Reviewed case brief

Jones v Lipman

[1962] 1 WLR 832

Lipman contracted to sell land to Jones but then transferred the property to a company he controlled to avoid specific performance. Russell J lifted the veil, describing the company as "a device and a sham, a mask which he holds before his face," and granted specific performance against both Lipman

lifting-the-veilspecific-performancealter-egosham-device
Court
Chancery Division
Year
1962
Subjects
Company Law
Reviewed
2026-06-30

Rule established

The corporate veil will be lifted to grant specific performance where a person transfers property to a company he controls in order to defeat the purchaser's equitable interest

Facts

    Issues

      Held

        Ratio decidendi

        How to use it in an exam

        Editorial source

        Chancery Division (England)

        Educational summary only. Read the reported judgment or an authorised law report before relying on the case professionally.