Legal professional privilege: Behind closed doors

Kelly Merris and Charlie Fikry provide an analysis of a case involving legal professional privilege where fraud was alleged and assess the wider implications ‘Legal professional privilege is considered a fundamental condition on which the administration of justice rests.’ In Bruzas v Saxton [2018] Holman J gave a preliminary judgment following a highly unusual sequence …
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Lewis & ors v Tamplin & ors [2018] WTLR 215

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2018 #171

The claimants/applicants brought a part 8 claim, as beneficiaries of a trust of land in Glamorgan known as the Tamplin trust, for disclosure of documents and information by the defendant/respondent trustees. This claim was founded on the basis that the trustees owe a duty to account to the beneficiaries for their stewardship of the trust assets. They also made an application for pre-action disclosure; the court gave judgment on both matters.

The defendants opposed both the claim and the application on a number of grounds. Firstly, the beneficiaries had already received sufficient ...

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution & ors v Headley & anr [2016] EWHC 1948 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | October 2016 #163

Evelyn Irene Farmer (the deceased) died on 12 January 1996 leaving a will dated 10 August 1993 (the will). The claimants were five of the ten charitable remaindermen under the trusts created under the will. They took absolutely upon the deaths of the deceased’s son and daughter in law. The deceased’s son was deceased but the daughter in law was still alive, and consequently the claimants’ interests were yet to fall into possession. The defendants were the executors of the deceased’s estate.

In 2007, the defendants wrote to the claimants enclosing an interim...

Birdseye & anr v Roythorne & Co & ors [2015] EWHC 1003 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | July/August 2015 #151

Roythorne & Co (Roythornes), a firm of solicitors, acted for Mr & Mrs Dring and, following his death on 28 September 2008, the executors of Mr Dring, Mr Pola and Mr Doubleday. Roythorne & Co (Roythornes), a firm of solicitors, acted for Mr & Mrs Dring and, following his death on 28 September 2008, the executors of Mr Dring, Mr Pola and Mr Doubleday. Mr & Mrs Dring were the only shareholders of Dring Bros Limited, which had acquired Manor Farm to enable Mrs Dring’s brother and sister in law (Mrs Cooke), who were the tenant farmers, to continue to live there. Roythornes...

Kousouros v O’Halloran & anr [2014] EWHC 2294 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | July/August 2015 #151

The claimant (K) and second defendant (A) are brother and sister. They are the children of George Kousouros (D) who died in Cyprus in March 2007 leaving a large house in Islington (the property) where he had lived with K prior to returning to Cyprus in 2000 and which also provided a rental income. According to K, who still lives there and takes the rental income, D transferred the property to him in 2001 on terms which included a payment to A of £50,000 and pursuant on the oral terms his parents executed a deed of transfer of the registered title to the property in form TR1 which A was a...

Professional Conduct: A cautionary tale of privilege and conflict

The risks of acting for executor and beneficiary are clear in Kousouros v O’Halloran & Aresti [2014]. Gerald Wilson explains ‘Legal advice privilege is not to be weighed against any other public interest, whether that is in establishing the truth or the proper supervision of estates.’When you act for a beneficiary under a will, what …
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Re X (Trust) [2012] JRC 171

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2013 #129

The plaintiff/representors (A and B) are the principal beneficiaries of X Trust, a discretionary trust governed by the law of Jersey with the first defendant/respondent (C) being the sole trustee. There are other stipendiary beneficiaries.

It is a large trust and owns shares in a public quoted company that have plummeted in value. No claim in respect of this loss has been made. However, there are other losses totalling nearly £100m and A and B wish to bring a breach of trust claim in respect of these losses.

If A and B are successful in their claim they will not personall...