Source: http://www.serlecourt.co.uk/our-people/profile/john-machell-qc
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 16:35:40+00:00

Document:
John has a broad commercial chancery practice, and particular experience of large-scale litigation involving trusts, fiduciary duties, and fraud and trusts, particularly with an international dimension.
John is regarded as one of the leading partnership and LLP silks and has experience of a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious matters across the whole range of business sectors. An increasing part of his work involves issues arising from the use of partnerships and LLPs in hedge fund and private equity structures; in international commercial group structures; and as part of wealth planning strategies.
A substantial part of John’s practice relates to trusts, mostly offshore, and he has appeared in the Grand Court in Cayman on a number of occasions in the last few years.
John acts as an arbitrator and as an expert pursuant to expert determination agreements. John is on the Football Premier League Panel and sat as the chair of an inquiry into Hull City's ticketing policy. John has conducted internal inquiries on professional conduct and other matters for firms of solicitors.
John is regarded as one of the leading partnership and LLP silks and has experience of a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious matters across the whole range of business sectors from professional services and financial services to farming, doctors and dentists.
An increasing part of his work involves issues arising from the use of partnerships and LLPs in hedge fund, private equity and other financial services structures; in international commercial group structures; and as part of wealth planning strategies.
John has extensive experience of advising and drafting documentation in relation to professional service firms; including issues relating to restrictive covenants; team moves; retirements; expulsions; dissolutions; liability to third parties; indemnity insurance; international structuring; domestic and international mergers; LLP conversions; and regulatory matters.
Grupo Mexico v Infund LLP  EWHC 1306 (Ch) Carr J: Rectification of LLP register pursuant to s.1096 of the Companies Act 2006 (instructed by Cooke Youg & Keidan LLP).
Flanagan v Liontrust Investment Partners LLP  EWCA Civ 985 Court of Appeal and  EWHC 2171 (Ch) Henderson J: Unfair prejudice claim under Companies Act 2006; and applicability of the doctrine repudiatory breach to LLPs (instructed by Macfarlanes LLP).
Campbell v Campbell  EWCA Civ 80,  EWHC 2747 (Ch),  EWHC 182 (Ch),  EWHC 2237 (Ch) and  EWHC 1828 (Ch): Dispute as to the extent of a jewellery partnership.
Hosking v Marathon Asset Management Ltd  EWHC 2148 (Ch) Newey J: Whether the profit share of a partner/member of an LLP is liable to be forfeited under the fiduciary remuneration forfeiture rule (instrcuted by Orrick).
King v Hg Capital LLP (2016): Dispute as to the discretionary reallocation of carried interest (instructed by Mishcon de Reya).
Salem v Salem (2016): Acting for the Defendants in major commercial partnership/trust litigation (instructed by Quinn Emanuel).
Bottrill v Harling  EWCA Civ 564 Court of Appeal: Terms of oral partnership agreement and right to repayment of capital (instructed by Brachers).
Bates van Winkelhof v Clyde & Co LLP  1 WLR 2047 Supreme Court: Acting for intervener in appeal concerning whistleblowing and worker status of LLP members (instructed by CM Murray LLP).
Archer v Nubuke Investments LLP  EWHC 3425 (Ch): Acting for the successful Defendants in a claim by a former member of a financial services LLP (instructed by Dentons).
Wah v Grant Thornton  1 All ER (Comm) 1226;  EWHC 3198 (Ch) Hildyard J: Enforceability of ADR provisions in member firm agreement (instructed by Locke Lord).
Tiffin v Lester Aldridge (pro bono)  1 WLR 1887 Court of Appeal: Employment status of fixed share members of LLPs and meaning of section 4(4) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000.
Re Y (2011): Arbitration arising from the collapse of a national law firm (instructed by SNR Denton).
Price v Farnsworth (2011): Claim arising from misappropriation of partnership assets (instructed by Maxwell Winward).
O'Leary v Standen (2010) Briggs J: Dissolution of partnership; and appropriate costs order where Part 36 offer made before order for dissolution (instructed by Allen & Overy).
John deals with a wide range of commercial and contractual cases, and has particular experience of large-scale litigation, particularly with an international dimension.
Principal Investors Global LLC v various defendants (2017): Acting for Rothschild in relation to a breach of warranty claim brought for £50m+ arising from the sale of shares in Liongate Limited (instructed by Clifford Chance).
Liongate SPC v various defendants (2017): Acting for various defendants in respect of Cayman proceedings in which proprietary and personal claims are made in respect of alleged breaches of fiduciary duty arising from investment decisions (instructed by Turners).
