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17 July 2009
Issue: 7378 / Categories: Case law , Law reports
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Arbitration—Jurisdiction—Insolvency

Syska (acting as the administrator of Elektrim SA (in bankruptcy)) and another v Vivendi Universal SA and others [2009] EWCA Civ 677, [2009] All ER (D) 88 (Jul)

Court of Appeal, Civil Division, Mummery, Longmore and Patten LJJ 9 Jul 2009

Where an arbitration is proceeding in one member state and one of the parties to the reference becomes insolvent in another member state, the consequences of that insolvency, in so far as they affect the arbitration, are to be determined by the law of the member state in which the reference is taking place.

Gabriel Moss QC, Richard Millett QC and Julian Kenny (instructed by Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP) for the claimants. Toby Landau QC and Ricky Diwan (instructed by O’Melveny & Myers LLP) for the defendants.

The second claimant was a Polish company. In September 2001, it entered into an agreement with the defendants, which contained a London arbitration clause. The arbitration agreement was governed by English law, although the rest of the agreement was governed by Polish law. Disputes arose and in August 2003

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

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Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

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Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
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A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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