At the start of this year, a team led by partner Gareth Bell, acted for Hull City football club in its widely reported dispute with its former Chief Executive, Paul Duffen. In proceedings in the High Court in London, Hull City alleged that Mr Duffen had committed various serious breaches of his employment contract and had received illegal payments from football agents in return for procuring that they were engaged in the transfer of players to and from the club. Hull sought to recover damages from Mr Duffen and the BVI company to whom it was alleged the illicit payments were made by the agents. In support of the High Court proceedings, the firm obtained an urgent freezing injunction in Guernsey against Mr Duffen and the BVI company whose registered office is in Guernsey. Freezing and disclosure orders were also obtained in England and Jersey. Instructed by Stewarts Law  and assisted by Stephen Auld QC.

Acted in connection with the forfeiture of the lease for premises occupied by Woolworths in the highly publicised collapse of the Group.  While the Woolworths UK entity went into administration, the UK moratorium did not extend to Guernsey. Guernsey is not part of the European Union and does not adopt the UNCITRAL model law of cross- border insolvency. Consequently, advised the client with application of UK insolvency law in Guernsey and the options available to Guernsey landlord against UK insolvent company. This was not only part of one of the highest profile insolvency matters to occur in recent years in the UK, but was one of the first matters on the island to raise and explore a wide variety of issues in regard to insolvency in Guernsey.  Subsequently acted in an agreement for lease to Marks & Spencer franchise.

Represented several beneficiary families who were in dispute with the Guernsey based trustee of their family trusts regarding the proposed sale of the primary asset of the trusts, being significant business interests in Ireland and Africa. In order to seek to prevent the trustee from disposing of the asset, we issued an application for a restraint order under the Trusts Law and/or injunctive relief.

Acted for Sheikh Abdullah Ali Alhamrani in the hard-fought Alhamrani trust litigation, the biggest piece of litigation Jersey has ever seen. Proceedings were brought by Sheikh Abdullah's siblings against J P Morgan (Jersey) Trust Company and Russa Management Limited as trustees of two family trusts and against Sheikh Abdullah as protector of the trusts. In broad terms the proceedings raised allegations of breach of trust/fiduciary duty. They were eventually settled, part way through the first of two scheduled stages of the trial, and after some 100 days of submissions and witness examination. Kathryn Purkis instructed a team of four counsel from her own former Chambers, Serle Court, headed by Elizabeth Jones QC. Speechly Bircham were also retained to provide solicitorial support from London.

Represented an investment company Winnetka Trading Corporation in an appeal to the Guernsey Court of Appeal against earlier 'anti-suit' injunction granted by the Guernsey Royal Court on the basis of a purported exclusive jurisdiction clause. The Court of Appeal overturned the primary judge's findings and distinguished a line of recent UK authority which suggested that there is little or no distinction between exclusive and non-exclusive jurisdiction clauses. The judgement created a significant new precedent in the common law of Guernsey.

Represented Close Finance (CI) Ltd t/a Equipment Rental Finance in obtaining a freezing injunction against Russell King in support of litigation in Jersey which related to frauds and breaches of contract committed by King in Jersey (re finance on various expensive cars like Rolls Royce's and Bentley's). We subsequently acted in proceedings to reciprocally enforce the judgement of the Jersey Court against Mr King's frozen assets in Guernsey.

Represented the joint administrators of Stylo PLC (Barratts shoes) in relation to the extension of the UK administration to Guernsey. We obtained an order extending the UK moratorium to Guernsey pursuant to s.426 of the Insolvency Act 1986, as extended to Guernsey. We believe that this is the first time the s.426 procedure has been used for this purpose in Guernsey.

Represented the joint liquidators of Equity Special Situations Ltd, a very substantial investment fund which was forced into liquidation by the collapse of Landsbanki in the UK and Iceland. We acted for the company in placing it into compulsory liquidation and continue to act for the joint liquidators, Grant Thornton. The matter has received significant coverage in the local and UK press.

Representing the Michael Beaumont, Seigneur of Sark in proceedings brought by a prospective purchaser of a Sark tenement. The dispute focuses on the feudal right of the Seigneur of Sark to claim a "treizieme" of the purchase price in return for his "congé" (i.e. consent) to the property transaction.

Represented Mr Gunn in a dispute with his former employer, one of the World's largest spirit producers and distributors based in the Caribbean, France and Scotland, that has a strong portfolio of Scotch whisky, rum and cognac brands, including Angostura. Mr Gunn was the company's Commercial Director. Following termination of Mr Gunn's employment, Mr Gunn issued statutory unfair dismissal proceedings against the Defendant and is also pursued a contractual claim seeking significant damages for an unpaid termination payment, unpaid bonuses, lost pension rights etc (totalling over £1 million). The matter was settled for a substantial sum.

Representing the beneficiaries of a Guernsey trust in proceedings brought by the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, including in connection with applications for restraining orders, and other matters relating to the administration of the trust.

Represented the beneficiaries of a Guernsey trust which, pursuant to agreements between parties to matrimonial proceedings in the English High Court, was the subject of a "winding-up" application before the Royal Court of Guernsey. This was the first trust related application to come before the Royal Court following the introduction of the Trusts (Guernsey) Law 2007.

Represented Cable & Wireless in an appeal to the Utility Appeals Tribunal against the decision of the Director General refusing the grant of a 3G licence; and also in the reference of a point of law to the Royal Court of Guernsey arising in the context of the appeal.

Represented the liquidator of a Guernsey reinsurance company in compulsory liquidation. The liquidation involved contested claims of over US$50m and litigation in four jurisdictions - the States of Pennsylvania and New York, the Cayman Islands and Guernsey.

Represented a UK based IFA (and its professional indemnity insurers) in third party proceedings by a local firm of financial advisers facing a series of mis-selling complaints by trustees of Retirement Annuity Trust Schemes (roughly equivalent to SIPPs). A global settlement of the dispute was reached at mediation.