The trial of pub chain Wetherspoon’s legal claim against its former property adviser Van de Berg & Co (VDB) and its directors, Christian Braun and Richard Harvey has begun in the High Court.
Peter Smith J will hear seven weeks of legal submissions and evidence on the pub giant’s claims concerning 17 property transactions in which it alleges it was the victim of dishonesty, deceit and fraud.
Opening the case for Wetherspoon, Catherine Newman QC said that the claim concerned “a substantial fraud and, in circumstances where there has been a breach of fiduciary duty, a serious fraud”.
She told the court that although it was impossible to put a figure on what the claim could be worth, it was “certainly more than £1m, but less than £20m”.
The trial is restricted to liability, with damages to be assessed at a subsequent hearing, if needed.
