In the latest development in a line of cases involving Dr Craig Wright, who claims to be the creator of the Bitcoin system, the Court of Appeal has held that there is a realistic argument that Bitcoin developers, while acting as developers, owe fiduciary duties to the true owners of that property, which could include … Read more

The High Court held, on an uncontested summary judgment application, that the crypto exchange controlling the wallet into which the claimant’s stolen bitcoin was transferred sat in a position of constructive trustee as against the claimant. It ordered delivery up of the bitcoin as against the fraudsters as well as the exchange: Jones v Persons … Read more

The Court of Appeal has held that a director was not personally liable as an accessory to a tort committed by a company and has given guidance on the applicable principles: Barclay-Watt v Alpha Panareti Public Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1169. For a director or senior manager to be held personally liable as an accessory … Read more

The challenge of enforcing court orders in respect of cryptocurrencies may become easier, following the settlement announced last week between the Bitcoin Association for BSV and Tulip Trading Ltd (TTL). This follows the significant case brought by Dr Craig Wright against a number of blockchains and their developers in 2021: Tulip Trading Limited v Bitcoin … Read more

The High Court has handed down its long-awaited judgment in the US$5 billion civil fraud action brought by the Hewlett Packard group in connection with its acquisition of the UK software company Autonomy Corporation Limited in 2012: ACL Netherlands BV & Ors v Lynch & Ors [2022] EWHC 1178 (Ch). The judgment follows a previously published Summary of Conclusions, … Read more

The High Court has held that cryptoasset systems and software developers did not owe a duty to cryptoasset owners to permit or enable access to the assets where the owners had lost control over the assets following a hack. The court set aside an order permitting service of the proceedings on the developers out of … Read more

The Supreme Court has confirmed that an individual who is the subject of a criminal investigation will, in general, have a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of the investigation until he or she is charged: Bloomberg LP v ZXC [2022] UKSC 5. This decision follows a number of first instance decisions to similar effect, … Read more

In a decision handed down this morning, the High Court has found that a tax QC who had prepared opinions for the promoter of film finance tax schemes did not owe a duty of care to the investors in those schemes – and that even if he had owed a duty, the views he expressed … Read more