(Recasts, adds details)
By Lawrence White
LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - A judge ruled Barclays will
have to pay its own 33 million pound ($46.09 million) legal
bill despite winning a case against British businesswoman Amanda
Staveley's PCP Capital Group over how the bank negotiated a
financial lifeline during the credit crisis in 2008.
Judge David Waksman said on Thursday he made "no order as to
costs", meaning both sides will pay their own legal costs. PCP
had been potentially liable for both sides' expenses under
England's "loser pays" laws.
Waksman in February had found Barclays guilty of “serious
deceit” over the deal which offered Barclays a lifeline during
the crisis, but denied Staveley damages and dismissed her claim.
Staveley incurred costs of nearly 20 million pounds in
fighting the case, court documents showed.
The civil case revolved around how Barclays secured billions
of pounds from Qatar and Abu Dhabi-backed investors 13 years
ago, allowing it to secure its independence - and the jobs of
its bosses - by avoiding a state bailout.
PCP, which led a 3.25 billion pound, Abu Dhabi-backed
investment into the bank, alleged it was induced to fund
Barclays on much worse terms than Qatar - despite assurances it
would get the same deal.
While Waksman said Barclays had deceived Staveley, he
ultimately ruled in February that PCP had not proven its case on
causation and loss, meaning the overall case failed.
“We welcome the Judge’s decision, which justly ensures that
PCP is not liable to pay Barclays any of its costs of the
litigation," Khaled Khatoun, a lawyer representing Staveley,
said on Thursday.
($1 = 0.7160 pounds)
(Reporting By Lawrence White. Editing by Jane Merriman)