Salans senior partner receives instruction to oust Saatchi Gallery

Salans London senior partner Lionel Rosenblatt is fighting for the landlords of the old County Hall building in the high-profile litigation against the Saatchi Gallery, which is currently underway in the High Court.

Rosenblatt is representing Shirayama Shokusan Company, the freehold owner of the 'Riverside Building', and Cadogan Entertainment Industries, which underlets the Saatchi Gallery premises to owners Danovo.

The claimants allege that the gallery exceeded the rights of the lease it had been granted. Among the allegations, they say that the gallery trespassed on space it had not been let.

According to the claimants, when negotiations designed to resolve these issues fell through, Charles Saatchi called record producer Pete Waterman and accused members of the Cadogan board and Cadogan's solicitor, Clive Levontine of Windward Fearon, of being engaged in fraud, embezzlement and theft.

Cadogan is also seeking possession of the gallery premises on the basis that the Saatchi Gallery has breached a term of its lease guaranteeing a minimum ticket price through 'two for the price of one' offers.

Rosenblatt has instructed Maitland Chambers' Christopher Pymont QC. Tarlo Lyons partner Sarah Rees, instructing Jonathan Gaunt QC of Falcon Chambers, is acting for Danovo.