CR-2024-006692 - [2025] EWHC 2120 (Ch)

Justa was incorporated on 21 January 1997 and operated as an accountancy practice. Its directors are Mr Mandeep Singh Sahota and Mrs Harminder Kaur Sahota who are husband and wife and are accountants. Mr Sahota describes Justa as continuing a family business which was originally established by his father in 1980.

Mr Sanjay Swarup is also an accountant. He incorporated the Second Applicant on 6 November 2007, and it began trading as an accountancy firm in 2009. The Second Applicant is a holding company for 15 other companies that have merged and become part of “the SKS Group”, which provides accounting and business services. Mr Swarup explains that the SKS Group has a turnover of £20 million per annum with over 16,000 listed and private clients.

The First Applicant is a special purpose vehicle incorporated as a company on 19 December 2022. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SKS West Midlands

Mr Swarup is the sole director of SKS West Midlands Limited and a director of the First Applicant (resigned on 29 April 2025), the Second Applicant, SKS Midco Limited and Holdings.

Mr Swarup says in his first statement that:

“13.

Whilst I am the sole director of the Second Applicant, it is ran [sic] as part of the Group with the day to day running of the Group being managed by an executive management team consisting of Philippe Mauguy, Ritu Bugli, Simon Gretton-Watson, Faraz Yunus and Harvey Downe (the “Executive Management Team”).

All decisions relating to the Group require the authorisation from the Executive Management Team and big decisions, such as payment of deferred consideration, require SKS Holdings’ board approval. In order for a decision to be passed it has to be agreed by a majority.”

By “Group” in this context, Mr Swarup appears to be referring to the group of companies of which the Second Applicant is the ultimate parent: see para 11 of Mr Swarup’s first witness statement, and para 9(a) of Mr Fagan’s skeleton argument.