Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) tax partner Martin Paisner, the son of the firm’s founder and adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, is being sued for £400,000 over an alleged breach of contract.
The claim, which relates to a £2m rare book collection, has been brought by Wragge & Co on behalf of Valentine Rare Books (VRB).
Wragge & Co litigation partner James Gordon, assisted by solicitor Mark Grant, is acting for VRB on a conditional fee arrangement.
Paisner, who is a trustee for Blair’s blind trust, which was involved in the Prime Minister’s controversial purchase of two flats in
Paisner is the son of Leslie Paisner, who co-founded BLP, and the brother of the firm’s senior partner Harold Paisner. He qualified as a solicitor in 1970 and was awarded a CBE in 2004.
The claim, which was filed in
However, after selling some of the books and dedicating time to find buyers for the collection, VRB claims Paisner then restricted it from making further sales and disputed the company’s ownership. VRB says the move stifled its business, causing serious
financial loss.
Gordon commented: “Mr Paisner’s case is that VRB acted as his exclusive agent for sale. Either way, VRB is entitled to significant recompense for the time and effort that it put into marketing and preparing the collection for sale — and indeed making sales.”
The claim is among the first to be filed in
