Ousted former law firm chief launches bid to wrestle back £36bn BHP lawsuit
The ousted former chief executive of the law firm leading the largest group claim in UK history against mining giant BHP is behind a bid to wrestle the £36bn case from a firm where he previously served as a director, City AM understands. Thomas Goodhead, who founded Pogust Goodhead (formerly PGMBM) in 2018 with US disputes lawyer Harris [...]
Former law firm chief Thomas Goodhead is challenging the authority of a client committee to transfer the £36bn lawsuit against mining giant BHP from his former law firm, Pogust Goodhead, to a new joint venture, Bailey Glasser International. Goodhead, who founded Pogust Goodhead in 2018, was ousted from the firm in August over allegations of financial misconduct.
The client committee, appointed by Goodhead, raised concerns about the management and resourcing of the litigation in late August. The committee subsequently made a formal notice to Pogust Goodhead, alleging the termination of the firm's contract. Pogust Goodhead denies the allegations, stating that the client committee does not have the authority to make such decisions without the consent of the hundreds of thousands of claimants represented by the firm.
The law firm has filed a High Court application seeking to block the committee's actions and to disregard the committee's instructions to appoint new counsel, Bailey & Glasser, for the damages stage of the trial.
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