BTA Bank v Ablyazov (2013/14): Acting for a Norwich Pharmacal respondent at a number of hearings, including in respect of an important decision relating to the recovery of costs by Norwich Pharmacal respondents  1 WLR 1547 (instructed by Boodle Hatfield).
Grupo Mexico v Pearse Trust International Limited (2014/15): Acting for a Norwich Pharmacal defendant in relation to disclosure of documents in connection with Mexican proceedings (instructed by Cooke Young & Keidan).
Re L (2013): Acting for a shareholder in a hedge fund structure in relation to the alleged wrongful disposal of corporate assets (instructed by Clifford Chance).
$1b claim relating to a Russian joint venture (2013).
Icer Brands Europe Limited v Beyond Productions LLC (2013): Acting for the defendant in a claim for damages for alleged breach of a licensing agreement (instructed by Dentons).
Mains v Harrison (2012): Proceedings to set-aside compromise agreement for fraud (instructed by Fladgate LLP).
Conarco Partnership v Grillo (2012) Mann J: Freezing injunction application (instructed by Peters & Peters).
Woodrow Inc v Karchava (2012) Warren J: Freezing injunction application (instructed by Boodle Hatfield LLP).
Wah v Grant Thornton  EWHC 3198 (Ch) Hildyard J: Enforceability of ADR provisions in member firm agreement (instructed by Locke Lord).
McKellar v Kingston Smith (2012) HHJ Waksman: Third party costs application (instructed by Kingston Smith).
Cherney v Neuman (2011) Henderson J: Commercial, joint venture and fiduciary duty dispute involving individuals from the former Soviet Union (instructed by SNR Denton).
Intercontinental Bank v Akingbola  EWHC 605 (Comm): Alleged breach of fiduciary duty by director of Nigerian bank (instructed by Peters & Peters).
North Shore Ventures Ltd v Anstead Holdings Inc  Times 22 April, Floyd J: Whether hearings had taken place in public or private (instructed by Cooke, Young & Keidan).
North Shore Ventures Ltd v Anstead Holdings Inc  Ch. 31 Court of Appeal and  2 Lloyd's Rep 265 Newey J: Setting aside guarantee for non-disclosure (instructed by Cooke, Young & Keidan).
North Shore Ventures Ltd v Anstead Holdings Inc  EWCA Civ 1634 Court of Appeal: Stay of execution and conditions for permission to appeal (instructed by Cooke, Young & Keidan).
Bexbes LLP v Beer  EWCA Civ 628: Calculation of performance sharing payment under an agency agreement (instructed by Bird & Bird).
Hitchcox v Handlesman (2006): Joint venture dispute arising out of the development of St Pancras station (instructed by Denton Wilde Sapte).
Enron (Thrace) v Clapp and Others  EWCA Civ 1511 Court of Appeal;  EWHC 401 (Comm) Aikens J;  EWHC 1612 (Comm) Langley J: Liability of subsidiary for fraud of parent; guarantee of liability under a joint venture agreement (instructed by DLA).
BAS Capital Funding v Medfinco Ltd  LLR 652 Lawrence Collins J: Non-exclusive jurisdiction clause; extra territorial injunction (instructed by Peters & Peters).
A substantial part of John’s practice relates to trusts, particularly with an international dimension. John's experience extends across the range of trust issues and he has particular experience of trust issues arising as part of wider commercial and fraud disputes.
Danilina v Chernukhin (2018/19): Advising on trusts issues arising in Commercial Court action (instructed by Clifford Chance).
Re X Trust (2017): Advising on issues arising in relation to a proposed Public Trustee v Cooper application (instructed by Harneys).
Re L Trust (2018): Advising on breach of trust claim and removal application against trustees (instructed by Mishcon de Reya).
Re C Trust (2018): Advising on claim for distribution from a discretionary trust (instructed by Clifford Chance).
Re B Trust (2018): Advising trustee of a substantial Cayman family trust in relation to various issues including the liability of the trust to indemnify an ex-protector and the ownership of various chattels (instructed by Maples & Calder).
Re Y Trust (2018): Advising and appearing before Kawaley J for the trustee in Cayman proceedings relating to the validity of a decision by the settlor to change the beneficiary of the trust (instructed by Harneys).
Re Z Trust (2017): Advising on issues arising in relation to the termination of a trust (instructed by Harneys).
Re M Trust (2017): Advising the beneficiary of a Jersey trust in relation to various issues (instructed by Collas Crill).
Re V Trusts (2017): Advising and appearing for the trustees of Cayman trusts in relation to various issues arising from criminal forfeiture proceedings in the US and in relation to an application to replace the trustee (instructed by Harneys).
