The ex-India Group Head of legacy firm Denton Wilde Sapte (now SNR Denton), has been ordered to pay her former firm £600,000 for costs it incurred as a co-defendant with her in a bribery case.
Gauri Advani, the latest in a long line of high profile lawyers accused of dodgy dealings, worked as Dentons' India chief until 2007 when she left for Eversheds. She was still with the 'Sheds in 2009, when two Indian travel agents sued her for negligence. The agents claimed that in 2002, whilst at Dentons, Advani had advised them to pay a £380k "deposit" to an Indian state official to secure an exclusive travel deal for Air India in the UK. Only the exclusive deal never happened and the disgruntled agents sued Advani and dragged in Dentons as co-defendant for good measure.
Unfortunately for the agents, the court found that as they had been aware that the £380k they stumped up was an illegal bribe, they had no right to compensation from either defendant. Even better for Dentons, the firm was completely let off the hook. The court ruled that Advani had acted outside her employment, instead acting as an independent "deal broker" for her own personal gain.
In 2010 Dentons launched a claim against Advani to recoup its expenses as co-defendant, according to a Legal Week report. And this week the court found in favour of SNR Denton (as it now is), ruling that the Advani had known the money was being paid as a bribe and she must cough up £600k to her ex-employer. It's the second bitter blow for the former high flyer, who earlier this month was struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for her part in the £380k transaction.
A spokesman for the SNRD said "The Court held that Ms Advani had acted dishonestly and outside the course of her employment in relation to events in 2002 that were the subject of earlier proceedings, brought unsuccessfully by third parties against the firm."
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Gauri Advani, the latest in a long line of high profile lawyers accused of dodgy dealings, worked as Dentons' India chief until 2007 when she left for Eversheds. She was still with the 'Sheds in 2009, when two Indian travel agents sued her for negligence. The agents claimed that in 2002, whilst at Dentons, Advani had advised them to pay a £380k "deposit" to an Indian state official to secure an exclusive travel deal for Air India in the UK. Only the exclusive deal never happened and the disgruntled agents sued Advani and dragged in Dentons as co-defendant for good measure.
Unfortunately for the agents, the court found that as they had been aware that the £380k they stumped up was an illegal bribe, they had no right to compensation from either defendant. Even better for Dentons, the firm was completely let off the hook. The court ruled that Advani had acted outside her employment, instead acting as an independent "deal broker" for her own personal gain.
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Some new bedtime reading for Advani |
In 2010 Dentons launched a claim against Advani to recoup its expenses as co-defendant, according to a Legal Week report. And this week the court found in favour of SNR Denton (as it now is), ruling that the Advani had known the money was being paid as a bribe and she must cough up £600k to her ex-employer. It's the second bitter blow for the former high flyer, who earlier this month was struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for her part in the £380k transaction.
A spokesman for the SNRD said "The Court held that Ms Advani had acted dishonestly and outside the course of her employment in relation to events in 2002 that were the subject of earlier proceedings, brought unsuccessfully by third parties against the firm."
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