Richard Caring prepares court battle over Birley nightclub

Restaurant tycoon Richard Caring is believed to be preparing legal action to prevent Robin Birley, the son of the late Mark Birley and Lady Annabel Goldsmith, from using the Birley name on a nightclub he plans to open in Shepherd Market, Mayfair, in the second half of next year.

Caring, whose restaurant empire includes Soho House, Strada and the Ivy, bought the Birley nightclub business for £102m in 2007, including such venues as Annabel's and Harry's Bar. He insisted that the purchase included the exclusive rights to use the Birley name.

Caring, who is awaiting planning permission to open his nightclub in Mayfair, also called Birley's, told The Times he would fight "any which way we have to".

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By Angela Frewin

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