Re Y Trust (2017): Advising and appearing for the trustee in Cayman proceedings relating to the validity of a decision by the settlor to change the beneficiary of the trust (instructed by Harneys).
Re C Trust (2016): Appearing for the trustee in a Beddoe application in the Cayman court as to whether the trustees should defend English High Court proceedings (instructed by Clifford Chance and Collas Crill).
Liongate v various defendants (2016): Acting for Defendants to a constructuive trust claim in Cayman proceedings relating to a hedge fund structure (instructed by Turners).
Re X Trust (2015): Acting for the trustee of a substantial family trust in relation to Cayman proceedings concerning the status and removal of the protector (instructed by Mourant).
Salem v Salem (2015/16): Acting for the Defendants in major commercial partnership/trust litigation (instructed by Quinn Emanuel).
Hardwick v Hardwick (2013): Substantial farming proprietary estoppel claim (instructed by Quality Solicitors Burroughs Day).
North Shore Ventures Ltd v Anstead Holdings Inc  WTLR 1241: Important Court of Appeal decision on orders for the production of trust documents against de facto settlors / discretionary beneficiaries (instructed by Cooke, Young & Keidan).
AB Jnr v MB (2012): Acting for the claimants in a substantial claim for breach of trust culminating in a 10 week trial in the Cayman Islands in 2012 (instructed by Farrer & Co and Conyers, Dill & Pearman).
Stow v Stow and HMRC (2009): Dispute concerning the beneficial ownership of assets settled on the terms of offshore trusts (instructed by Fladgate).
Re Rendell-Reynolds deceased (2008) Sir Andrew Morritt: constructive and secret trust claim to assets held by deceased (instructed by Mills & Reeve).
Nissim v Wettreich (2008): international trusts and fraud claim (instructed by Fladgate).
Re Northcott (2008 and 2010) (instructed by Blake Lapthorn): Application by trustees for directions where an issue of parentage had arisen in respect of one of the putative beneficiaries.
Tait v Wedgwood  WTLR 121 Rimer J: Winding up bare trust where beneficiary under mental disability.
S v A (2018): Acting for the claimants in a substantial arbitration arising in relation to shareholder agreements. The dispute concerned wide ranging allegations of fraud and dishonesty in several jurisdictions (instructed by Clifford Chance).
Mattos Junior v MacDaniels Ltd 22 November 2002 Peter Smith J: security for costs against claimant outside jurisdiction and fortification of cross-undertaking in damages (instructed by Peters & Peters).
John has acted in a wide range of insolvency cases and often advises on insolvency issues arising in cases in other practice areas.
Sisu Capital v Tucker and Others  EWHC 2321 (Ch);  EWHC 2170 (Ch) Warren J: Unfair prejudice challenge to company CVAs in the TXU administration (instructed by Fladgate).
Secretary of State v Collins  BCC 998 Court of Appeal: Application by disqualified director for leave to act as a manager.
Harper v O'Reilly  BPIR 656 Michael Hart QC: Proprietary effect of a matrimonial property adjustment order in circumstances in which the husband or wife is subsequently made bankrupt.
Razzaq v Pala  1 WLR 1336 Lightman J: Validity of a re-entry effected by a landlord when the tenant was bankrupt; meaning of "secured creditor" in the Insolvency Act 1986.
John advises on the full range of company law issues, particularly section 994 claims, derivative claims, reflective loss issues, claims against directors and issues arising in relation to share sales and shareholder resolutions.
During 2013 and 2014 John has advised on issues relating to drag along provisions in connection with two high value takeovers; and the validity of class resolutions in the light of alleged defects in the directors' circular.
Wilcox v Snell & Wilcox (2007): Company law and restitution case involving issues relating to the authority of the directors (instructed by Blake Lapthorn).
DTC v Sergeant  1 WLR 797 Michael Crystal QC: Scope of an accountant's lien over clients' papers and the meaning of "accounting records" in s.221 of the Companies Act 1985.
"Serle Court is a market leader and a go-to set for contentious trust and offshore work. Over the years, we have worked with a number of different silks and juniors on both litigation and arbitration matters, often with a cross jurisdiction aspect. This has included Alan Boyle QC, Dominic Dowley QC, John Machell QC, Richard Wilson QC, Dakis Hagen QC, Sophie Holcombe, and Oliver Jones. The quality of their work has been consistently excellent, and their commercial nous and practical advice certainly sets them out from the pack. Head Clerk, Steve Whitaker, runs a tight ship and is always a pleasure to deal with."

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