Coal Energy Ventures Limited and Ashurst provides guidance on the application of legal advice privilege in a transaction context, confirming that confidential client instructions can … Continue Reading
Parties must draft arbitration agreements with Chinese parties clearly and precisely to ensure validity and avoid unwanted litigation. By Oliver E. Browne and Isuru Devendra A Beijing court recently adopted a pro-arbitration approach in upholding the validity of an arbitration agreement designating a non-existent arbitral institution. While the decision reflects the increasingly pro-arbitration attitude of … Continue Reading
Arbitral tribunal had jurisdiction despite the lack of an express arbitration clause. By Eleanor M. Scogings and Robert Price In Sonact Group Limited v Premuda Spa [2018] EWHC 3820, the English High Court confirmed that an arbitral tribunal had jurisdiction over a dispute arising from an informal settlement agreement — despite the fact that the … Continue Reading
The English Court has set aside permission to bring proceedings against foreign defendants based on non-disclosures and subsequent conduct. By Dan Smith and Duncan Graves The recent decision in Punjab National Bank (International) Limited v Ravi Srinivasan and others [2019] EWHC 89 (Ch) provides guidance on the proper conduct of an application for service out … Continue Reading
An arbitration award cannot be enforced in England against a foreign State without serving the proceedings on that State through the diplomatic channels. By Robert Price In General Dynamics UK Ltd v Libya [2019] EWHC 64 (Comm), Males LJ, sitting in the Commercial Court, set aside parts of an order granting permission to enforce an … Continue Reading
The Court allows an application to extend time for bringing arbitration proceedings under section 12(3) of the Arbitration Act 1996. By Robert Price and Eleanor Scogings In the recent case of Haven Insurance Company Limited v EUI Limited (T/A Elephant Insurance)[i], the English Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against a High Court decision granting … Continue Reading
Applicants challenging jurisdiction must satisfy a single three-limbed test, rather than establish a ‘good arguable case’ and ‘better of the argument’. By Oliver E. Browne and George Schurr The English Court of Appeal has clarified the correct test to be applied by the English courts when adjudicating a jurisdictional challenge. In the recent case of … Continue Reading
