Paul Hewitt

Withers

There aren’t too many lawyers who can claim to have acted in a case spanning more than 70 years concerning two countries, a bank and a former state. However, that is precisely what Paul Hewitt did when representing the 8th Nizam in High Commissioner for Pakistan In the United Kingdom v Prince Muffakham Jah & Ors last year, a dispute linked to a £1m fee that eventually ballooned to £35m.

It was confirmed in October 2019 that Hewitt’s client, now in his eighties, could claim the £35m fortune from NatWest bank, finally putting an end to the dispute that started when he was just a child.

As for what lies ahead for the Withers partner in 2020, a full trial is expected in the case of Cowan v Foreman, with the court set to consider how long after death a woman can bring a claim on her deceased husband’s estate. Up for grabs is the £29m fortune of Michael Cowan, who earned his wealth by bringing black bin bags to the UK; a case that will hopefully take fewer than 70 years to reach a conclusion.