18 St John Street Chambers’ Business & Property Department was delighted to welcome clients and colleagues to celebrate Dr Mike Wilkinson’s launch of his new book – ‘The Limits of Separate Legal Personality: When Those Running a Company Can Be Held Personally Liable for Losses Caused to Third Parties Outside of the Company’, which is now on sale on Amazon and through Law Brief Publishing.
The book is mainly aimed at legal practitioners whose clients are the victims of wrongdoing perpetrated by persons running a company, and who want to pursue such persons personally rather than (or instead of) the company. In such cases, the company itself often has no or very little assets to go after, but the persons running it typically do. The pressing practical and legal question is whether and how those running the company can be sued personally for their role in the wrongdoing.
Many are deterred from bringing such personal claims in the mistaken belief that the company’s separate legal personality protects its directors from personal liability. This book explains how this commonly held belief is not correct, and explores when the persons running a company can be liable to a third party. It explains how, in many contexts, those who control a company can be sued personally for their role in committing any wrongdoing.
The Foreword was provided by His Honour Judge Richard Pearce, the Judge in charge of the Circuit Commercial Court in Manchester, who also attended the book launch event in Chambers and spoke of the history the Manchester Bar has in producing authors of important legal literature. Judge Pearce commented about how “This is a practical, insightful guide which will likely be useful for practitioners and courts alike for years to come.”
The first chapter for the book can be downloaded for free here:
Dr Mike Wilkinson is a specialist in business and property law and has built up a successful practice, typically dealing with complex and high value cases, often involving allegations of fraud or difficult legal arguments.
For further information about the book, or about how to instruct Mike please contact the Chambers Director James Parks or Senior Clerk Katie Brown.
All details of 18 St John Street Chambers’ Business and Property Department can be found on our website.