The defendant companies are all associated companies in the Hilton Group ("the Group"). Hilton Worldwide Inc. is a Delaware corporation and a parent company in the Group. Adda Hotels ("Adda") and Puckrup Hall Hotel Limited ("Puckrup") were the original lessees of ten hotels in the UK under separate leases granted on 30 August 2002 by the claimants' predecessors in title for terms expiring on 31 December 2029. The lease of the Tewskesbury Hotel was granted to Puckrup. The leases of the other nine hotels were granted to Adda. Each of the leases (which are in substantially the same terms) reserve significant base and turnover rents.
On 1 July 2014 Adda and Puckrup assigned each of the leases (separately) to the nine companies which have been joined as the 4th to 12th defendants. The name of each company indicates the location of the relevant hotels. The assignees are in each case £1 subsidiary companies in the Group which were formed for the purpose of taking the assignments.
We were told that the assignments were carried out as part of a Group re-organisation but they had the important consequence, if lawful, of releasing from further contractual liability under the various leases both Adda and Puckrup as original lessees and, more importantly, Hilton Worldwide Inc. as guarantor of those liabilities as a result of the operation of the provisions of ss. 5 and 24(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 ("the 1995 Act").
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On 1 July 2014 Adda and Puckrup assigned each of the leases (separately) to the nine companies which have been joined as the 4th to 12th defendants. The name of each company indicates the location of the relevant hotels. The assignees are in each case £1 subsidiary companies in the Group which were formed for the purpose of taking the assignments.
We were told that the assignments were carried out as part of a Group re-organisation but they had the important consequence, if lawful, of releasing from further contractual liability under the various leases both Adda and Puckrup as original lessees and, more importantly, Hilton Worldwide Inc. as guarantor of those liabilities as a result of the operation of the provisions of ss. 5 and 24(2) of the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 ("the 1995 Act").
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