Who? Chris Webber, partner at Squire Patton Boggs, London.
Why is he in the news? The firm represented Iya Patarkatsishvili and Yevhen Hunyak, who this week were granted rescission and damages by the High Court after buying a £32.5m moth-infested London mansion in 2019. The couple claimed they were induced by fraudulent misrepresentations made by the seller in his replies to pre-contract enquiries. The seller disputed making misrepresentations in his replies and denied that he knew or suspected they were false.
Thoughts on the case: ‘It’s been a tough battle and a huge team effort, so we’re all delighted with the outcome for Yevhen and Iya. They were put in an awful position and have had to be very brave and tenacious to fight through the courts to right the wrong done to them. I’ve always lived and breathed my cases, but I’ve felt particularly emotionally invested in this one. For lawyers, it’s a significant judgment on a few aspects of the law around fraudulent misrepresentation and is well worth a read. Hopefully, it will be a cautionary tale for sellers, not just of property but all kinds of valuable assets. Buyers can see that the courts have the tools to do justice in these cases. And we’re all now very paranoid about seeing moths around the house!’
Dealing with the media: ‘Many of my cases are corporate and finance disputes which tend not to make good Daily Mail fodder, although I’ve worked on a few high-profile matters, often for ultra-high-net-worth clients. As a legal team we’ve often been working on a case in obscurity for years, so it’s always a bit strange when it becomes a big news story at trial. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how balanced the media coverage has been and how respectful the press are of our clients’ privacy.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘At school, I was told my fondness for a good argument made it a promising career path. I get to work with really smart people on really difficult problems that mean a lot to our clients. And I wasn’t good enough to be an Olympic sailor.’
Career high: ‘Leading the team on two Court of Appeal wins in 2019 for Rembrandt Enterprises and in 2022 for the Saudi Consumer Protection Association.’
Career low: ‘As a trainee on a huge case, inadvertently leaving the partner’s highly confidential notes in a courtroom. Thankfully, after a sleepless night contemplating the premature end of my legal career, the notes were safely retrieved. I still check under every seat before leaving a courtroom.’
No comments yet