Chris Corbin and Jeremy King who own some of London's grandest restaurants, including The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Brassiere Zedel, have won their high court battle against Axa, after the insurance company refused to cover losses incurred by the company during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Honourable Mrs Justice Cockerill DBE upheld the claims of the operators of the Wolseley, Delaunay, and other restaurants against Axa Insurance UK PLC.
Mrs Justice Cockerhill said Axa is liable to pay up to £250,000 for each of Corbin & King’s claims, which together amount to sum of £4.36m. The ruling comes after Corbin & King was plunged into administration in January following a dispute with its biggest lenders.
Corbin & King co-founder and CEO Jeremy King, said: “Naturally I am delighted with Mrs Justice Cockerill’s Judgement. I am not a confrontational person, but I felt that the Hospitality business had been badly served by Insurers during the pandemic and was determined to fight for justice – not only for Corbin & King but for our industry as a whole.”
QC, Jeffrey Gruder, represented Corbyn & King, instructed by Head of Edwin Coe’s Insurance Litigation team, Roger Franklin, who commented:
“This judgment is a very important step for Policyholders in their efforts to recover the losses they have suffered, and continue to suffer, as a result of Covid-19. Those in the hospitality sector have been particularly hard hit, and this decision will be significant for many of them."
You can view Mrs Justice Cockerill’s full judgement here
