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Stay of English proceedings pending US action refused: Companies Court outlines strict criteria for claimant-led stays in cross-border insolvency fraud claims (Hosking v Apax Partners LLP)

Published on: 06 October 2016

Published by a LexisNexis Restructuring & Insolvency expert
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Article summary

Original news Hosking and another v Apax Partners LLP [2016] EWHC 1986 (Ch), [2016] All ER (D) 193 (Jul)

The Companies Court refused an application by the joint liquidators to pause the English proceedings they had commenced, pending the outcome of earlier litigation in the United States. The court decided that a stay was not justified and set out several reasons for that conclusion:

  • It was not appropriate to censure the defendants for blameworthily bringing about parallel proceedings.
  • Any judgment in the US case would not bind the defendants.
  • The fraud allegations ought to be addressed at the earliest sensible opportunity.

Nonetheless, a short stay until 3 October 2016 was ordered for case management purposes, given the imminent US ruling on forum non conveniens, which could encourage additional defendants to consent to being joined to the English claim.

What was the background to the case?

The company was indirectly controlled by a consortium of investors that included the defendants. It purchased a mobile telephone communications provider and, as part of a 2006 refinancing of that group, the company redeemed convertible preferred equity certificates...

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