Russian oligarchs in the Strand

Boris says

I have no shame in saying to the injured spouses of the world’s billionaires, If you want to take him to the cleaners, darling, take him to the cleaners in London.”

Rodney Hylton-Potts says

Commercial litigants also favour London for several reasons. Our judiciary is independent, highly regarded for its integrity and experienced in dealing with substantial commercial cases. Orders of the English courts are readily enforceable in many jurisdictions. The English court also has power to grant worldwide freezing injunctions, unlike most other jurisdictions.

A tactic commonly employed by claimants is to use a party which is clearly subject to the jurisdiction of the English court as an ‘anchor defendant’ and allege that the real defendants are necessary and proper parties to the claim against the anchor defendant, in order to fall within the jurisdictional gateway to get the case heard in England.

The English system is undoubtedly attractive to foreign litigants, particularly because in multi-million and billion dollar fraud disputes, the worldwide freezing injunction is a powerful tool. However, keen as Boris and the Oligarchs may be to litigate here, the English court will only welcome them if it is satisfied that England is the proper place for their disputes.