Max is an expert commercial litigation and dispute resolution lawyer with substantial experience in a diverse range of matters, frequently acting for well-known private clients and companies and often with an international element.
Max has particular expertise in all aspects of commercial litigation, in particular commercial fraud, claims for breach of fiduciary duty and/or dishonest assistance, claims for professional negligence and also substantial commercial debt recovery claims.
Max has also developed a sub-speciality in private client litigation to include contested trust and probate claims, wills and probate claims, claims arising under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, and domicile and tax disputes.
Expertise
- Litigation
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial fraud
- Breach of fiduciary duty and dishonest assistance
- Professional negligence
- Insolvency and liquidations
- Contested trusts
- Contested wills
- Contested probate
- Inheritance disputes
- Domicile and tax disputes
Experience
Commercial Litigation
- Acted for the claimants in their successful claim in respect of a share in the ownership of East Thurrock United Football Club, and its associated land which was claimed to be worth more than £10 million. The successful claimant was awarded indemnity costs and the case was widely reported in the press, including The Times, The Daily Mail, The Express and the Evening Standard.
- Acted for a private client in relation to his enforcement of a Russian Judgment in the High Court. The Judgment debt was circa RUR 300 million (circa £3 million).
- Acted for the claimants in a dispute as to the ownership of various rights in the CHINAWHITE nightclub brand which involved a number of applications including summary judgment involving issues of assignments in gross and the extent of rights in unregistered trademarks following the judgment of the Supreme Court in Starbucks.
- Acted for appellants in their successful appeal against HMRC in relation to alleged VAT liabilities amounting to over £16 million.
- Acting for one of the leading global providers of real estate and investment management services over the last 15 years in respect of all of their commercial debts and claims.
Fraud and Financial Crime
- Acted for the claimant on three separate and substantial claims against well-known firms of estate agents, managing agents and private individuals in respect of claims for fraudulent breaches of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and undue influence. The claimant’s losses over a 60-year period were suspected to be in the region of several hundred million pounds.
- Acted for the claimant trader in landmark proceedings for fraud against his broker, with damages awarded in the sum of circa £20 million – the first claim of its kind in which damages for lost profits were awarded.
- Acted for Karafarin Bank in respect of a claim regarding unhonoured Iranian cheques in the sum of circa $5.5 million.
- Acted for a well-known Iranian businessman and his associated companies in their successful defences to claims of fraud in the sum of circa £6.5 million.
- Acted for the same Iranian client and associated companies in respect of their successful resistance to an application for disclosure regarding separate foreign legal proceedings following the reaching of a settlement of the English proceedings.
Professional Negligence
- Acted for the claimant against Linklaters and Deloitte in a claim for professional negligence arising from the sale of shares in Arsenal FC for circa £117 million. The negligence concerned a CGT mitigation scheme.
- Acted for the claimant against a well-known auction house and artist in a professional negligence claim arising from the sale of valuable antiquities for circa $6.5 million.
- Acted for the claimant against a well-known auction house in a claim for professional negligence arising out of the sale of very valuable paintings.
- Acted for the claimant against a well-known firm of surveyors in a claim for professional negligence arising from the purchase of a high-value residential property with dry rot and structural issues.
- Acted on various cases for claimants against well-known firms of solicitors in claims for professional negligence and challenging solicitors’ costs.
Private Client Disputes
- Acted for the claimant in her successful claim against her ex-husband for fraudulent non-disclosure of his assets during their divorce, with the claim worth in the region of £6 million.
- Acted for the executrix of an estate regarding the successful appeal against HMRC in respect of the domicile of the deceased, leading to an inheritance tax saving for the estate of circa £15 million.
- Acted on various substantial claims for both claimants and defendants for claims arising under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975, such cases nearly always having complex international issues.
- Acted for the estate in relation to the defence of a claim alleging that the deceased’s Will was invalid as a result of not having been properly executed.
- Acted for various claimants in their successful appeals against academic and misconduct decisions of universities (including Edinburgh University, Bristol University, Manchester University, Westminster University and Brunel University).
- Acted for a private client in respect of her privacy claims against various parties including the production company of Made in Chelsea.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recommended in The Legal 500 2018 for Insurance and Reinsurance Litigation
Member of The London Solicitors Litigation Society
Member of The Property Litigation Society
English representative for the Globalaw Leadership Program
Career
Max qualified as a solicitor in 2010. Prior to joining Keystone Law, he worked at the following firms:
- Ince
- Ogier (Jersey)
- Gordon Dadds