Contracts – Duane Morris London

March 19, 2024 by Mark Handley

Does a limitation clause apply to a claim in debt? A recent English decision

A recent case turned on the question of whether a limitation clause limited liability just for damages or also for debt.

The clause read:

“the total liability of either party shall in respect of all acts, omissions, events and occurrences whether arising out of any tortious act, breach of contract or statutory duty or otherwise arising in any particular Contract Year in no circumstances exceed a sum equal [to zero on the facts]”.

Continue reading “Does a limitation clause apply to a claim in debt? A recent English decision”

February 9, 2024 by Paul-Raphael Shehadeh

Duane Morris Submits Evidence to the House of Lords Special Public Bill Committee on the Bill to Amend the Arbitration Act 1996

On 6 February 2024, Partner, Mark Handley and Associate, Paul-Raphael Shehadeh of the London office submitted written evidence to the House of Lords on the proposed reforms to the Arbitration Act.

The evidence has now been published and is available (here).

Continue reading “Duane Morris Submits Evidence to the House of Lords Special Public Bill Committee on the Bill to Amend the Arbitration Act 1996”

April 14, 2021August 1, 2024 by Steve Nichol

Multiplex v Bathgate: Legal Riddles and Unsolvable Problems

Mr Justice Fraser’s decision in Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd v Bathgate Realisation Civil Engineering Ltd and Others is one of the more curious decisions you will ever read.

Not that I would particularly encourage anyone to read it. The case necessitated some pretty comprehensive and in-depth legal analysis that means the judgment runs to some 206, fairly dense, paragraphs, and an Appendix; I would challenge even the most avid consumer of legal treatises to read the whole thing in one sitting without their eyes glazing over at some point. Helpfully, my colleague Vijay Bange has already produced a very useful summary of the decision and its legal implications here.

However, the density and depth of the judgment does not mean it is without interest; far from it. In fact I suspect this case will prove to be one of the more fascinating legal tangles the Courts will be asked to unravel this year. This article looks at some of the more curious aspects of this dispute, away from the key aspects of the case. Continue reading “Multiplex v Bathgate: Legal Riddles and Unsolvable Problems”

April 13, 2021 by Duane Morris London

Luck of the Law: Lessons to be Learned from Green v Petfre

They say that the house always wins, but as the recent case of Andrew Green -v- Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited t/a Betfred illustrates, even the house can get caught out sometimes.

When lucky punter Andrew Green won over £1.7m following a 5 ½ hour stint on Betfred’s ‘Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Blackjack’ game in January 2018, he was dismayed to find out a few days later that the company was refusing to pay out, claiming that there was a glitch in the game, and that the house rules stated that, in those circumstances, Betfred were not required to pay. Mr Green sued, and the matter eventually ended up in Court. Following a hearing on 15 October 2020, Mrs Justice Foster DBE granted Mr Green summary judgment and awarded him his winnings.

Continue reading “Luck of the Law: Lessons to be Learned from Green v Petfre”

January 13, 2021 by Duane Morris

Aqua v. Benchmark: How Not to Settle a Dispute

By Steve Nichol and Matthew Friedlander

In its latest offering, “CLC COVID-19 Claims and Disputes in Construction” the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) predicts that disputes related to COVID-19 are set to rise in 2021. While the optimist may hope that parties will continue to or aim to work collaboratively in order to find workable commercial solutions to claims arising from the global pandemic, the realist knows that such disputes are inevitable. Continue reading “Aqua v. Benchmark: How Not to Settle a Dispute”

December 17, 2020 by Duane Morris

Wasn’t It Obvious? The Curious Case of ABC v. Network Rail

By Steve Nichol and Matthew Friedlander

At first glance, the Court of Appeal’s recent decision in ABC Electrification Ltd v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1645 might look like the culmination of an exercise in legal hubris. This was, after all, a case focussed on the meaning of a single word in a contract; moreover, a word – “default” – that most of us in the legal profession might say has a well-established meaning.

And, after several hundred thousand pounds of legal fees no doubt well spent, the Court of Appeal told the world that the word “default” means exactly what we all thought it meant – a failure to fulfil an obligation. Continue reading “Wasn’t It Obvious? The Curious Case of ABC v. Network Rail”

May 11, 2020April 6, 2023 by Steve Nichol

COVID-19: Review of the UK Government’s Guidance on Responsible Contractual Behaviour

On 7 May 2020 the UK Government published its “Guidance on responsible contractual behaviour in the performance and enforcement of contracts impacted by the COVID-19 emergency”. Here are some of the key points arising and our analysis of the same.

It is not mandatory. The Guidance repeatedly stresses that the Government is merely strongly encouraging compliance with the Guidance, rather than suggesting that it is or should be mandatory. However, as with previous policy announcements by the UK Government, it seems likely that public and local authorities, and indeed potentially companies such as Network Rail who are exercising delegated governmental authority, will be compelled to give greater regard and attention to the Guidance than the private sector. Continue reading “COVID-19: Review of the UK Government’s Guidance on Responsible Contractual Behaviour”

April 28, 2020February 2, 2021 by Duane Morris London

Is COVID-19 A Contractual “Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free” Card?

By Sue Laws

28.04.2020

COVID 19 is having a massive impact on supply chains and business continuity and, post lockdown, questions will be asked about who pays for this. The knee-jerk response of many businesses is that the pandemic is a unique, unforeseeable “Act of God” and that businesses which have furloughed staff or been forced to close during the lockdown or have had difficulties with their own supply chains or customers reducing purchase volumes, have no liabilities to or remedies against others for the consequent losses sustained. The reality is that on a case by case basis, businesses already adversely affected by this pandemic may find that contractual claims are being made against them or that they have a route to mitigate their losses by looking at their own contractual or statutory rights.

Key to the analysis which will be carried out is a bit of “jargon-busting” and debunking some commonly held views: Continue reading “Is COVID-19 A Contractual “Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free” Card?”