Williams and another company v HCB Solicitors Ltd

Solicitor – Negligence. The first claimant engaged the defendant solicitor to draw up an agreement for the transfer of intellectual property rights to the second claimant company for exploitation by a third party through a licence agreement. The claimants brought a claim on the basis that the documents drawn up by the defendant were ineffective and had caused the agreement to fail. The defendant applied for summary judgment and the Queen's Bench Division allowed the application on the basis that the agreements drafted by the defendant had in fact been effective to do what it was required that they should do.