High Court Success for Leading Motorsport Team
The Leathes Prior Litigation and Sports teams have succeeded in a High Court claim for client Hitech Grand Prix Limited against their former racing driver Enaam Ahmed.
The Leathes Prior Litigation and Sports teams have succeeded in a High Court claim for client Hitech Grand Prix Limited against their former racing driver Enaam Ahmed.
In the Judgment approved on 27 July 2021, the High Court found that both Ahmed and his management company were liable to pay Hitech sums totalling in excess of £450,000. Ahmed had raced for Hitech in 2018 in FIA Formula 3 and also the Macau Grand Prix but a dispute then arose about the driver budget that was due to be paid which ultimately led to the High Court hearing earlier in July. Ruling in favour of Hitech in respect of all of their claims, the Judgment will stand as an useful precedent for those involved in motorsport disputes that turn on when a driver may or may not be liable, or those that manage, sponsor or fund the driver may be liable, to the team that they race for.
Leathes Prior’s Dan Chapman (Partner and Head of the Sports team) and Chris Goodwin (Solicitor in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team) represented Hitech in these proceedings, with Simon McLoughlin instructed as counsel for the High Court hearing.
Commenting on the Judgment on behalf of Hitech, Dan Chapman said “we are very happy for our client who always seeks to provide the highest level of motorsport opportunity for their drivers, which they steadfastly believed they did in this case. Despite affording the driver and his team every indulgence and opportunity to meet their financial obligations, it was unfortunate that the need for these proceedings arose. Hitech are pleased that they can now put this litigation behind them and focus on their considerable endeavours across a variety of single-seater championships.”
Chris Goodwin said: “the trial came down to a question of how Hitech applied payments which it had received to settle liabilities owed by Ahmed and his managing company. Ultimately the Court agreed that there was nothing preventing Hitech from applying payments against the management company’s liabilities rather Ahmed’s own personal liabilities, which left the personal liabilities outstanding. It was an excellent result after over two years of hard work.”
Hitech Grand Prix Limited are located at Silverstone Circuit and compete in FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3, the Asian F3 Championship and the BRDC British F3 Championship. Their long list of notable former drivers includes Formula 1 driver George Russell.
Autumn Budget 2025: Agricultural Property Relief & Business Property Relief Changes
It was announced in the 2025 Budget that from 6 April 2026, changes will be made to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These changes bring APR and BPR in line with the nil-rate band rules, meaning unused allowances can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is a significant step towards making estate planning easier for families who own farms or businesses.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is expected to come into force tomorrow (18 December 2025)
After an extended period of back-and-forth amendments between Parliament and the House of Lords, on 16 December 2025, the ERB finally received approval from the House of Lords, with the formality of Royal Assent due to take place tomorrow (18 December 2025). Head of LP Employment, Dan Chapman, explains...
Autumn Budget 2025: Agricultural Property Relief & Business Property Relief Changes
It was announced in the 2025 Budget that from 6 April 2026, changes will be made to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These changes bring APR and BPR in line with the nil-rate band rules, meaning unused allowances can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner. This is a significant step towards making estate planning easier for families who own farms or businesses.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is expected to come into force tomorrow (18 December 2025)
After an extended period of back-and-forth amendments between Parliament and the House of Lords, on 16 December 2025, the ERB finally received approval from the House of Lords, with the formality of Royal Assent due to take place tomorrow (18 December 2025). Head of LP Employment, Dan Chapman, explains...
Charity of the Month: The Matthew Project
Leathes Prior is delighted to be supporting The Matthew Project as our Charity of the Month for December 2025. The Matthew Project supports young people and adults across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex to overcome issues around drugs, alcohol, and mental health, empowering them to rebuild confidence and lead fulfilling lives.
Leathes Prior’s Milan Pandit appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society
Leathes Prior Solicitors is proud to announce that Milan Pandit, Solicitor in our Corporate & Commercial Team, has been appointed President of the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society (NNLS) for 2025/26.
Commercial Lease Renewals: A guide for Landlords & Tenants
Commercial lease renewals are a topic that every commercial landlord and business that rents commercial premises should have at the forefront of their minds. It is essential for good succession planning, though it is often neglected until the expiry of an existing lease term is looming or once the existing term has come to an end and the tenant is holding over. In this article, our newly qualified solicitor, Maggie Berry explores the process that landlords and tenants can expect when navigating this complex area of law.
Our Guidance, Your Legacy: What is a Will, and why should I make one?
Not only is a Will one of the most important steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are respected, but it also limits the likelihood of a claim/dispute following your death. To ensure your loved ones and the causes you care about benefit from your estate, a Will is essential to ensuring this happens. Find out more in this article.
Lease extensions: The essentials to getting started
Extending your lease can seem complex, but taking the right steps early can make the process much smoother. Jake Mowatt, Associate and Harry Smith, Trainee Solicitor in our Residential Property Team outlines the key essentials every leaseholder should understand prior to extending their lease.
Upcoming changes to bringing employment law claims: What these mean for you
The highly anticipated Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to increase the time limits in which employees can bring an employment tribunal claim. Gareth Stevens & Rose Woolterton explain what this means for employers & employees.
Service Charges in Residential Leases: FAQs
Service charges are forever a hot topic in the world of property disputes, and it remains one of the most contentious areas between freeholders and leaseholders, particularly in long residential leases. Danny Turpin, Associate, discusses frequently asked questions regarding service charges on long residential leases.
Leathes Prior winners in nine categories in the prestigious Legal 500 Future Laywer Survey
We are thrilled to announce that the firm has placed once again in the Legal 500 Future Lawyer survey as No.1 in the UK for our Social Life; a ranking we have held in the survey for seven years out of the past nine years.
Jess’s Rule – New Guidelines for GPs
A new initiative is being rolled out across GP practices across England in the hope of preventing serious illnesses being missed by GPs where patients present with the same, or deteriorating, symptoms on multiple occasions. Kimberley Nelson in our Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Team discusses new guidelines for GPs.
Leathes Prior are excited to announce that four Trainee Solicitors qualify at the firm
Leathes Prior is excited to announce that four of our amazing trainees, Eleanor Chapman, Maggie Berry, Alex Robinson, and Georgia Sartin, have successfully completed their training contracts and are now qualifying as Solicitors at the firm.
