Bluefin loses appeal over return of £240k 'goodwill' payment

clock

The High Court has dismissed an appeal by Thinc Group - now Bluefin - against a ruling which said it could not claim back goodwill payments worth more than £243,000 from two self-employed advisers whose contracts with the business were terminated.

Husband-and-wife team Helen and Ashley Armstrong had joined Thinc Group in April 2008. To compensate them for bringing to Thinc their 10,000-strong client base, the Armstrongs were offered a 'disturbance allowance' of just over £243,000. However, the couple's contracts with the company were terminated a little over a year later, in June 2009, on the basis that their business levels were falling "considerably lower" than expected. Though the contracts had set out the ability of Thinc to terminate the arrangement, even "without cause", the national group lost a court case to reclaim ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Regulation

Professional Adviser TV: Remaining client centric in a time of increased regulation and digital demands

Professional Adviser TV: Remaining client centric in a time of increased regulation and digital demands

Kevin Bailey and James Sullivan also unpack what value looks like

Professional Adviser
clock 04 July 2025 • 1 min read
Targeted support: FCA shuns 'overly prescriptive' approach to vulnerability

Targeted support: FCA shuns 'overly prescriptive' approach to vulnerability

Considered prescribing how firms should support ‘vulnerable consumers’

Isabel Baxter
clock 30 June 2025 • 2 min read
Targeted support: 38,000 current advice users expected to switch

Targeted support: 38,000 current advice users expected to switch

Firms could generate up to £499 in revenue per customer

Isabel Baxter
clock 30 June 2025 • 4 min read