The Lawyer features victory in legal battle over landmark Birmingham development

Following judgment being handed down last week, The Lawyer has featured an article about the long-running legal battle over Birmingham’s landmark development.

Daniel Lewis, instructed by Shakespeare Martineau partner James Woolstenhulme and his team Alex Ryan and Natalie Thorpe, acted successfully for the claimants. They secured a major victory for Sanman Property Management in a lengthy battle against Birmingham developer Samuel Ginda and his companies regarding the Broad Street development known as The Square. The High Court has dismissed a third attempt by Ginda’s firms — 2020 Living Ltd, Taylor Grange 2 Ltd, and TGDM One Ltd — to lift a court sanction preventing them from defending against claims of conspiracy and breach of contract.

The case revolves around a multimillion-pound development including a 220-room hotel and a 30-storey residential tower. Sanman claims it funded the land acquisition via a loan but was unlawfully excluded from profits through transactions allegedly orchestrated by Ginda.

Following non-compliance with disclosure obligations, Sanman successfully obtained orders debarring the defendants from defending the claims. The court ruled in Sanman’s favour at a 2024 liability trial (at which Daniel Lewis appeared with Max Mallin KC), concluding Ginda had deliberately conspired to exclude Sanman. Co-claimant Midland Premier Properties also secured a £500 million judgment against another developer, Rakesh Doal.

Despite multiple attempts by the defendants to overturn the sanctions, all have been rejected, with the latest dismissal in June 2025. The court has already ordered interim payments of £1.7 million to Sanman, and the final damages could reach eight figures. The case involved over four years of litigation, nearly 50 court orders, and more than 30,000 pages of evidence.

An appeal from dismissal of an earlier application for relief by the defendant is due to be heard in the Court of Appeal. A final hearing to decide on the amount owed to Sanman has yet to be scheduled.

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Shakespeare Martineau triumphs in battle over landmark Birmingham development

Read the full judgment