Asymmetric jurisdiction agreements are a long established and practical feature of international financial documentation. Under a typical asymmetric jurisdiction clause X (say a bank) and Y (say a borrower) agree that Y may sue X in the courts of jurisdiction A only but that X may bring proceedings against Y elsewhere. In Commerzbank Akt v Pauline Shipping and Liquimar Tankers [2017] EWHC 161 (Comm) the bank made various loans for ship purchase which were subject to guarantees on similar terms, including the provision of a clause for the benefit of the bank, conferring jurisdiction on the English courts. The borrowers defaulted and the bank exercised its rights to sell one of the vessels, the Adriadni. The guarantors brought proceedings against the bank in Greece, the first seeking orders that the guarantee of the loan was discharged and it was not liable to the bank, the second seeking damages from the bank in tort and under the Greek Civil Code for loss of the use of the Adriadni consequent on the arrest. The bank then brought proceedings in the English Court which the guarantors sought to stay under either art 29 or art 30 of the Recast Judgments Regulation.
Cranston J s held that the asymettric jurisdiction clause in the sale and guarantee contracts did confer exclusive jurisdiction on the English courts pursuant to art 31(2) of the Regulation. Article 25 did not invalidate such clauses. Article 25 required the parties to have designated the courts of a Member State to enable the law applicable to the substantive validity of a jurisdiction clause to be identified and to provide certainty as to the forum in which a putative defendant can expect to be sued. Article 25 did not require that a valid jurisdiction agreement had to exclude any courts, in particular non EU Courts. Accordingly, the Court refused to stay proceedings under Art. 29.
The Court also rejected an application to stay the English proceedings under Art. 30 concerning related proceedings. The agreement to an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of the English court was a powerful factor against a stay. In addition, the degree of relatedness between the English and Greek actions was very small and the English court was placed to determine the issue of interpreting and applying the jurisdiction clause.