We have two cases involving members of chambers that have been included in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2023.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy v Richard John Adam, Richard John Howson, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Keith Robertson Cochrane CBE, Andrew James Harrower Dougal, Philip Nevill Green CBE, Alison Jane Horner and Ceri Michele Powell
Following the liquidation of Carillion plc in 2018, the Secretary of State seeks to disqualify eight of Carillion’s former Board members from acting directors. This is set to be one of the largest and most high-profile cases ever brought under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. The proceedings concern the financial reporting and market announcements of Carillion plc before its collapse. If the Government are successful in their application the eight defendants could be prohibited from serving as directors for several years.
The trial is listed for late-October 2023 and expected to last for 25 weeks. Isabel Petrie is one of the junior counsel acting for the Secretary of State, instructed by Sally Dallow and Emma Parsons of Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP.
Anthony John Wright and Geoffrey Paul Rowley as joint liquidators of BHS Group Limited v Dominic Chappell, Lennart Henningson, Dominic Chandler and Keith Smith
In this case the joint liquidators are seeking to recover £163m collectively from the former directors to cover the cost of their alleged misfeasance and wrongful trading.
The four respondents have been accused of breaching their duties as directors leading to the financial demise of the BHS Group. The High Court will need to consider several issues, including issues of directors’ duties, property, pensions and accountancy.
This case is set to be one of the largest insolvency litigation cases of 2023. Stuart Hornett and Daniel Webb are for the Fourth Respondent, Keith Smith, instructed by Manoj Vaghela and Claudine Morgan at Charles Russell Speechlys.
The full editorial from The Lawyer can be found here.
