The witness evidence working group has today published its report on the use of factual witness evidence in trials before the Business and Property Courts. The group was set up in 2018 to consider how current practice could be improved in light of concerns among the judiciary and practitioners that witness statements were often ineffective … Read more
On Monday 9 December (1-2pm UK time), Harry Edwards, Ceri Morgan and Sarah Penfold will deliver a webinar for Herbert Smith Freehills clients and contacts looking at the judgment in the Lloyds/HBOS litigation, Sharp v Blank [2019] EWHC 3078 (Ch), which was handed down by the High Court on 15 November. Herbert Smith Freehills acted … Read more
The Court of Appeal has held that the claimant was not entitled to withhold from inspection communications that had been incorporated into a settlement agreement with one of five defendants. That was despite the fact that, at the time they were made, those communications had been protected by the without prejudice rule, and potentially also … Read more
In a recent decision, the High Court took a dim view of the claimant’s application to widen the embargo on a draft judgment awarding it substantial damages, where the claimant’s aim was to seek to recover sums from a third party which was likely to be embarrassed by certain findings in the judgment: New York … Read more
In a recent decision, the High Court has upheld a claim for breach of collateral warranty where the claimant was induced to arrange the purchase of the defendant’s laser hair removal devices for use in its business as a result of the defendant’s statements about the quality and anticipated performance of the devices. The claimant … Read more
On Wednesday 27 November (1-2pm UK time), Anna Pertoldi, Maura McIntosh and Jan O’Neill will deliver a webinar for Herbert Smith Freehills clients and contacts looking at developments in commercial litigation since our last update webinar, in April this year. The webinar will focus on lessons learned from decisions in areas such as privilege, without prejudice, disclosure, default judgments, … Read more
The High Court has ordered a liquidator’s firm to pay a proportion of the costs incurred by successful defendants following judgment in proceedings commenced by a claimant company in liquidation. The court held that the liquidator’s firm should not be made liable for all of the defendants’ costs, but instead a sum equal to the … Read more
The High Court has held that the rule against reflective loss is not a rule of procedure, so as to fall outside the Rome II Regulation, and nor is it an overriding mandatory provision of English law for the purposes of article 16 of Rome II. The rule therefore does not bar a Dutch law … Read more
The traditional starting point in English contract law is that parties are free to do what they like so long as they do not breach the agreed terms. But it is becoming increasingly common for parties to agree terms requiring them to act in “good faith”, or similar. Even where no such term is expressed … Read more
