WEIF

Woodford Campaign Update 16, 15 February 2024

WOODFORD: LINK JUDGMENT AND NEXT STEPS Mr Justice Richards approved the Link Scheme of Arrangement (subject to appeal) without any conditions. This was expected, given the 93% vote in favour by Scheme Creditors, but it doesn't close the door on the Woodford scandal. In a tight and carefully worded legal judgment, the Judge explained that the “FCA Total Amount” of harm identified (£298 million) relates only to the relative loss of value incurred by those who held the fund at suspension date relative ...

Woodford Campaign Update 15

An update following the court hearing on 18th and 19th January Justice Richards reserved his judgement on whether to Sanction the Link Scheme at the end of the Hearing on 18/19 January. It is now expected early in February. Initially, he plans to circulate a draft to those who were represented at the Scheme Hearing. Schemes of Arrangement (a mechanism generally used for insolvencies and mergers) are normally relatively straightforward with judgement announced on the day. The delay suggests that, at the very ...

Woodford Campaign Update 14

Vote outcome and Court Hearing 18 Jan 2024  OUTCOME OF SCHEME MEETING  A single meeting of Scheme Creditors (the Scheme Meeting) was held on 13 December 2023. Work is ongoing to verify the votes cast at the Scheme Meeting, however, provisional numbers are set out below.   Over 54,000 Scheme Creditors attended the Scheme Meeting in person, or by proxy. Of the Scheme Creditors who voted, approximately 93.7% in number, representing approximately 96.1% in value, voted in favour of the Scheme.  Of the three voting ...

Woodford Campaign Update 13

Link Scheme Voting Considerations URGENT: ACTION REQUIRED: VOTE NOW  THE “SCHEME” – WOODFORD EQUITY INCOME FUND COMPENSATION  The FCA has agreed a compensation approach using a Scheme of Arrangement which must now be voted on and approved by Creditors (relevant investors in Woodford Equity Income Fund). If approved, the Scheme must then be sanctioned by the High Court. The Scheme has been devised as a mechanism for Link to reach a final settlement with ALL WEIF Investors, regardless of whether they are involved in ...

WOODFORD UPDATE 12

Recent announcements relating to Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF) warrant close attention: The FCA has announced a potential £235 million settlement with Link Financial Services (LFS) The settlement, if approved by WEIF investors, will be used to pay redress The scheme, if approved, will protect LFS from further claims The FCA is effectively urging investors to approve the scheme and is stating that legal redress claims promise an unrealistic return since FSCS compensation would not cover investment losses. This statement is confusing, since redress claims ...

WOODFORD UPDATE 11 – Time to Act!

Implications of Justice Trower’s GLO ruling Register your interest in Woodford Compensation Now https://www.sharesoc.org/campaigns/woodford-campaign/ for more information Justice Trower refused the Group Litigation Order application and very sadly denied the request to require Link to inform potential claimants of their opportunity to claim. Justice Trower says it is not the court’s job to “encourage potential claimants to litigate”. So, it is up to you to make your decision. ShareSoc’s role is to highlight the issues for you to consider. In para 53 onwards he explains the ...

Letter to the Treasury Committee re FCA’s Woodford Enquiry

The Financial Conduct Authority gave scant detail on progress regarding Woodford, in a letter to the Treasury Committee dated 14th December 2022 (published 11th January 2023), responding to questions posed during the hearing and updates to the Committee on progress in certain areas.    ShareSoc considers the FCA letter to be insufficient. We have written to the Committee saying “we respectfully request that the Committee consider asking members of the FCA to appear before the Committee in person so that the progress of ...

Woodford Campaign Update 10 – 11 January 2023

Woodford Campaign Update 10 Group Litigation Order Hearing The Group Litigation Order (GLO) request was heard in court between 15th and 20th December. The request was a joint submission by Leigh Day and Harcus Parker, with a subsequent request from RGL to be included. Surprisingly, the judge decided against granting a GLO, favouring instead bespoke case management by the court, as requested by the defendant, Link. This means that there won’t be any imminent deadline for registering with a claim. The claims will still be ...

Baroness Altmann Announced as Keynote Speaker for ShareSoc Woodford Webinar – 19th July

Baroness Altmann, Consumer Finance champion, Member of the House of Lords and ex-Pensions Minister to speak at ShareSoc Woodford Webinar “The Cavalry is Coming” on 19 July at 4.30pm. Law firms Leigh Day and Harcus Parker joined forces and merged their claims via a Group Litigation Order (GLO*), announced on 15 June 2022. ShareSoc’s webinar on 19 July 2022 provides updates on progress, why the GLO is a big step forward and the impending deadline for joining a legal claim.  ...

Investment Week, 15 June 2022, Leigh Day and Harcus Parker merge Woodford claims for ‘unified front’ against Link

A Group Litigation Order will detail the claimants' allegations against Link, primary of which is alleged mismanagement of the former Woodford Equity Income fund. According to ShareSoc, which endorsed Leigh Day's legal claim in November 2020, the joint claim will represent around 20,000 claimants currently registered with the two law firms. Click here to read the article.