Cadogan Petroleum plc & Ors v Mark Tolley & Ors [2011] EWHC 2286 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | November 2015 #154

The claimants, who were a group of companies engaged in the business of exploration and exploitation of gas reserves in Ukraine, brought claims against, inter alia, the fourth and fifth defendants (Vivcharyk defendants), respectively the former chief operating officer and the company controlled by him, in relation to alleged bribes or secret commissions which, directly or indirectly, they received in connection with commercial contracts for the supply or acquisition by the Cadogan Group of drilling equipment and services, two gas plants and a company. Proceedings were issued on ...

FHR European Ventures LLP & ors v Cedar Capital Partners LLC [2014] UKSC 45

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | September 2014 #142

The claimants engaged Cedar Capital Partners LLC (Cedar) to act as their agent in negotiating the purchase by FHR European Ventures LLP of the issued share capital of Monte Carlo Grand Hotel SAM (which owned a long leasehold interest in the Monte Carlo Grand Hotel) from Monte Carlo Grand Hotel Ltd (vendor). As such an agent, Cedar owed a fiduciary duty to the claimants, notwithstanding which it entered into an exclusive brokerage agreement with the vendor to provide for the payment of a €10m fee following completion – the vendor was paid €211.5m when the purchase was completed on 2...

Secret Commissions: Unauthorised profits – an update

Mark Pawlowski looks at a landmark ruling on how an agent who has taken advantage of a bribe or received a secret commission in breach of their fiduciary duties holds the amount received ‘So, what has been the subject of judicial and academic controversy for over two centuries has now, at last, been authoritatively put …
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FHR European Ventures & ors v Mankarious & ors [2013] EWCA Civ 17

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2013 #129

The claimants (Investor Group) appealed from the decision of Simon J ([2011] EWHC 2308 (Ch)) that the Investor Group was entitled to a personal, but not a proprietary, remedy against Cedar Capital Partners LLC (Cedar). There was no appeal from Simon J’s decision that Cedar was liable to account in equity to the Investor Group.

Monte Carlo Grand Hotel in Monaco was owned by Monte Carlo Hotel SAM, a Monegasque company. The company’s share capital was owned by Monte Carlo Grand Hotel Ltd, a BVI company. In September 2004, the BVI company was interested in selling the hotel, either by...