Counsel for Canary Wharf Ltd has told the High Court that proceedings should never have been brought against the company’s chairman, Paul Reichmann.
“There has never been any proper basis for the claim against Mr Reichmann,” Paul Morgan QC, counsel for Mr Reichmann and the other defendants, told Ferris J this week.
Mr Morgan was making his closing submissions in the case brought by WPP Group and its subsidiary, Ogilvy & Mather Ltd (O&M), who accuse Reichmann and others of deceit and conspiracy.
“The claim against Mr Reichmann can be disposed of fairly shortly& Mr Reichmann did not make any representation himself” and no one else made any representations on his behalf, said Mr Morgan.
It is alleged that Canary Wharf deputy chairman Charles Young, who is one of the defendants in the action, pledged that “plenty of warning” would be given to WPP and O&M if someone else was interested in the premises they wished to lease and that there would be “no secrets”.
However, it is claimed that Canary Wharf did not reveal that NewRo (now the Financial Services Authority) were interested in the premises.
Anthony Trace QC, counsel for the claimants, said it was clear that the defendants, other than Reichmann, had been concealing the truth from the court and from the claimants.
He said that given the facts of the case, the court should find all the defendants liable.
“The court should enter judgment for the claimants against all the defendants for damages for fraudulent misrepresentation, conspiracy and unlawful interference”, he said.
The current hearing is only in respect of liability, and if the defendants are found liable damages will be assessed at a later stage.
The judge is hoping to give judgment before the end of this month but there is a possibility that he may put it off until the new legal term in October.
PLS News 13/7/00
