Bridget Williamson

Bridget has extensive experience in commercial disputes, including acting for both seller and buyer in breach of warranty claims arising from share or business sale agreements, misrepresentation, commercial fraud (including claims for unlawful means conspiracy), specific performance of a property-based joint venture agreement, claim for rectification of a major construction contract, claims based on finance leases, disputed claims under litigation-funding insurance, distributorship disputes, bank and private lender claims, both secured and unsecured, and guarantee-based claims.

She represented the successful respondent in the House of Lords in a bailment claim relating to photocopiers (TRM Copy Centres (UK) Limited v Lanwall Services Limited [2009] UKHL 35), having also represented the client in the Queens Bench Division and Court of Appeal. She represented a licensee under the “Investors In People” scheme in a contractual dispute brought by one of its assessors (Broughton v Capital Quality Limited [2008] EWHC 3457 (QB).

In MAN UK Properties Limited v Falcon Investments Limited [2015] EWHC 1324 (Ch) she obtained an order for specific performance of property-based joint venture agreement.

Recent cases include:

• Acting for a major property consultant in a dispute arising out of the submissions of sites in the National Grid tendering process.
• Acting for the same client in a dispute arising out of the sale of a hotel and restaurant group.
• Acting for the vendor claimant in claim under a share sale agreement relating to the disposal of a portfolio of care homes.
• Acting for a lender seeking to enforce a charge over a Sikh temple in this jurisdiction in a dispute arising out of the refinancing of a Sikh temple in Canada.

Bridget has acted in unfair prejudice claims and for both claimants and defendants and in claims for breach of directors’ duties.

She represented the respondent director in a misfeasance claim (Re Palmier (In Liquidation) [2009] EWHC 983 (Ch) and the applicant for a limitation direction on a company restoration in County Leasing Asset Management Limited v Hawkes [2015] EWCA Civ 2015.

She has acted for a shareholder on a derivative claim and claim for relief pursuant to section 306, Companies Act 2006 and has both advised in relation to and appeared on capital reduction applications.

Recent cases include:

• Acting for the petitioner on an unfair prejudice petition arising out of a property development joint venture
• Advising a shareholder in a dispute arising out of a football agency services joint venture

Bridget frequently acts for administrators and liquidators in officeholder claims (misfeasance, transactions at an undervalue and preference claims).

She acts for administrators, liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy on applications made within the insolvency. She has represented creditors on contested administration applications.

She has acted for and against officeholders on applications to challenge their conduct of the insolvency process or for their removal and on substantive directions applications relating to the conduct of the insolvency.

Recent cases include:

• Representing the respondent administrators in an application under paragraph 74, Schedule B1, Insolvency Act 1986 (Re MEEM SL Limited (In Administration) [2017] EWHC 2688 (Ch)
• Representing the successful respondent in a bankruptcy appeal raising issues of set-off and under section 271, Insolvency Act 1986 (Sahota v Singh [2018] EWHC 2646 (Ch))
• Advising and representing administrators on issues arising out of the administration of an unincorporated association (a former social club)
• Acting for a group of overseas creditors/investors in a contested administration application arising out of a failed property development
• Acting for the administrators on a substantive directions application relating to issues arising from the off-plan sale of units within the development and involving a potential conflict between trust and insolvency principles

Bridget has acted in a number of professional negligence cases involving surveyors and valuers, solicitors and accountants.

Claims against solicitors have included claims in relation to a failure to obtain adequate security over a portfolio of investment properties and the negligent drafting of a land option to acquire a reversionary lease of local authority property.

Claims against accountants have included a failure to obtain available tax relief for research and development costs.