In Conversation With Sir Bernard Rix: 50 Years of Mareva Injunctions

HFW Partner Brian Perrott speaks to Sir Bernard Rix about the Mareva case and the impact it has had on litigation around the world.

In 1975, HFW advised the owners of the M/V MAREVA in a Court of Appeal dispute, successfully securing an injunction restraining the respondents from removing or disposing of any moneys out of the jurisdiction.

The ‘Mareva injunction’, or freezing order as it is now more commonly known, went on to become a powerful tool for those seeking to prevent a party from disposing of or dealing with its assets before a judgment can be obtained or enforced.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mareva, HFW litigation Partner Brian Perrott spoke to Sir Bernard Rix of Twenty Essex, who HFW instructed as counsel on the case.

Sir Bernard takes us back to 1975 and recalls the challenges of securing the injunction in what as a junior barrister was his first appearance in the Court.

He also reflects on the impact the case has had on litigation not just in England, but around the world, and how freezing injunctions have had to evolve to keep pace with the creativity of fraudsters.