Who's suing whom

BERNIE ECCLESTONE, the head of Formula One Holdings, is seeking damages and an injunction against BusinessAge and its editor, Tom Rubython, over the latest issue of the magazine, which features the racing car boss on its cover.

Mr Ecclestone issued a writ via his solicitors Schilling & Lom this week seeking "Damages (including aggravated and exemplary damages) for libel contained on the front cover and on pages 4 and 76 to 82 inclusive of the issue of 'BusinessAge' magazine for June 1998..."

The writ also seeks an injunction restraining BusinessAge from repeating the words complained of.

A LEGAL dispute has broken out between two of the leading providers of after-dinner speakers in this country. The two parties involved represent speakers ranging from Jack Charlton to John Docherty, from David Frost to Alan Whicker.

Joseph Jones, of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, this week issued a writ seeking an injunction and damages against British Speakers Bureau Limited, a company owned by Ron Mowlam, boss of The Celebrity Group.

In 1993 Mr Jones left The Celebrity Group and set up on his own, under the name "After Dinner Speakers".

Mr Jones says that last year he heard that Mr Mowlam's company, British Speakers Bureau (BSB), was running a business titled "After Dinner Speakers Limited".

Mr Jones claims Mr Mowlam offered to sell him the "Limited" name for pounds 3,000. A spokesman for Mr Mowlam says that Mr Mowlam's lawyers, BP Collins of Gerrards Cross, offered to sell the name to Mr Jones but heard nothing from him.

Finally this Tuesday Mr Jones's lawyers, Kidd Rapinet, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, issued a writ against "After Dinner Speakers Limited" and "British Speakers Bureau Limited". Mr Jones is seeking an injunction to stop the defendants from "passing off" any of their services as services of the plaintiff. Mr Jones is also seeking damages.

A spokesman for Mr Mowlam said yesterday said that he had no knowledge of Mr Jones's writ. The spokesman added that BSB and Mr Mowlam were not trading under the "After Dinner Speakers Limited" name, but had merely bought it from another company two years ago. Therefore there "really isn't a conflict" with Mr Jones.

THE Law Society has issued a writ against KPMG, the accountancy firm, over a claim for pounds 8.5m dating back to 1992.

The claim of damages for negligence concerns KPMG's role as reporting accountant for law firm Dunford Ford.

Graham Ford, the firm's senior partner, was found to have mishandled pounds 8.5m of clients' money, and was struck off by the Law Society in 1993.

The Law Society started legal proceedings against KPMG in 1995, and the accountancy firm was puzzled yesterday as to why the Law Society had issued a further writ this week.

The claim against KPMG is expected to go to trial in about six months' time.

Two members of KPMG are also mentioned as defendants in this week's writ, Stephen Cawley and Neil Chapman.

The Law Society's writ says its claim is for "damages for negligence and/or negligent misstatement arising from a report made pursuant to Section 34 of the Solicitors Act 1974 in relation to the firm of Dunford Ford in respect of the period 1 June 1990 to 31 May 1991" and sent to the Law Society on 3 October 1991.

A spokesman for KPMG said yesterday: "This case has been the subject of legal action since 1992 and KPMG has strongly resisted the allegations made against it. It continues to do so."

KILLIK & Co, the upmarket private client stockbroker, is suing Sarosh Zaiwalla of solicitors Zaiwalla & Co and Andrew Milne over ownership of shares in Chesterton International.

The disputed shares are currently held on behalf of Mr Milne by Killik & Co's custodian Pershing Securities.

Mr Zaiwalla is being represented by Keith Oliver of Peters & Peters, the solicitor who successfully defended Kevin Maxwell.

The writ was issued on behalf of Killik & Co by Linklaters, the City law firm.

THE RECEIVERS of Landhurst Leasing, Arthur Andersen, are suing Liverpool City Council for around pounds 200,000 over rental for coaches and equipment belonging to the crashed company which the council sub-leased.

The writ was issued on behalf of the receivers last month by the law firm Reid Minty.