Overview
Changez focuses on (1) commercial-employment cases and (2) fall-outs between business partners in owner-managed SME’s. He has succeeded at trials, at contested injunction hearings, and in obtaining a committal order.
He has advised and acted in several reported High Court cases, including on appeal.
Commercial-employment
Changez is experienced in disputes that typically arise on the exit of senior employees and directors, for example: restraint of trade covenants, unpaid bonuses or dividends, and contests over share valuations (fair value, bad leaver, minority discount). For examples, see “Notable cases” below and also his separate “Employment” profile.
Fall-outs between business partners
Changez has acted in several cases involving business ventures that have been set up by family members or friends, then soured. He is alive to the particular challenges. Often, the arrangements are informal and poorly documented; there is a degree of non-compliance on both sides; and the true business arrangement is coloured by personal relationships or cultural context. Changez has succeeded in cases involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, unfair prejudice of minority shareholders or civil fraud. For examples, see “Notable cases” below.
In appropriate cases Changez accepts instructions on a direct access basis.
Languages
- French including legal French (fluent)
- Urdu (basic)
Notable Cases
Re Icon College of Technology and Management Ltd [2017] EWHC 3177 and [2019] EWHC 1826 (Ch)
Joint venture between close friends; based on purely oral agreement; defendant reneged on a promise to transfer shares to claimant, then dismissed him. Co-ordinated strategy: (1) in the ET, recovered compensation for lost salary; (2) in the High Court, secured a freezing order over company assets, compensation for missed dividends and damages in lieu of shareholding. A 7-figure settlement was achieved. Led by Andrew Clutterbuck QC on appeal.
Solitair Ltd v Nambiar and Go Singles Ltd [2021] EWHC 49 (Comm).
Family-run travel agency; director removed client lists and diverted business opportunity in order to set up competing company; breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest (s.175 CA 2006); secured injunctions, damages and a finding of contempt, resulting in a committal order.
Re A Limited Company
Exit of senior director-employee; advising board on impact of “bad leaver” provisions in company’s articles; advising on the interplay between wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal and buy-out price of shares.
Re X Ltd
Team move and springboard injunction; advising several sales staff who resigned en masse to join a competitor.
Delmergate Ltd v Patel and Patel, EWHC (Ch), 2017
Family-owned pharmacy business (multiple stores); power struggle between brothers and their spouses; failure by company to honour an agreed severance package for a departing director; claim for breach of contract; counterclaim for alleged diversion of payments to off-shore accounts.
Re Oracle Finance Ltd
Non-solicitation and non-dealing covenants; breach by a departing sales employee; suspected poaching of clients via LinkedIn.
Appointments
Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel – London B Panel
Awards
Clifford Chance prize for outstanding performance (2nd year, LLB): King’s College, London
Lord Denning scholarship, Hardwick entrance award and Levitt award: Lincoln’s Inn
Memberships
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
Qualifications
LLB English and French Law (King’s College, London)
Maitrise en droits francais et anglais (Sorbonne Universite, Paris I)
LLM (King’s College, London)
BVC (College of Law)
