Ziyavudin Magomedov & Ors v TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP & Ors
| Court | King's Bench Division |
| Judge | Mr Justice Bright |
| Judgment Date | 17 January 2025 |
| Neutral Citation | [2025] EWHC 59 (Comm) |
| Date | 17 January 2025 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Counsel | Charles Dougherty Kc,Alistair Mackenzie,And William Hooper,Mark Howard Kc,Sebastian Isaac Kc,Joyce Arnold,Tom Foxton,Blair Leahy Kc,Donald Lilly,Paul Lowenstein Kc,Colleen Hanley,Leona Powell,Marlena Valles,Simon Colton Kc,David Caplan,Nathan Pillow Kc,David Peters Kc,Justin Fenwick Kc,Tim Chelmick,David Wolfson Kc,James Nadin,David Mumford Kc,Watson Pringle,Graham Dunning Kc,Tom Ford,Oliver Goldstein,Richard Power |
Approved Judgment Magomedov and others v. TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP and
others
Neutral Citation Number: [2025] EWHC 59 (Comm)
Case No: CL-2023-000401
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
KING’S BENCH DIVISION
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES
COMMERCIAL COURT
Royal Courts of Justice, Rolls Building
Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1NL
Date: 17 January 2025
Before :
MR JUSTICE BRIGHT
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Between :
(1) ZIYAVUDIN MAGOMEDOV
(2) SGS UNIVERSAL INVESTMENT HOLDINGS
LIMITED
(3) INTIMERE HOLDINGS LIMITED
(4) HELLICORP INVESTMENTS LTD
(5) SIAN PARTICIPATION CORP. (IN
LIQUIDATION)
(6) MAPLE RIDGE LIMITED
(7) WIREDFLY INVESTMENTS LIMITED
(8) SMARTILICIOUS CONSULTING LIMITED
(9) ENVIARTIA CONSULTING LIMITED
(10) PORT-PETROVSK LIMITED Claimants
- and -
(1) TPG GROUP HOLDINGS (SBS), LP
(2) TPG PARTNERS VI, LP
(3) TPG FOF VI SPV, LP
(4) TPG PARTNERS VI-AIV, LP
(5) TPG VI MANAGEMENT, LLC
(6) TPG ADVISORS VI, INC
(7) TPG ADVISORS VI-AIV, INC
(8) DOMIDIAS LIMITED
(9) HALIMEDA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
(10) LEYLA MAMMAD ZADE
(11) MIKHAIL RABINOVICH
Defendants
Approved Judgment Magomedov and others v. TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP and
others
(12) ERMENOSSA INVESTMENTS LIMITED
(13) KONSTANTIN KUZOVKOV
(14) FELIX LP
(15) ANDREY SEVERILOV
(16) KATINA PAPANIKOLAOU
(17) STATE ATOMIC ENERGY CORPORATION
ROSATOM
(18) DP WORLD RUSSIA FZCO
(19) PJSC FAR-EASTERN SHIPPING COMPANY
(20) PJSC TRANSNEFT
(21) MARK GARBER
(22) GARBER HANNAM AND PARTNERS
HOLDING LIMITED
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Charles Dougherty KC, Alistair Mackenzie, and William Hooper (instructed by Seladore
Legal Ltd) for the Claimants
Mark Howard KC, Sebastian Isaac KC, Joyce Arnold and Tom Foxton (instructed by Herbert
Smith Freehills LLP) for the First to Seventh Defendants
Blair Leahy KC and Donald Lilly (instructed by Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP) for the
Eighth Defendant
Paul Lowenstein KC and Colleen Hanley (instructed by CANDEY Ltd) for the Ninth
Defendant
Leona Powell and Marlena Valles (instructed by Fox Williams LLP) for the Tenth Defendant
Simon Colton KC and David Caplan (instructed by Fieldfisher LLP) for the Eleventh,
Twelfth and Fourteenth Defendants
Peter Head (and Anthony Peto KC in relation to Skeleton Argument only) (instructed by
Mishcon De Reya LLP) for the Thirteenth Defendant
Nathan Pillow KC, David Peters KC and Donald Lilly (instructed by Cooke, Young &
Keidan LLP) for the Fifteenth Defendant
Justin Fenwick KC and Tim Chelmick (instructed by PCB Byrne LLP) for the Seventeenth
Defendant
David Wolfson KC and James Nadin (instructed by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan
UK LLP) for the Eighteenth Defendant
David Mumford KC and Watson Pringle (instructed by Quillon Law LLP) for the Nineteenth
Defendant
Graham Dunning KC, Tom Ford and Oliver Goldstein (instructed by Curtis, Mallet-Prevost,
Colt & Mosle LLP) for the Twentieth Defendant
Richard Power (instructed by Gresham Legal) for the Twenty-First and Twenty-Second
Defendants
Hearing dates: 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 September and 19, 20, 21, 22 November 2024
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Approved Judgment
This judgment was handed down remotely at 10.30am on 17/01/25 by circulation to the
parties’ representatives by e-mail and by release to the National Archives.
