Burns v Burns [2016] EWCA Civ 37

June 2016 #160

On 21 May 2010 the deceased died, aged 89, leaving two sons: the appellant and the respondent. The respondent claimed pronouncement in solemn form of an alleged will of the deceased dated 26 July 2005, which divided the deceased’s estate equally between the appellant and the respondent. The appellant challenged the validity of the 2005 will on the basis that the deceased lacked testamentary capacity at the date of its purported execution and on the basis that the deceased did not know and approve of the contents of the same.

In September 2003 social services began to assist with t...

Akers & ors v Samba Financial Group [2014] EWCA Civ 1516

July/August 2015 #151

The claimants appealed a decision to stay their claim on the ground of forum non conveniens.

The fourth claimant (C4) was a Cayman company and was massively insolvent, owing US$2.815bn plus interest to a syndicate of banks including the defendant (D). The first (C1), second (C2) and third claimant (C3) were the liquidators of C4. A winding up petition was presented to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands on 30 July 2009, commencing the winding up of C4. On 18 September 2009, the winding up order was made.

The claim was brought by C1, C2 and C3 pursuant to s127 of the I...

Novoship (UK) Limited & ors v Nikitin & ors [2014] EWCA Civ 908

November 2014 #144

Mr Mikhaylyuk (M), a manager for the first respondent, NOUK, with responsibility for negotiating the charters of vessels owned by companies within the Novoship group, the remaining respondents, owed fiduciary duties to all the respondents. M had arranged a series of schemes by which he defrauded his principals and enriched himself and others by the payment of bribes given to him by those who chartered his principals’ vessels. These schemes included one concerning vessels chartered to companies owned and controlled by Mr Ruperti (R) which R then sub-chartered at substantially higher rates...