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06 September 2024 / Peter Knox KC , Adam Riley , Remy Choo
Issue: 8084 / Categories: Features , Company , In Court , Copyright
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Line(s) of duties: directors & accessory liability

188092
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has changed the law on directors’ duties. Peter Knox KC, Adam Riley & Remy Choo explain
  • Sets out the facts in Lifestyle Equities CV and another v Ahmed and another, as well as Lord Leggatt’s views on directors’ duties, accessory liability, and orders for account of profits.
  • Also explains the Supreme Court’s consideration of and adoption of the Singapore Court of Appeal’s reasoning in PT Sandipala.

On 15 May 2024, the United Kingdom Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited decision in Lifestyle Equities CV and another v Ahmed and another [2024] UKSC 17, [2024] All ER (D) 60 (May). This article breaks down some of the main points arising out of this landmark decision.

High Court

The respondents in the appeal were two companies (Lifestyle). Lifestyle brought proceedings against some 16 defendants claiming remedies for the infringement of registered trade marks and passing off. The group of defendants included two family-owned companies, Continental Shelf 128

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
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
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