Litigation Notes

Court of Appeal confirms accessory liable to account only for own profits and not those made by principal

The Court of Appeal has held that accessories who were jointly and severally liable with a principal as joint tortfeasors were liable to account only for …

High Court finds it would be unjust to award claimant Part 36 costs consequences due to reliance on late evidence

In a recent judgment, the High Court held that it would be unjust to award a claimant the beneficial costs consequences under CPR Part 36, because the …

Commercial litigation podcast series – Episode 8: General update

High Court considers operation of force majeure clause where party had to self-isolate for 12 weeks due to Covid-19 pandemic

The High Court has found that, when exercising its discretion as to whether to designate a force majeure event under a plumbing franchise agreement due …

High Court considers doctrine of frustration in Covid context and confirms there is no such thing as "temporary frustration"

Witness immunity rule did not apply to examination conducted under s.236 of the Insolvency Act 1986

The High Court has held that an examination conducted pursuant to an order made under s.236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 ("IA") did not attract witness …

Court of Appeal finds recipient's prior knowledge should be taken into account when determining whether a claims notice contained "reasonable detail"

Part 26A restructuring plans – most significant change in 20 years

The court ruling yesterday in Re Virgin Active Holdings Limited [2021] EWHC 1246 has paved the way for restructuring plans under Part 26A to the …

High Court finds existence of Part 36 offer prevents it from making costs order following split trial

In a recent judgment following a split trial, the High Court held that it could not make a costs award until the outcome on quantum was known, because …

High Court decision highlights exceptional nature of Model E or "train of inquiry" disclosure and considers questions of "control" over server data

In a recent decision, the High Court has declined to order Model E disclosure under the disclosure pilot, and has also held that data and documents on a …

High Court confirms Damages-Based Agreements (DBAs) cannot be used by defendants

In a recent decision, the High Court has confirmed that a Damages-Based Agreement, or DBA, will not be enforceable if it purports to entitle the legal …

Commercial Court finds witness evidence less reliable where witnesses did not refresh memories from contemporaneous documents