The high-profile clash between Chelsea football club owner Mr Abramovich and businessman Mr Berezovsky had been through such legal team scrutiny on both sides that it was difficult to establish the truth, Mrs Justice Gloster claimed.

Unpolished stones

London-based newspaper, the Law Gazette reports that in a judgment released last Friday – which found in favour of Mr Abramovich – the judge heavily criticised the influence of lawyers, saying their presence meant that ‘no evidential stone was left unturned, unaddressed or unpolished’.
The judge added: ‘Those features, not surprisingly, resulted in shifts or changes in the parties’ evidence or cases, as the lawyers microscopically examined each aspect of the evidence and acquired a greater in-depth understanding of the facts.’

Highly professional

However, the lawyers didn’t leave court totally admonished. Mrs Justice Gloster praised the ‘highly professional and efficient’ way in which the case was conducted, but the telling difference was a claim by Mr Berezovsky that his witnesses would not gain financially from a favourable decision -- a statement which was later found to be untrue.
Mr Berezovsky – who was claiming a stake in Mr Abramovich’s business interests worth £3bn – was advised by London firm Addleshaw Goddard, while Mr Abramovich was represented by New York-based firm Skadden.