Gilson Gray achieves landmark appeal victory
Full-service legal firm Gilson Gray is celebrating a notable victory in a landmark litigation appeal on behalf of its client, US-based private equity firm Lime Rock Partners
This case, described as potentially the single biggest damages claim in Scottish legal history, revolved around a dispute involving Robert Kidd, a prominent businessman in the oil and gas sector.
The initial ruling emerged in March 2024, after weeks of evidence were presented in front of a commercial judge, Lord Tyre. The judge found in favour of Lime Rock Partners and the other defendants, dismissing Mr Kidd's allegations. Following this decision, Mr Kidd lodged an appeal, prompting a four-day hearing in January 2025 at the Inner House of the Court of Session. Today, the Court reaffirmed the earlier ruling, once again siding with Lime Rock Partners.
The underlying issues of the case traced back to an investment in ITS Tubular Services, a North Sea drilling company established by Mr Kidd in 1989. In 2009, Lime Rock purchased a minority stake in the company, leading to Mr Kidd's allegations related to that transaction. Throughout the litigation, the commercial judge upheld Lime Rock’s position on all counts, a decision now supported by the appeal court.
A dedicated team from Gilson Gray, comprising litigation and dispute resolution specialists Alex Garioch (pictured), Fraser Cameron, and Iain Grant, represented Lime Rock successfully. They expressed their satisfaction with the Court's ruling. Alex Garioch commented, “In what has been an extremely complex, lengthy and high value litigation we are delighted that our client’s position has been entirely vindicated and that they have won on every line of defence advanced. Gilson Gray are proud to have successfully represented Lime Rock Partners and two former employees in this very challenging and hard fought litigation.”
Glen Gilson, chair and managing partner at Gilson Gray, also voiced his pride, stating, “This landmark case represents one of a series of high profile and extraordinary litigations that our team has successfully handled in recent months. From the definition of a woman in the Supreme Court, to the handling of complex Judicial Reviews and high value court actions, our Dispute Resolution division has helped establish Gilson Gray as one of the leading up and coming brands in UK law.” This victory not only reinforces the standing of Gilson Gray within legal circles but also represents a significant victory for the firm’s client in a highly publicised legal battle.