Paul was admitted to Practice in January 1983.
Paul’s practice consists of a mixture of contentious and non-contentious work; with both areas practiced at specialist level.
1. Dispute Resolution. As a Litigator Paul specialises in Corporate and Commercial matters including Director/Shareholder disputes, Partnership disputes, Property/Building disputes, Professional Negligence claims, and General Contractual Disputes.
2. Company Commercial. As a Company Commercial Lawyer Paul is an experienced draftsman who advises clients on business structures and relationships and drafts documents for businesses/company needs ranging from set-up documents such as
• Articles,
• Shareholders Agreement,
• Directors Service Contracts,
• Consultancy Agreements
• Other company documents
• Terms of Business
In addition, Paul can advise on and draft
• Joint Venture Agreements,
• Franchise Agreements,
• Partnership Agreements
• and anything similar.
Paul is also able to advise and act in relation to M&A’s, Equity Funding, and Share Subscriptions
3. Insolvency. Paul held an Insolvency Practitioner Licence from 1990 to 2013, taking appointments as Liquidator, Receiver, Administrator, Supervisor of CVA’s and IVA’s, and as Trustee in Bankruptcy. During the period 2002 to 2010, Paul ran over 100 businesses (Nursing Homes, Residential Homes, Pubs, Hotels, and Industrial Estates) as a going concern for a major world bank.
Paul acts for and advises Companies, Liquidators, Directors, and individuals in relation to insolvency matters arising from the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Companies Act 2006. He acts for Directors in claims by Liquidators and for Liquidators in claims against Directors. He has also acts for Trustees in Bankruptcy in recovery /realisation of assets
4. Alternative Dispute Resolution. Paul is a Mediation specialist often settling cases at Mediation at an early stage thus saving considerable costs compared to litigating to trial.
Paul conducts cases as an advocate in the County Courts and the Companies Court.
Paul’s clients include Companies and Individuals of high net worth based in the UK and abroad.
Prior to joining Spencer West, Paul had been the Senior Partner of a firm in London EC1, developed and expanded a litigation department for a firm in London WC1, and was a partner at a well-known city firm.
Paul’s ethos and approach to litigation and disputes is to settle cases rather than go to trial and as such his list of important decided cases is small. Notable cases include:-
Marsh v Sofaer and Grifinhoofe [2003] EWCH 3334 (CH) -obtaining a strike out of that part of the claim by the Claimant that she had suffered personal injury by way of being imprisoned following a criminal fraud trial because of the Defendants’ failure to provide details of her mental capacity to a separate firm acting for her in the criminal proceedings. Held by the Vice Chancellor that to have done so would have been a breach of confidentiality and that there was no such duty on the Defendants.
Marsh v Sofaer and Grifinhoofe [2006] EWHC 1217 (Ch) – professional negligence claim. Acted for the successful defendant solicitors in a negligence claim brought by the Claimant.
Haghighat v Haghighat 14/11/12 Chancery List, CLCC (HHJ Marshall QC)
Acted for the claimant mother who successfully claimed that a property registered in the name of her son, the defendant, was held for her on a resulting trust or that it was a gift procured by his undue influence.