BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES
COMMERCIAL COURT (KBD)
Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1NL |
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B e f o r e :
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Hulley Enterprises Limited and others |
Group 1 |
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- and - |
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The Russian Federation |
Defendant |
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Hearing dates: 5th May 2023
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Crown Copyright ©
HHJ Pelling KC:
"The Russian Federation apologises for its inability to be able effectively to achieve representation before the English courts in the aftermath of White & Case having come off the record. We have taken active steps to reach out to and engage another law firm so as to replace the solicitor on the record. Lest there be any doubt as to the attitude that is being encountered, the court's attention is drawn to public pronouncements by major law firms ..."
There are then set out a number of quotations released to the media by various law firms on or around the beginning of March 2022 concerning the willingness of those firms to undertake work for clients associated with the Russian State.Those go on over a number of subparagraphs until at paragraph 4 the Prosecutor General says this:
"We continue to make enquiries so as to enable the Russian Federation to replace White & Case as solicitors on the record. We will keep the court and Stephenson Harwood fully informed as and when this is achieved."
"We are compelled to point out that even where sanctions are not engaged in this context, the approach being adopted by the financial institutions in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, as well as potential limitations with regard to insurance for legal professionals, are additional impairments in instructing and receiving legal advice as well as representation ..."