Costs

The claimant was a group of companies, previously owned and controlled by the first and second defendants, who were alleged to have defrauded the claimant of substantial sums of money. The claimant’s application to amend its particulars was unsuccessful and it was ordered to pay the defendants’ costs, which amounted to around £945,000. The Commercial Court held that the fact that the total costs claimed were very high could not by itself be allowed to increase the sum awarded as an interim payment. A sum of £100,000 was ordered to be paid on account of the defendants’ costs.