A high-profile antiques dealer is embroiled in a legal dispute with a former intern who claims she is entitled to half of his multimillion-pound company. Christopher Howe, the owner of a prestigious antiques and interiors business in London, is battling Joanne Brierley, a former unpaid intern who claims to have been promised a partnership. The business, valued at millions, has served notable clients such as Richard Gere and Hampton Court Palace.
Brierley asserts she played a key role in the growth of the company, which has two separate entities since 2014. Howe denies making any such promises, leading to a legal battle over ownership. The company started in 1986 as a tiny shop specializing in furniture restoration and has provided services for several prestigious institutions, including Hampton Court Palace. The High Court in London is set to hear the case