KBH represented the Defendant in a family dispute. The Defendant was the subject of a freezing and injunction order where there were extant proceedings in the Dubai Courts. The case was the first to consider the DIFC Courts’ jurisdiction where there are ongoing proceedings in the Dubai Courts as well as the DIFC Courts’ power to grant a Black Swan injunction.
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KBH represents the Claimants in Sanjeev and Alka Sawhney v. UBS AG (CFI-062-2021) before the DIFC Courts, a complex dispute arising from the alleged mis-selling of investment products by a major international bank. The Claimants allege that they were misclassified as professional clients and sold unsuitable, high-risk investments in breach of applicable DIFC regulatory and contractual obligations. The matter has involved a number of significant interlocutory issues, including strike-out proceedings, amendments to pleadings and document production disputes, with KBH’s Dispute Resolution team having conduct of the litigation and responsibility for strategy, pleadings, procedural applications, evidence, document production and hearing preparation.
The case is also significant for the DIFC disputes landscape, particularly in relation to the application of limitation periods to claims involving alleged fraud under DIFC law. The Court’s consideration of the six-year limitation period under Article 38 of the DIFC Court Law, together with issues concerning when loss is deemed to arise for limitation purposes, addresses important questions in an area of developing jurisprudence. The proceedings also engage broader issues of client classification, product suitability and duties under the DIFC financial services framework, demonstrating KBH’s experience in complex financial services and cross-border disputes.
KBH successfully represented the First Defendant in the first cryptocurrency case in the Technology and Construction Division of the DIFC Courts. The claim related to the transfer and storage of bitcoins and the DIFC Courts determined (in line with other common law jurisdictions) that Bitcoins are (tangible) property. It is one of the few cases in the world that addresses the issue of safe transfer of cryptocurrency between the buyer and seller and the obligations owed to a custodian of the cryptocurrency. The case highlighted the importance of digital asset disputes in the DIFC Courts, and in December 2022 the DIFC Courts unveiled the launch of a new set of industry-first specialised rules for its newly formed Digital Economy Court Division.
KBH continued to represent the First Defendant in the DIFC Court of Appeal.
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KBH successfully represented the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Defendants in a claim pursuant to alleged obligations under personal guarantees.
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KBH acted on behalf of the Defendant in successfully applying for a security for costs order.
KBH acted for the Claimant against the owner of the world’s largest online gambling company and its financial advisers, relating to equity commitment letters filed in support of a private bid to acquire a global internet gaming company, Amaya Inc.
KBH acted for the Defendants in successfully discharging an injunction before former Deputy Chief Justice Sir David Steel, in a claim for damages arising from a breach of warranty.
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KBH acted for the Claimants in proceedings before the former Chief Justice Michael Hwang, former Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore, in a claim involving a breach and subsequent termination of an SPA in the absence of a contractual termination clause in the SPA.
KBH acted for the Respondent at the return date hearing, pro-bono, in respect of an application for a freezing injunction and search order before the former DCJ Sir John Chadwick.
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KBH acted for the Claimant in a claim arising out of a Reservation Agreement for an off-plan purchase of a unit in the Park Towers Development within the DIFC.
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KBH acted for the Claimant in respect of a claim for the breach of an SPA and the enforceability of a force majeure clause.
KBH acted for the Second and Third Defendants in respect of a breach of a services contract, before the former Deputy Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts, Sir David Steel, former Judge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts, England & Wales and the former Chairman of the European Commercial Judges Forum.
This case developed important aspects of DIFC law including the jurisdiction of the DIFC courts and the DIFC’s law of obligations (Article 56 of DIFC Law No. 5 of 2005.)
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KBH acted for the Claimants in the largest financial mis-selling case in the GCC region before the former Deputy Chief Justice of the DIFC Courts, Sir John Chadwick, formerly the Lord Justice of Appeal in England & Wales.
This case remains one of the most ground-breaking cases in the DIFC which developed the law in multiples areas including matters of jurisdiction and costs.
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KBH acted on behalf of a liquidator of various DIFC and US companies in successfully resisting a jurisdiction challenge brought by a Swiss bank in resisting claims by the liquidators to have certain pledges made by fraudulent directors declared invalid as well as subsequent enforcement proceedings against the Bank in Switzerland.
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KBH represented a globally renowned mining and steel executive, formerly a senior leader at ArcelorMittal, who was recruited by Liberty Steel, part of the GFG Alliance.
KBH acted for for the Managing Partner of DWF in relation to a contractual claim.
KBH acted for the Defendants in claims brought by a former employer in the UK for procuring a breach and a breach of contract/injunctive relief against its former broker. Despite the fact that the contract was governed by a UK jurisdiction clause, the DIFC courts seized jurisdiction on the basis that the new employer was located in the DIFC, and the DIFC Court was able to apply UK law as a foreign law. The matter was listed for a two week hearing at the end of 2020 but settled.
KBH acted for the former Regional Chief Executive, of SCB, Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan in respect of his claim for breach of a settlement agreement in respect of a future bonus payment.
KBH acted for the Claimant in his claim for termination benefits. Setting a precedent on the applicability of a penalty payment under Article 18(2) of the old Employment Law, where the employers failed to pay the employee’s termination entitlements within 14 days. The Court of Appeal affirmed the construction of Article 18(2), which resulted in a change of the law.
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KBH actedfor the Defendant in a successful application for security for costs against a former employer
1. Raul Silva v United Investment Bank [2014] DIFC CA 004
Bushra Ahmed (instructed by Stephenson Harwood (Middle East) LLP acted for the Respondent before the DIFC Court of Appeal as to the test for ‘reasonable employer’ under the old DIFC Employment Law.
KBH acted for a pregnant employee in relation to claims of discrimination.
KBH acted for the Claimant in respect of a breach of an employment contract.
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KBH acted for the employee in relation to what amounts to a ‘reasonable employer’ under Article 59A of the DIFC Employment Law.
KBH acted for the Defendants in seeking a declaration as to the applicability of the Treaty between UK and UAE on Judicial Assistance. In addition, KBH represented the Second Defendant in a Part 71 application.
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Instructed on behalf of the Claimant in proceedings in the High Court in London in one of the highest priced match-fixing cases in cricket.
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/cairns-v-modi-judgment.pdf