Anna is regularly instructed on corporate and commercial disputes, including:
- Shareholder disputes (incl. unfair prejudice petitions, derivative claims, joint venture disputes and personal claims)
- Claims by a company against its former directors / breach of directors’ duties
- Directors’ disqualification
- Claims arising out of unlawful distributions
- Breach of warranty claims arising out of share sale agreements
- Civil fraud and asset recovery
- Disputes as to jurisdiction and service
- Interim remedies (including applications for freezing and proprietary injunctions)
Examples of Anna’s recent and current cases include:
Re Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd – acting for Jardine Strategic Holding Ltd in ongoing merger appraisal proceedings in Bermuda arising from an amalgamation within the Hong Kong based Jardine Matheson Group (instructed by Linklaters; alongside Andrew Blake and led by Martin Moore KC)
Confidential LCIA arbitration (2024) – Anna was instructed as sole Counsel to defend s. 994 proceedings brought in an LCIA arbitration.
Re Payerise Ltd (ongoing) – acting for the liquidator of Payerise Ltd. Successfully obtained a declaration dismissing a third party’s claim to a beneficial interest in company assets.
Re Silverwood Brands plc (2024) – acted for Silverwood Brands plc (led by Edward Davies KC) to defend proceedings brought by Lush challenging Silverwood Brands plc’s acquisition of a 20% stake in Lush on the basis that it violated the pre-emption rights under Lush’s articles.
Aston Martin Racing v Szafnauer (2024) – acted as specialist company law junior (led by Daniel Stilitz KC) for Aston Martin Racing in relation to litigation arising out of the alleged unfair dismissal of the racing team’s former principal, Mr Szafnauer. Mr Szafnauer’s claims included a challenge to the compulsory purchase of his shares under bad leaver provisions (case settled shortly before trial in February 2024).
Nam Tai Property v Greater Sail Ltd, Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd BVIHC (COM) 2022/0016 – acted for Nam Tai (led by Edward Davies KC) in litigation involving claims in conspiracy. The litigation followed from a successful challenge to a US$ 170 million rights issue by Nam Tai which had been made for the improper purpose of allowing Kaisa to control the Nam Tai Group. Successfully defended an application to stay the proceedings on forum non conveniens grounds.
Re RZ3262019 Ltd (BVIHCMAP2023/0011) – acted for RZ3262019 Ltd, a BVI-incorporated company with a large property portfolio in the People’s Republic of China, (led by Edward Davies KC) on its appeal to the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean against an order appointing liquidators.
Snoozebox Ltd v Health and Safety Executive [2023] EWHC 851 (Ch), [2023] BPIR 994 – acted for Snoozebox Ltd (led by Raquel Agnello KC) in its claim for declarations that the company’s liability to pay any fine or prosecution costs, which it might be ordered to pay in pending criminal proceedings, had already been compromised and released under an earlier CVA.
Elias v Mamistvalov [2022] EWHC 1930 (Ch) – acted as sole Counsel for the successful claimant in a dispute concerning the ownership of a company.
Instagroup Ltd v Carroll [2022] EWHC 464 (QB) – acted as sole Counsel for the successful claimant enforcing personal guarantees given by a company director.
Re Telnic Ltd [2021] 2 All ER (Comm) 328 – instructed as sole Counsel by the petitioner in relation to an appeal against Deputy ICC Judge Schaffer’s decision ([2020] EWHC 1615 (Ch)) to stay the petitioner’s winding-up petition in respect of Telnic Ltd on the basis that the petition debt was not admitted and subject to an arbitration agreement. Anna was subsequently instructed by the petitioner on its challenge to Telnic Ltd’s CVA and successfully obtained an order setting it aside.
Re Petropavlovsk plc (2021) – acted for the independent directors of Petropavlovsk plc (led by Andreas Gledhill KC and Nigel Dougherty) successfully opposing an application by a shareholder for an urgent injunction to stop the company’s sale of its stake in IRC Limited.
Abaidildinov v Amin [2020] 1 WLR 5120 – acted for claimant in a dispute over the control of a mining company with interests in Kazakhstan. Anna (instructed as sole Counsel) successfully obtained interim freezing and proprietary injunctions against the company’s former director and CEO. Subsequently, Anna (led by Edward Davies KC) succeeded in obtaining summary judgment confirming the defendant’s removal as director.
Findmyclaims.Ltd v Howe [2018] 1833 (Ch) – acted for the company (led by Edward Davies KC) on an expedited trial in a dispute over the control of the company involving a contested s. 125 claim for rectification of the register of members (case settled shortly before trial).
JSC Mezhdunarodniy Promyshlenniy Bank v Pugachev [2016] EWHC 258 (Ch) and [2016] EWHC 192 (Ch) – instructed (with Stephen Smith KC and Ben Griffiths) as junior counsel in committal proceedings which resulted in a two-year prison sentence.
