Q&A

What is the concealment principle Prest v petrodel?

What is the concealment principle Prest v petrodel?

Prest appealed to the Supreme Court. The concealment principle is simply that the court will look behind a company to see who the real actors are. The evasion principle is where a company is interposed for the purpose of defeating or frustrating a legal right.

Did Prest v petrodel clarify the law?

The recent Supreme Court decision of Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd and Others (‘Prest’) has been celebrated by many as much-needed clarification to a fundamental area of English company law – corporate veil piercing. However, to take such a view is to be overoptimistic.

What is the evasion principle in Prest?

The ‘evasion principle’ involves making a company liable where its separate legal personality has been used to frustrate legal rights which third parties may have against its owner.

Why is piercing the corporate veil controversial?

It is a well established principle that a company has a separate legal personality from its members. This was a controversial decision, as some commentators suggested that it extended the principle of piercing the corporate veil one step too far. …

What are the circumstances when corporate veil can be lifted?

The corporate veil can be lifted when a corporate entity is used in defence proceedings or as a shield to cover wrongdoings in tax matters or for a commission of tax evasion.

Why do we lift the corporate veil?

The “corporate veil” metaphorically symbolises the distinction between the company as a separate legal entity and the shareholders who own the shares in the company. Lifting the veil can be used to impose liability upon the shareholders or for other purposes, such as ascertaining appropriate jurisdiction.

What happened in Prest v petrodel?

The Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Court of Appeal and held that Mr Prest beneficially owned the assets of the Petrodel Resources Ltd companies under a resulting trust because he contributed to their purchase price.

What is corporate veil in law?

A legal concept that separates the personality of a corporation from the personalities of its shareholders, and protects them from being personally liable for the company’s debts and other obligations.

When can a court pierce the corporate veil?

A court will pierce the corporate veil when it finds that the corporation is an agent of its shareholder, and will hold the principal vicariously liable, due to the respondeat superior doctrine.

What was the case of Prest v Petrodel?

This paper mainly focuses on the case of Prest v. Petrodel Resources Ltd & Others and the analysis of piercing the corporate veil. When grumbling about the lack of internships, the law students often feel that : you wait ages for an internship, then three of four come along together.

Which is better Prest or Petrodel Resources LLP?

Piercing The Corporate Veil: Prest Vs Petrodel Resources – Druces LLP +44(0)20 7638 9271 Home Services for Businesses Corporate and Commercial Law Banking and Finance Brexit Capital Markets Commercial Contracts Company Secretarial Corporate Finance Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency GDPR – Data Privacy Intellectual Property Islamic Finance

Why was Mr Prest not allowed to pierce the corporate veil?

Piercing the corporate veil was not appropriate in this case because the properties were vested in the companies long before the marriage broke down. There was no suggestion therefore that Mr Prest had deliberately interposed the companies in order to avoid his obligations in the divorce proceedings.

When did the corporate veil become a legal principle?

Ever since the early development of company law, the notion of corporate veil has been one of the most fundamental legal principles. From Aron Saloman v A Saloman & Co Limited [1897] AC 22, it has long been established that courts recognise the separate legal entity of a company.