Approved Judgment Magomedov and others v. TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP and
others
.............................
Table of Contents
A: INTRODUCTION [1]-[12]..............6
B: PROCEDURAL HISTORY [13]-[23]............8
C: THE PARTIES [24]-[49]............9
C1: The Claimants [25]-[34]............ 9
C2: The Defendants [35]-[49].......... 10
D: OVERVIEW OF THE CLAIMANTS’ CASE [50]-[83]..... ....12
D1: The criminal proceedings against Mr Magomedov in Russia [52]-[55].........12
D2: The alleged political campaign against Mr Magomedov in Russia [56]-[58]..........13
D3: Summary of the alleged NCSP conspiracy [59]-[69]..........13
D4: Summary of the alleged FESCO conspiracy [70]-[78].........15
D4.1: Background [70]-[71].........15
D4.2: The threats made at meetings on 26 and 28 August 2020: E10 [72]................16
D4.3: The bribe apparently received by Mr Kuzovkov: E2 [73]............ ....17
D4.4: The Merbau Call Option: E1, E8 [74]................17
D4.5: The Sian & Maple Ridge Loans: E2, E3 [75]................18
D4.6: FESCO corporate governance: E4, E5, E6, E7 [76]................19
D4.7: The Intimere SHA and the ROFO Offer: E9, E11, E12 [77]................ 20
D4.8: FESCO’s civil claim against the Claimants: E13 [78]................21
D5: The objective of the conspiracies [79]...............21
D6: The role of the Russian State [80]-[83]........22
E: LEGAL PRINCIPLES: THE DEFENDANTS’ APPLICATIONS [84]-[150]......22
E1: Strike-out and summary judgment [84]-[86]........22
E2: Jurisdiction: serious issue to be tried [87]-[91]........24
E3: Jurisdiction: good arguable case re a gateway [92]................26
E4: Jurisdiction: the English law contract gateway [93]-[119]......27
E5: Jurisdiction: appropriate forum [120]-[146].....34
E5.1: Burden of proof [120-[122].... ..34
E5.2: “Appropriate” forum [123].............. 34
E5.3: “Available” forum [124]-[146].....35
E6: The requirements of justice [147]-[150].....39
F: LEGAL PRINCIPLES: UNLAWFUL ACT CONSPIRACY [151]-[171]... ..40
F1: The basic elements of unlawful act conspiracy [151]-[167].....40
F2: The role of inference and pleading requirements [168]-[171]......44
G: THE EFFECT OF BUTCHER J’S JUDGMENTS [172-198]..... ...45
G1: The decision of Miles J in Harrington v Mehta [172]-[180]... ...45
G2: Butcher J’s judgments [181]-[184].....47
G3: The contentions of the relevant parties before me [185]-[193]......48
G4: Conclusion [194]-[198]......50
H: OBSERVATIONS ON APPLYING THESE PRINCIPLES [199]-[212].... ..51
I: NCSP CONSPIRACY: OTHER FEATURES [213]-[227]..... .53
J: NCSP CONSPIRACY: SERIOUS ISSUE UNDER ENGLISH LAW [228]-[291]......56
J1: The position as against Transneft [229]-[255]... .. .56
J2: The position as against Ms Mammad Zade [256]-[291]... ...61
K: APPLICABLE LAW & RUSSIAN LAW DEFENCES [292]-[358]......68
K1: Why it matters which system of law applies [292]-[295]......68
K2: NCSP conspiracy: applicable law [296]-[317]......69
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1 cases
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Ziyavudin Magomedov v TPG Group Holdings (SBS), LP
...this is a further reason why the Defendants' causation arguments are not sufficient, at this stage and in relation to the alleged NCSP[2025] EWHC 59 (Comm) Mr Justice Bright Case No: CL-2023-000401 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE KING'S BENCH DIVISION BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND AN......
