Estate agent wars have broken out in London after one firm sued a rival over a confidential list of wealthy clients.
Westminster-based My London Home and Prime London Residential compete for sales and lettings on some of the capital’s most exclusive properties.
Now MLH has issued High Court proceedings against PLR demanding £25,000, the return of vital information and proof it has not been misused.
The action was launched against Joseph Cadman and his business PLR, which is based on Westminster Bridge Road. Mr Cadman is a former head of sales and lettings at MLH but left 15 months ago to open his own agency.
MLH claim he took the confidential client list to “springboard” his new business and says its property has been “misappropriated”.
Steven Herd, MLH’s founder and managing director, said: “We very much regret having had to take proceedings against the defendants. The proceedings were a last resort.
“We have built up systems and client relationships over 12 years and had to move to protect the business from the opportunistic and calculated actions of the defendants.” The company, of Old Queen Street, wants the information back, including any computers and electronic imaging allegedly taken from it, and is seeking damages.
Mr Cadman denies any wrongdoing. He said the legal challenge was “vindictive”, “a sledgehammer to crack a nut” and designed “to harm my business because they feel it is a threat”.
He added: “It all comes down to a very large difference in opinion over what is a confidential client list. I don’t see why knowledge I have built up over many years, the knowledge of buildings and personal contacts should be the intellectual property of another business.”
He said any former clients he had taken from his days at MLH had contacted him independently through online business network LinkedIn. They included international property companies and owners.
He said: “Am I meant to turn down that business because they used a different estate agent in the past? Of course not.”
MLH lists 200 properties for £1 million or more. There are 79 properties listed on PLR at more than £1 million.
