CR-2022-BRS-000101 - [2025] EWHC 2291 (Ch)

On 20 December 2023, the first to fourth and sixth to eighth respondents served notice of change of legal representative from R & H Lawyers LLP to Stewarts Law LLP. On the same day, the fifth respondent also changed his self-representation to representation by Stewarts Law LLP. On 9 January 2024 the date of the PTR was altered from 9 February 2024 to 8 February 2024, in order to accommodate Mr Justice Zacaroli, who would now be trying the claim. On 31 January 2024, the active respondents issued an application to strike out significant parts of the petition or alternatively for reverse summary judgment in respect of them.

At the PTR on 8 February 2024, the petitioners were represented by Charlie Newington-Bridges of counsel, but the active respondents were now represented by Edward Davies KC. The judge declined to deal with the respondents’ strike-out application on that occasion. But on 26 February 2024 the active respondents dropped a bombshell when they issued an application to amend their points of defence dated 2 November 2022 to withdraw admissions made in the defence and to replace them with non-admissions. The active respondents now wished not to admit that the petitioners were shareholders of either the sixth or the eighth respondents as alleged. If that were the case, it would mean that the petitioners did not have standing to present the petition, and the petition would fail. On 29 February 2024, the petitioners issued an application to amend their petition, adding a claim for rectification of the share register of the companies concerned.