Clerks Details
- Clerk Name: Sam Collins
- Clerk Telephone: 0121 289 4333
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
- Clerk Name: Dave Fielder
- Clerk Telephone: 020 7583 8055
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Commercial
Kevin Pettican is a commercial litigator with 30 years of experience in litigating and arbitrating business disputes before courts at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court, and before arbitral tribunals both in the UK and internationally.
Whilst Kevin particularly enjoys preparing for and conducting trials, he is a versatile advocate who is equally at home in the applications court, or argument a novel point of law before the Court of Appeal. In all his cases, Kevin seeks to adopt a persuasive and direct approach to advocacy, based on intensive prior preparation.
Reported cases
Deutsche Bank AG London v Comune di Busto Arsizio [2021] EWHC 2706 (Comm): Kevin was instructed (together with Paul Downes KC) by an Italian local authority in Commercial Court litigation concerning the enforceability of two interest rate swaps. This was the first case in which the English Commercial Court considered the effect of the decision of the Joint Divisions of the Italian Supreme Court in the Cattolica case (Case No. 8770/20220).
NaturaStudios Ltd v The New York Laser Clinic Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 421: This was a dispute concerning the supply of laser equipment to the claimant. Kevin successfully appealed against a decision by the Deputy High Court Judge that permitted the claimant to substantially change its case shortly before trial. Kevin was able to secure from the Court of Appeal a substantial adjournment of the trial and, thereafter, appropriate case management directions.
Winter v Hockley Mint Ltd [2019] 1 WLR 1617: Kevin acted for an office equipment supplier in a substantial trial in the Chancery Division involving allegations of deceit and conspiracy in the context of office equipment leasing agreements. The allegations of wrongdoing against Kevin’s client were dismissed at trial and a finding by the trial judge that Kevin’s client was vicariously liable for the actions of one of the other defendants was set aside by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal’s decision in this case is a leading authority on the circumstances in which a principal will be liable for the fraud of his agent in a commercial context.
Dondore Incorporated v Fetaimia [2018] EWHC 1832 (Ch): This was a dispute over whether an oral agreement had been made (and performed) for the sale and purchase of the shares in a BVI company that owned a £2.5 million flat in Knightsbridge. Following a 5-day trial in the Chancery Division, the court found that Kevin’s client had entered into an oral agreement with the claimant to purchase the shares in the BVI company that owned the flat, and that the purchase price had been paid to an African company controlled by the claimant.
The Ritz Hotel Casino Ltd v Al-Geabury [2015] EWHC 2294: Acting for the defendant in litigation with the Ritz Club arising from multi-million-pound gambling losses. The case gave rise to complex issues concerning the duties owed by a casino to a self-excluded customer under the Gambling Act 2005.
Szepietowski v The National Crime Agency [2014] 1 AC 338: A successful appeal to the Supreme Court (together with Romie Tager KC) in what is now the leading case on the equitable doctrine of marshalling. The case also raised complex issues of construction arising from a settlement agreement entered between Kevin’s client and the National Crime Agency.
Trident Australasia Pty Ltd v Versabuild LLC [2013] EWHC 4838: Security for costs in circumstances where there were no publicly available financial statements relating to the claimant. The issue arose in the context of a dispute between the partners to an international joint venture.
Street v Larkins [2013] EWHC 1408: A dispute between the members of an alleged family partnership arising from the sale and purchase of property in London over a number of years.
Re Giambrone LLP: Acting for various claimants in proceedings for professional negligence against a firm of Registered European Lawyers arising from losses suffered in relation to the purchase of off-plan holiday homes in Calabria, including making one of the first successful applications for summary judgment.
Company / Partnership law and disputes
Kevin Pettican is often instructed in disputes that arise in a company law context or which arise between partners (or the members of LLPs).
Most commonly, these claims involve disputes between shareholders in which relief is sought pursuant to s994 of the Companies 2006, or in which an order is sought for the winding up of the company on the just an equitable ground.
However, Kevin has been involved in a number of claims where disputes have arisen between partners (including disputes as to whether a partnership exists at all) or between members of an LLP.
For example, Street v Larkins [2013] EWHC 1408 concerned a dispute as to whether a partnership had come into being because of various property dealings undertaken by various family members, and Simmons Gainsford LLP v Shah [2008] EWHC 2554 concerned a dispute between a firm of accountants and a former member of the LLP concerning entitlement to the proceeds of a life insurance policy.
Related Articles
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Former WilmerHale commercial litigation and arbitration lawyer Kevin Pettican, who practised for nearly twenty years from commercial chancery chambers in London, is set to relocate to Birmingham and join national chambers 3PB (3 Paper Buildings) where he will continue to develop his growing practice in the Midlands alongside his existing practice in London and internationally. Kevin Pettican (call: 1994) joins today, Monday 12 August 2024, and will work alongside 3PB’s recent experienced commercial and international...
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