Astor Petitions House of Commons and House of Lords Committees to Intervene in Landmark Case Involving Breach of Privilege and Abuse by Lawyers

LONDON - July 21, 2025 - Astor Asset Management 3 Ltd has formally petitioned multiple oversight and scrutiny committees of the UK Parliament, including the House of Commons and House of Lords, requesting urgent intervention in what it describes as "a constitutional and ethical crisis implicating the abuse of process, obstruction of course of justice and the violation of legal professional privilege."

The company has submitted complaints to many UK Parliament committees, including: the Liaison Committee, Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, European Affairs Committee, Services Committee, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, and Public Services Committee. Simultaneously, complaints have been directed to the Ministry of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as select high-ranking individual Members of Parliament.

At the centre of the complaint is an ongoing Commercial Court case involving covert recordings obtained on Astor's defense lawyer under false pretences by former Mossad agents acting on behalf of Mexican millionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

The secret recordings of Astor's solicitor allegedly captured sensitive and highly privileged legal discussions, were secured through deception, manipulation and inducement of large amount of alcohol on the unsuspected solicitor. The recordings were allegedly later digitally altered before being submitted to court as part of a summary judgment application.

Astor's complaints assert that the recordings were obtained while Enyo Law LLP was on record representing Ricardo Salinas Pliego, and deployed in the active legal proceedings by lawyers associated LK Law LLP, namely Mr John Andrew Ford. The legal team named in the formal filings who were allegedly involved in one capacity or another includes:

Stephen Robins KC, John David Meredith Wardell KC, Adam Cloherty KC, Henry Phillips, Matthew Abraham, Ryan Perkins, Richard Greenberg, Stephanie Wilkins, Andrew John Ford (LK Law LLP), Edward John Whitney Allen, Adam Flacks, Hana Kapadia, and Disa Greaves.

Astor contends that the conduct of the claimant's legal team - including the use of material obtained through deceit and in breach of legal privilege - represents a serious affront to the rule of law and the integrity of the UK's judicial system. The company has asked Parliament to investigate whether the acceptance of such evidence constitutes an abuse of process, an obstruction of justice, corruption and a violation of public policy and international legal norms.

"This is not merely a matter for judicial discretion; it is a matter for Parliament to determine if further laws should be enacted to uphold rule of law and hold legal professionals accountable for unlawful conduct. Corruption by lawyers can't be tolerated," said an Astor spokesperson.

The Astor spokesperson went on record to further state: "The conduct of lawyers-including Stephen Robins KC, John David Meredith Wardell KC, Adam Cloherty KC, Andrew John Ford, and others-raises urgent questions about professional ethics, solicitor-client confidentiality, corruption and the limits of advocacy in a just society. These are very serious issues in fair and lawful administration of court proceedings, not mere technicalities. Lawyers should not feel impunity when violating laws."

Astor is cooperating with regulatory authorities including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Bar Standards Board (BSB), and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), while preparing additional submissions to international legal bodies in an effort to call upon UK to fairly administer legal proceedings in cross-border disputes. Astor is urging Parliament to consider legal reforms that would:

Prohibit the admissibility of evidence obtained through covert recordings in breach of legal privilege and without informed consent;

Establish disciplinary and criminal consequences for lawyers who use or facilitate the use of unlawfully obtained material;

Establish sanctions and other punishments for lawyers who engage in abusive or corruptive conduct in legal proceedings; and

Introduce structural safeguards against espionage tactics used in civil litigation.

Astor has expressed its readiness to appear before Parliamentary Committees or provide written submissions in any inquiry into the matter.

Professional Rules at Stake
Astor's filings cite serious breaches of legal professional conduct standards:

🔹 Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) which regulates solicitors maintains strict rules of conduct, such as:

Principle 1: Uphold the rule of law and proper administration of justice

Principle 2: Maintain public trust and confidence in the legal profession

Principle 5: Act with integrity

Rule 1.4: Do not mislead the court or enable others to do so

Rule 2.1: Do not misuse or tamper with evidence

🔹 Bar Standards Board (BSB) which regulates barristers also had strict rules of conduct, including:

Core Duty 1 (CD1): Duty to the court, above client interests

Core Duty 3 (CD3): Duty to act with honesty and integrity

Core Duty 5 (CD5): Do not undermine public trust in the profession

Rules rC8 & rC9: Do not mislead the court or abuse the advocate's role

Rule rC66: Duty to report serious misconduct

Astor contends that the named solicitors and lawyers breached all of the cited rules and Astor will not rest until the perpetrators of wrongdoing are brought to justice, and laws are enacted to prevent such conduct again, including implementation of harsh penalties on those found guilty of violating the law or the professional conduct rules.

All individuals and law firms named in this release are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise. The allegations referenced form part of formal complaints submitted to regulatory and parliamentary bodies, and no findings of misconduct have yet been made. The purpose of this communication is to call for democratic scrutiny and institutional review of possible wrongdoing by lawyers in active litigation.

Sources:
https://www.issuewire.com/ricardo-salinas-accused-of-hiring-black-cube-to-influence-uk-legal-case-in-usd-115m-loan-dispute-1834565804902345

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/binary-news-network/uk-lawyers-accused-abetting-espionage-1901642177.html

Klapparstigur 7

Black Cube (BC Strategy Ltd) is a boutique but globally active private intelligence and litigation-support firm, with headquarters in Tel Aviv, London, and Madrid.

This release was published on openPR.