The founder and shareholders of a successful international business brought a case at the High Court in London, alleging breaches of a share sale and purchase agreement during its acquisition by an investment vehicle.
The claim was for around $100m but reputation was as important to our client as the amount being claimed. The founder built the business from nothing and agreed a sale when his health began to fail, believing that the new owner would oversee the next phase of growth, safeguarding its future and protecting his employees.
But he alleged he was forced out of the business after its takeover and his legacy was destroyed.
The PHA Group was engaged to support the litigation, ensuring this narrative was reflected in media coverage of the case. Whilst the litigation itself related to very technical interpretations of deferred earn-outs and other compensation, the wider story concerned an individual who believed he had been cheated out of a business he spent a lifetime building.
Prior to the trial, we arranged background briefings with journalists at key media titles, such as The Financial Times and The Times, to explain the wider story. They were briefed by a KC leading the legal strategy and a business associate who had been instrumental in setting up the deal.
We worked with a journalist at a UK national newspaper the Daily Express, who published a story prior to the trial opening, which explained our client’s perspective, establishing a clear narrative.
Immediately before the trial we distributed a media advisory to journalists within our network to ensure the opening of the case was widely covered. Reporters from multiple outlets including The Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Times, The Daily Express, Law 360 and Court News UK attended or covered the opening of the case.
During the month-long trial, we facilitated continuing coverage of the case by media outlets in the founder’s home country – one of our key target audiences – which published frequent reports as it progressed.
Finally, our client’s voice was heard, eight years after the ill-fated deal was struck. Whilst the initial litigation was unsuccessful, our communications strategy ensured that his story was put in the public domain, challenging a narrative that had always been controlled by his adversary.