Manchester Shipping Ltd v Balfour Worldwide Ltd & Anor [2019] EWHC 194 (Comm)

On Monday 11th February Sonia Tolaney KC, sitting as a Judge of the Commercial Court, handed down judgment in Manchester Shipping Ltd v Balfour & Sochin, a multi-national shipping fraud case involving Russian charterers. The judgment ruled that Manchester Shipping Ltd had made a fair presentation at the ex parte application and that the Worldwide Freezing Orders were justified. This case provides a useful reminder of the approach to be taken in considering allegations of non-disclosure, and confirmation of the standing of intermediary charterers to sue for the full value of the hire.

Simon Goldstone appeared at both hearings; Nick Vineall KC led Simon in the discharge application in which they successfully defended their opponents’ application to discharge the World-Wide Freezing Order.

The full judgment is available here.