08/02/2023
Recent success in The Lawyer’s top 20 cases and top 10 appeals of 2023
The Lawyer has now released its ‘Top 20 cases’ and ‘Top 10 appeals’ lists for 2023. We are proud to see several members of Twenty Essex featured within both lists.
Three of the top 20 cases feature members of Twenty Essex. The long-running case of case of Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse, Privinvest, VTB Capital and others involving around 30 parties has the involvement of Duncan Matthews KC, Philip Riches KC and Matthew Chan (for the defendants, Privinvest and Safa, instructed by Signature Litigation) as well as Edward Gilmore (for the claimant, the Republic of Mozambique, instructed by Peters & Peters). The case involves a very high-profile claim by Mozambique against Credit Suisse, Privinvest and others in respect of the dispute (alleged to concern billions of dollars) arising out of Mozambique’s efforts to build a maritime protection fleet and associated infrastructure and training. The proceedings are set to be heard together at a three-month trial before Mr Justice Knowles in the Commercial Court in October.
Philip Riches KC has also been heavily involved in the complex case of The Federal Republic of Nigeria v Process & Industrial Developments which has been running for just over a decade. The Commercial Court trial is currently in progress for 32 days since 26 January 2023. This is the final hearing of Nigeria’s high-profile efforts to set aside a London award obtained by P&ID as part of a massive fraud against Nigeria. The value of the award is now over US$11 billion. Philip is instructed by Mishcon de Reya.
Arma Partners v Wejo involves a dispute between a financial adviser (Arma) and a vehicle data start up company (Wejo) and is due to be heard in the Commercial Court in June. Harris Bor is for the defendant, Wejo, instructed by Gunnercooke.
Read the full feature: top 20 cases.
The top 10 appeals list was released earlier this week and we are pleased to see two cases involving members of Chambers. Described as “a case which can rightly be called unique” by Mrs Justice Cockerill, the case of Maduro Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela v Guaidó Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela, continues. The forthcoming appeal to the Court of Appeal is the latest phase of the litigation between two rival boards of the Central Bank of Venezuela (appointed by rival Presidents) concerning the authority to give instructions on the central bank’s behalf. Andrew Fulton KC, Mark Tushingham and Manuel Casas have been acting for the Guaidó Board, instructed by Arnold & Porter.
Oliver Caplin has been acting for the respondents, Herculito Maritime (instructed by HFW) in Herculito Maritime v Gunvor International, which is due to be heard in the Supreme Court in June. This is a marine war risks insurance case which considers the extent to which insurance fund solutions contained in a charterparty can be incorporated into a bill of lading so as to bind the carrier, as against cargo interests, to only look to their insurer to recover loss in the event of the declaration of General Average occasioned by a kidnap & ransom or war risks event.
Read the full feature: top 10 appeals.
