‘AHAB v. al-Sanea et al’: An Analysis of Cayman’s $126B Fraud Judgment
In a landmark ruling for the Cayman Islands in May, 2018, the jurisdiction's Chief Justice dismissed rival multi-billion dollar claims in a dispute between a Saudi Arabian family and a Kuwait-born businessman. The case of 'Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi & Brothers Company v. Al-Sanea and others' involved allegations of a $126 billion fraud arising from one of the largest corporate collapses during the 2008 financial crisis. In his 1,300-page ruling, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie described the scheme at the heart of the dispute as "one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history". This session will analyze the long-running dispute, what it says about the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands' ability to handle complex litigation, the consequences of the judgment, and what it means for future litigation.