Claire Boucher

Claire handles Dispute Resolution matters with a focus on company disputes (including shareholder disputes, unfair prejudice petitions, breach of directors’ duties, breach of warranty claims, derivative actions and breach of joint venture and shareholder agreements) and disputes concerning allegations of civil fraud (including misrepresentation, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, misappropriation of company funds, and breach of fiduciary duties). Claire has a particular specialism in crisis management work, including fraud and injunctions. She is experienced in dealing with interim applications, including search and disclosure orders, as well as dealing with complex asset recovery and enforcement of international judgments in England and Wales. Claire also advises and acts for clients on contractual dispute matters (including cross border commercial contract disputes), debt recovery, and applications under the Companies Act, including applications to amend filing errors or inaccuracies at Companies House, and company restorations. Claire joined Temple Bright in 2024, having previously worked at Ashfords.

Experience

Relevant experience at Temple Bright and previous firms includes:

• Company client: Advising and representing a well-known alcoholic drinks company in investigating and pursuing claims with a value of over £40 million against several of the company directors and third party individuals who received excessive sums from the company to which they were not entitled. A number of civil fraud heads of claim were pursued against multiple defendants including breach of directors’ duties, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of trust, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, unjust enrichment and unlawful means conspiracy.
• Company client: Advising and representing a local manufacturing company in pursuing a claim for £7 million against a popular soft drinks provider over an alleged breach of a manufacturing agreement. The case settled shortly after mediation.
• Company and director client: Advising and representing two companies and their director in defending a £4.2 million claim in which there were allegations of misrepresentation, unlawful means conspiracy and deceit. This was a complex multi-party dispute which settled shortly after mediation.
• Company client: Advising and representing a local company engaged in the business of the sale of new and used bakery and food processing equipment, in defending a proposed breach of contract claim by a third party company in the sum of circa £400,000. The case settled in the pre-action stage for £80,000 inclusive of costs and including return of the equipment in dispute which had a resale value of more than £80,000.
• Director and majority shareholder client: Representing majority shareholder in an engineering company, in relation to matters concerning claims of unfair prejudice, breach of directors’ duties, recompense for alleged unlawful dividends and purchase of interest at fair value. Settled by negotiation outside of court.
• Company client: Pursuing a claim for damages arising out of misuse of confidential information which included a claim for an interim injunction. This was a cross-border dispute which resolved by consent through negotiation.