By Louis Goss
Ince has paid two of its former executives £15,000 each to settle a series of cases arising from the listed law firm’s decision to remove them from their posts.
The maritime specialist law firm, which is listed on London’s AIM, said it has paid former chief executive Adrian Biles, and former finance chief, John Biles – Adrian’s father – £15,000 each, after both execs were pushed out of their positions earlier this month.
Adrian Biles was removed from his position as chief executive on 12 September “as a result of circumstances which may give rise to a conflict of interest,” the law firm said in a statement earlier this month.
Ince finance chief John Biles had previously announced his retirement in May, shortly after the law firm launched an investigation into a Cardiff chef’s claims that a 22-year-old waitress in his restaurant had been “talked down to, disrespected, and touched unwantedly” by a party of guests hosted by John Biles.
Ince declined to provide any further comment on the settlements or on whether the “conflict of interest” involving Adrian Biles was in any way linked to the restaurant incident.
Under the terms of the settlement, all parties “have agreed to waive all claims against each other,” including a £670,000 claim made by John and Adrian Biles and associated companies against Ince, and a £690,000 claim by Ince against John and Adrian Biles.
The settlement’s come on the back of a tumultuous year for Ince that has seen Ince’s shares lose more than 91 per cent of their value since September 2021. The law firm this month said it is selling off tax consultancy CW Energy to shore up its balance sheet.
In April, Ince chief executive Adrian Biles informed staff their personal data had been breached in a ransomware attack after the law firm was subject to a cyber-attack in March.
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