Ben Harding

Practice Areas

All aspects of commercial dispute resolution: contractual disputes (including agency contracts; share and asset sale agreement disputes); company law (including shareholder disputes; director’s duties and disqualification; restrictive covenants); banking (including secured lending and guarantees); partnership; professional negligence (including claims against solicitors, accountants, surveyors, insurance brokers); insurance; consumer credit; construction; injunctions; sale of goods and supply of services; fraud; commercial torts.

Professional Memberships

Chancery Bar Association

Professional Negligence Bar Association

Northern Business & Property Bar Association

British Irish Commercial Bar Association

Publications

Calling time: the law of limitation directions – Counsel Magazine June 2017; https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/calling-time

(since Jan 2023) editor of chapters on Default Judgment and Summary Judgment in Commercial Litigation – Pre-Emptive Remedies (Sweet & Maxwell)

Work Highlights

Acted for Manchester City FC, Merlin Entertainments and Bruntwood Properties to obtain anti-trespass injunctions in - Unfair prejudice claim proceeding in the Isle of Man relating to 20% shareholding in fintech company potentially worth £100m

- Unfair prejudice petition in the BPC in Manchester relating to potential £1m holding in claims management company

- Partnership dissolution dispute concerning prominent firm of patent attorneys (led by Mark Harper KC)

- FOS complaint against bank for breach of Quincecare duty in respect of £700k cheques presented as payable to cash and paid

- Acted for Manchester City FC, Merlin Entertainments and Bruntwood Properties to obtain anti-trespass injunctions in the High Court in Manchester and London against ‘urban explorers’ (including order in respect of premises worldwide and against ‘persons unknown’) (led by David Casement KC)

-Acted for insured in £800k professional negligence claim in High Court in Leeds (Circuit Commercial) against insurance broker to settlement at mediation

-Acted for prominent reality TV star in dispute with management company

-Acted for online betting business in relation to claims by suspected gambling syndicate

Industry Sector Expertise

Ben has developed specialisms in insurance, banking and finance, insolvency, company, professional negligence and construction work

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England & Wales only

Education