BL-2022-MAN-000036 - [2025] EWHC 2084 (Ch)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS

IN MANCHESTER

BUSINESS LIST (ChD)

Manchester Civil Justice Centre

1 Bridge Street West

Manchester M60 9DJ

Before :

HIS HONOUR JUDGE HODGE KC

Sitting as a Judge of the High Court

Between :

Mr Simon Wilton KC (instructed by RPC, London) for the 10^th Defendant

Mr Laurie Scher (instructed by Walker Morris LLP, Leeds) for the Claimants

Approved Judgment on Costs

(determined on written representations)

This judgment was handed down remotely at 10.00am on Wednesday 6 August 2025 by circulation to the parties’ legal representatives by e-mail, by uploading it to CE-File, and by release to the National Archives.

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HIS HONOUR JUDGE HODGE KC

Professional negligence – Solicitors – Costs of defendant’s application to strike out and for summary judgment on the claim against them and of claimants’ later responsive informal application to amend – Application to strike out and for summary judgment dismissed – Application to amend largely successful – Appropriate order as to costs where the defendant’s application would have succeeded absent the amendments – Effect of the defendant’s unsuccessful opposition to the bulk of the amendments – Identification of the successful party to the application

The following cases are referred to in the judgment:

Bellhouse v Zurich Insurance Plc [2025] EWHC 1551 (Comm)

Beoco Ltd v Alfa Laval Co Ltd [1995] QB 137

His Honour Judge Hodge KC: