5 Stone Buildings is well regarded for its contentious and advisory work in art and cultural property, primarily acting for individuals, record labels, auction houses, estates, trusts and sovereign states. Luke Harris is acting for MB Artz Ltd in a title dispute over a valuable painting allegedly misappropriated in South Korea, raising complex issues of foreign law and English limitation. Harris, led by Henry Legge KC, is representing Calderstone (UMG Recordings Inc), in an ownership dispute over a 1962 early recording by the Beatles. Jordan Holland acts as sole counsel for the defendant in a high-value provenance dispute over a £7m Quran sold at auction.
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Profile
Position
Barrister dealing with non-contentious and revenue work as well as litigation; particular experience in complex and multi-jurisdictional trusts and estates; probate disputes and pensions law. He has acted for claimants and defendants in professional negligence cases relating to these areas and to many other areas involving complex legal issues or evidence (including a number of cases of actuaries’ negligence). Extensive experience of offshore work. He has an additional area of expertise in cases involving works of art and chattels. His reported cases include: Thywates v Sotherbys [2014]; IBM UK Holdings Ltd v Dalgleish [2014] EWHC 980; Re Nortel Networks Canada (expert witness); Gorbunova v Berezovsky and Wood v Gorbunova [2013] EWHC 1209 and 1935 (also at [2013] 5 Costs LR 713); Avrora Fine Art Investment Ltd v ChristieManson and Woods [2012] EWCH 2198; Trilogy Management v YT Charitable Foundation [2012] JRC 093; Re Coronation of the Virgin, acted successfully for Courtauld Gallery before Spoilation Advisory Panel; Page v West [2010] WTLR 1811; BT Pensions Scheme Trustees Ltd v BT plc [2011] EWHC 3388, [2011] EWHC 2071 and [2010] EWHC 2642; Spencer v S Franses Ltd [2010] (purchase consignment of an important medieval embroidery); Government of Canada v Hertel [2010] EWHC 2305 (Divisional Court); Martin v Triggs Turner [2009] EWHC 1920 and (on a separate point) Times 5.2.08 (negligence claim in relation to drafting of will and administration of estate); Stow v Stow [2008] Ch 461 (family provision); Mubarak v Mubarik [2008] JLR 430 (matrimonial); MT v OT [2008] 2 FLR 1311 (acted as joint expert in this important case on the structuring of orders made under schedule 1 to the Children Act); WF v NF [2007] EWHC 3050; Dellar v Zivy [2008] WTLR 17 (conflicts of law arising on death of French testator with English will where proceedings had been commenced in France); Re Horley Town Football Club [2006] WTLR 1817 (unincorporated associations); Burrell v Burrell [2005] BTC 8011 (principle in Hastings-Bass; Alexander Forbes v Jackson [2005] PLR 33; Francis Bacon litigation; Al-Bassam litigation (multi-jurisdictional probate claim); Re West [2006] WTLR 157 (legal treatment of accounting balances in trust accounts).
Career
Called to the Bar 1993, Middle Temple; QC 2012. Author of the chapter ‘Pensions Schemes’ in ’Company Directors: Duties, Liabilities and Remedies’ OUP 2013 (2nd Edition), edited by Simon Mortimore QC. Frequently talks on topics within this area of expertise.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association; STEP; APL; ACTAPS
Education
Eton College; Worcester College, Oxford (BA Hons); City University (Dip Law).
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