QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION
COMMERCIAL COURT
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
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EUROIL LTD |
Claimant/ Applicant |
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- and - |
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CAMEROON OFFSHORE PETROLEUM SARL |
Defendant/ Respondent |
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Mr Vernon Flynn QC and Ms Philippa Hopkins (instructed by Clyde & Co. LLP) for the Respondent/Defendant
Hearing dates: 14 January 2014
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Crown Copyright ©
See: [2014] EWHC 12 (Comm) & [2014] EWHC 52 (Comm)
Mr Justice Males :
(1) This was a significant and substantial application requiring extensive work as a matter of urgency under considerable time pressure.(2) It was reasonable and necessary for Camop to prepare the detailed evidence which it served for the application.
(3) The allegations of contempt made by Euroil will have added to the care and attention required in the preparation of Camop's evidence, and it was reasonable and necessary for Camop to be prepared to answer these allegations at the hearing even though no application to commit had been issued. The contempt allegations mean that it was also reasonable for there to be a higher degree of partner involvement and oversight than might otherwise have been the case.
(4) The cost of Mr Wachtel's time in attending the meetings in Cameroon cannot be claimed as part of the costs of the application as he was due to attend those meetings in any event. The reasonable cost of preparing his witness statement can.
(5) It was reasonable and necessary for Camop to instruct Clyde & Co, including a partner and assistant from the litigation department.
(6) It was reasonable and necessary for Camop to instruct leading and junior counsel, though I am unable to comment on the reasonableness of their fees without knowing more about the number of hours worked which those fees represent.
(7) It was reasonable for Mr Wachtel to be present at the hearing in addition to members of Clyde & Co's litigation department.