Essex Court Chambers’ Jeffrey Gruder QC maintained an asset freezing injunction against Qatari royal, Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani, one of the world’s most prolific collectors of art and antiquities. The Sheikh had failed to pay US$19.766 million for valuable ancient coins bought at an auction in New York in January 2012. In his
judgment given on 9 November 2012, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave dismissed the Sheikh’s challenge against the asset freezing injunction, labelling the Sheikh’s extraordinary behaviour – in leaving a large trail of outstanding debts owing to a succession of auction houses and dealers – as discreditable, dishonourable and disturbing (as well as unbecoming of someone in his position).
