Minor International to launch new legal cases in battle for control of Corbin & King

Minor International to launch new legal cases in battle for control of Corbin & King: Minor International, the owner of Corbin & King, is preparing further legal cases in the battle for control of the London-based restaurant operator. Sky News reports that the Thai-based company is preparing two further legal cases involving Jeremy King, the co-founder of Corbin & King, as a battle for control of the upmarket London dining group escalates. Minor has hired Linklaters, the magic circle law firm, to sue Knighthead Capital Management for allegedly inducing King to breach his shareholder agreement. Minor is also understood to be working with Mishcon de Reya, another law firm, on a separate claim against King personally. The latest legal salvoes from Minor come weeks after it failed to prevent Knighthead repaying about £38m in debt owed to it by C&K subsidiaries. Minor forced C&K’s holding company into administration in January, accusing King of mismanaging the business and of refusing to place the business on a more sustainable financial footing. The accusations were rejected by King, who has held long-standing talks with Knighthead about taking control of the company. Propel previously revealed that FRP Advisory, which was appointed to handle the administration, had set a deadline of last Friday (11 March) for offers. Both Knighthead and Minor are understood to have tabled proposals, while sector investor Richard Caring has again been linked with an interest in the business. Propel understands bids that give Corbin & King an enterprise value of circa £50m have been submitted, and revealed last week that Naveen Handa, of leisure company The Cairn Group, was one of the interested parties bidding to acquire Corbin & King. However, it is thought that Handa, who is part of the family that owns The Cairn Group, which has grown to a portfolio of 32 hotels and more than 30 bars and restaurants across the UK, is no longer in the running. Minor and King both declined to comment.