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Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity
Sharon Burkill
Victims of identity theft or modern scams frequently suffer more inconvenience and stress than permanent financial loss. Customers of financial institutions and law firms can rely on safeguards in any number of transactions when falling victim to fraud or dishonesty. Liability, particularly where the underlying perpetrator is a speck on the horizon, increasingly lands at the door of professional advisers and their insurers. Quite recently, the High Court ruled that both a vendor’s and purchaser’s solicitors may be on the hook in certain property transactions.
It is a fundamental principle in this jurisdiction that parties to a claim through the courts may represent themselves. These litigants in person are entitled to advice or assistance, other than in exceptional circumstances. The term ‘McKenzie Friend’ derives from the appeal of divorce proceedings in McKenzie v McKenzie [1970] 3 WLR 472 in which it was held that a judge had erred in refusing to permit Mr McKenzie to be accompanied in court by his friend.
P&P Property Limited –v– (1) Owen White & Catlin LLP (2) Crownvent Limited t/a Winkworth [2016] EWHC 2276 (Ch):
This case serves as a welcome decision for professionals when considering where to pin the blame (and liability) in circumstances where a vendor in a property transaction turns out to be fraudulently impersonating the true owner.
Recently, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of the litigation funders in Excalibur Ventures LLC v Texas Keystone Inc, holding them liable for indemnity costs. The appeals were the result of a “speculative and opportunistic” claim by Excalibur to a share in a number of oil fields in Kurdistan in the sum of US$ 1.6 billion.
The Claimant, Mr Wall (W), brought claims against the Defendant, Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS), in relation to RBS’s dealings with a now insolvent group of companies owned and controlled by W. W brought the claims in his capacity as assignee of the group’s rights and/or as beneficiary of a trust as declared by the group’s liquidators.
Sharon Burkill
Natalie Cohen
Caroline Sheldon
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