The Privy Council has considered the approach to assessing damages payable by an unsuccessful claimant under the standard cross-undertaking to compensate the respondent to a freezing order for any loss resulting from the order. The decision is relevant to applicants for freezing orders, who can potentially face very large claims if their substantive action fails, … Read more

In a recent judgment, the Privy Council has delivered a “ground-breaking exposition of the law of injunctions” (in the words of the Master of the Rolls), including a restatement of the test for freezing injunctions.  Although the analysis is technically obiter dicta, it will be highly influential on any English or other common law court … Read more

In the case of GML International Ltd v Harfield [2020] 7 WLUK 362, the High Court granted a post-judgment worldwide freezing order against a judgment debtor who had advanced a concocted case at trial. The Judge’s finding that there was a risk of the judgment debtor dissipating his assets appears to have been based substantially … Read more

In the recent case of Orange Grape Spirit Limited v Nueva IQT [2020] EWHC 1837 (Ch), the Court of Appeal has clarified that, in the absence of an established pattern of trading, expenditure pursuing a fledgling business is unlikely to fall within the “ordinary and proper course of business” exception to freezing injunctions. The court can however … Read more

The High Court has held that evidence of statements made in “without prejudice” settlement discussions should be admitted in support of an application for a freezing order. The respondents’ threat – to move assets and structure its affairs to frustrate the applicants’ enforcement of a US judgment – fell within the narrow “unambiguous impropriety” exception … Read more

The Court of Appeal has overturned two High Court orders that a mining company’s proposed payments to fund litigation by related parties were not permitted under the company’s undertaking not to dispose of or deal with its funds “other than in the ordinary and proper course of its business”: Koza Ltd v Akcil & Ors … Read more

Over the next few weeks we will be delivering a number of disputes-related webinars for Herbert Smith Freehills clients and contacts, including on: what to do when you’ve been given notice of a freezing order; the increasing risk of class actions in the UK; and how to know when you have a binding contract. In relation … Read more

The High Court has reaffirmed its jurisdiction under section 37(1) of the Supreme Court Act 1981 to compel defendants who are subject to the court’s jurisdiction to disclose their assets worldwide in order to aid execution of a judgment or (as in this case) arbitration award, despite the absence of a freezing injunction: Cruz City 1 … Read more