Margaret has a formidable reputation in the fields of commercial, commercial chancery and professional liability litigation. She has particular expertise in dealing with contentious trust matters, claims by and against trustees, director and officer (D&O) claims, shareholder claims, property disputes, fiduciary duties, civil fraud matters and professional negligence of solicitors, barristers, surveyors, architects and other professionals. Margaret is very experienced in obtaining injunctions in the High Court and other urgent, and non-urgent, interim remedies in matters across her practice areas.
Margaret is consistently recommended as a leading junior by the legal directories in the fields of commercial, chancery and property litigation. She is described as being “fearless”, “utterly tenacious”, “unstoppable” and “something to be reckoned with” in the courtroom. As well as being known for the quality of her advocacy, Margaret has a reputation for being commercially astute, a tough negotiator, and someone who immediately inspires confidence in her clients.
Margaret has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation work.
Margaret’s practice covers a wide range of contractual disputes, often involving company and property issues. Margaret is regularly instructed to deal with loan claims, guarantee claims, sale of goods, misrepresentation and business sale disputes. Recent instructions include:
Margaret has particular expertise in commercial chancery matters, and is regularly called upon to advise in contentious trust matters (frequently acting in cases concerning the beneficial ownership of real property and shares), tracing claims, shareholder claims, property disputes, fiduciary duties, partnership and civil fraud matters.
Margaret regularly acts for and against professional, and non-professional, trustees, and directors. She is experienced in advising trustees, and beneficiaries, as to how best to protect their position and the trust, including obtaining privacy and secrecy orders, “momentous decision” approval orders, prospective costs orders and Beddoe relief in the High Court.
Recent instructions include:
Margaret has a wealth of experience in company law matters, particularly in cases involving issues of unfair prejudice, just and equitable winding up and derivative actions.
Margaret frequently acts in claims against directors and accessories, particularly in the context of shareholder disputes and civil fraud claims. Recent cases include:
Margaret specialises in professional liabilities litigation (professional negligence and breach of duty claims), with a particular focus on claims arising in a commercial, company, trust and property context. Margaret’s own expertise, and extensive litigation experience, in these areas means that she is superbly placed to deal with such claims.
Margaret regularly acts for and against:
Margaret has been instructed on a number of complex, document heavy and high-value claims against directors for breach of fiduciary and statutory duty, and related accessorial claims, such as:
She is experienced and adept at deploying expert evidence across a range of disciplines in the context of these claims, including document dating, handwriting, quantity surveying, building surveying and forensic accountancy expert evidence.
Margaret is regularly instructed to seek injunctive and other interim relief in matters across her practice areas, recent examples include:
Margaret regularly accepts instructions on an urgent basis and can deal with such cases at very short notice and outside of normal business hours.
“Margaret is unstoppable. Her business acumen is second to none and her advocacy is superb” Legal 500, 2022
“Margaret is a strong advocate and a tough negotiator, and combines these skills with an excellent client manner which instils great confidence” Legal 500, 2022
“Margaret is excellent. She has great attention to detail, as well as being pragmatic and providing detailed advice” Legal 500, 2022
“Very diligent, perceptive, thorough and robust. Someone in whom you immediately have confidence, whether in conference or in court.” Legal 500, 2021
“Very thorough with a good grasp of detail; utterly tenacious.” Legal 500, 2021
“Margaret finds answers where others wouldn’t. She is tenacious beyond expectation and always goes above and beyond. She is simply the best.” Legal 500, 2021
“She is impressive and has gravitas." Chambers UK, 2019
“She’s excellent; she’s very good with clients and a very good trial advocate.” Chambers UK, 2019
“She has a good manner and is very thorough and good in court.” Chambers UK, 2019
“A talented and tenacious advocate with strong commercial awareness.” Legal 500, 2019
“Tenacious, stubborn and hard-working... She puts in a huge amount of work on cases.” Chambers UK, 2018
“She gets right to the heart of matters and can explain things well to clients. She is very good in front of judges too... Very knowledgeable and a confident advocate who performs very well in court.” Chambers UK, 2018
“She has a very unruffled approach to cases.” Legal 500, 2017
“A barrister with a very self-possessed demeanour.” Legal 500, 2017
“As well as being available to talk, she is down-to-earth in presenting quite difficult concepts to clients.” Chambers UK, 2017
“She is switched on and bright.” Chambers UK, 2017
“I’ve seen her in court and she’s something to be reckoned with. She has a very direct and no-nonsense style, and I think clients really like that.” Chambers UK, 2017
“Commercially astute, approachable and tenacious.” Legal 500, 2016
“An unrelenting advocate.” Legal 500, 2016
“She is calm and methodical, and has really good attention to detail.” Chambers UK, 2016
“She is thoughtful and thinks about things on a commercial level.” Chambers UK, 2016
“She is a safe pair of hands, and very pleasant.” Chambers UK, 2016
“Very good at explaining things and can always get her point across.” Chambers UK, 2016
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague [2018] EWHC 2517 (Ch) – commercial fraud case involving breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust, successfully established before Barling J the mandatory nature of an order granting a company permission to amend its particulars of way in a specified way and breach of an unless order.
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague & Ors [2017] EWHC 2021 (Ch) – successfully defended before Norris J an Application to amend Pariculars of Claim to, inter alia, introduce an allegation of reckless breach of fiduciary duty.
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague & Ors [2016] EWHC 2663 (Ch) –15 day trial of a Preliminary Issue before Norris J concerning a fraud perpetuated for several decades which involved document dating, forensic accountancy and quantity surveying expert evdience: issues determined in favour of Margaret’s client which ultimately led to the £17m case against Margaret’s client collapsing.
Bloor (trading as Doncaster Property Services) v Beresford & Ors [2016] EWHC 2663 (Ch) –successful Application before Sir David Eady to amend a Claim Form and Particulars of Claim and to rely upon expert forensic accountancy evdience.
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague & Ors [2014] 3383 (Ch) – multi-million pound civil fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claim before Norris J: lengthy trial of a Preliminary Issue ordered
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 1609 – successfully upheld (led) first instance decision in the Court of Appeal in a dishonest breach of fiduciary duty and dishonest assistance/knowing recept case in matters of general importance as to the proper approach to take to drafting particulars of claim in the context of a complex fraud case.
Hague Plant Ltd v Hague & Ors [2014] EWHC 568 (Ch) – successfully defeated a substantial Application (5 days) to re-amend Particulars of Claim against a silk.
NT v FS and others [2013] EWHC 684 – trial involving a bitterly fought family dispute over £.3.1m.
Singh v Kaur & Ors [2011] EWCA Civ 1554 – £2m trust dispute before the Court of Appeal: successfully upheld (unled) first instance decision in Margaret’s client’s favour.
Education and Memberships
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