Heading

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS & PROPERTY COURTS IN BRISTOL
INSOLVENCY & COMPANIES LIST (ChD)
The Business and Property Courts in Bristol
Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre
2 Redcliff Street
Bristol BS1 6GR
Before :
HHJ PAUL MATTHEWS
IN THE MATTER OF HLHP ORIENTAL FOOD LIMITED
AND IN THE MATTER OF HLHP BAYSWATER LIMITED
AND IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2006
Between :
1) MAGGIE OTTO (2) TAO XU (3) IC UK HOLDINGS LIMITED (4) JESSICA PUI MAN KWOK Petitioners | |
- and - | |
(1) INNER MONGOLIA HAPPY LAMB CATERING MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED (2) XIAOBING LIU (3) ZHANHAI ZHANG (4) GANG ZHANG (5) CHANGSONG WANG (6) HLHP ORIENTAL FOOD LIMITED (7) HLHP BIRMINGHAM LIMITED (8) HLHP BAYSWATER LIMITED |
Respondents
Marc Beaumont (instructed by Direct Access) for the Petitioners
Edward Davies KC and Seamus Woods (instructed by Stewarts Law LLP) for the First to Fifth Respondents
The Sixth and Eighth Respondents were neither present nor represented
Hearing dates: 13-14 May 2025
This judgment was handed down remotely at 10:30 am on 10 September 2025 by circulation to the parties or their representatives by e-mail and by release to the National Archive
HHJ Paul Matthews :
- Heading
- Introduction
- Background and nature of the claims
- The history of the litigation
- Interim injunction application
- Pre-trial review
- The abortive trial and aftermath
- The restoration of In-Touch
- Further adjournment
- The hearing on 13-14 May 2025
- The question of standing
- Procedural rules
- Relevant caselaw
- The draft re-amended petition
- Brief summary
- The active respondents’ objections
- Standing for the purposes of unfair prejudice petitions
- Caselaw on equitable title
- Scope of the section 994 jurisdiction
- Discussion
- Claims to shares in equity
- Claims outside scope of petition
- Lack of clarity as to basis of allegation
- Vagueness and lack of clarity as to the pleading itself
- Lack of specificity in pleading attribution of conduct
- Inadequate pleading
- Absence of a necessary party
- Conclusion on particular objections
- Opportunity to re-amend?
- Conclusions
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