Lady de Rothschild sues think-tank over funds from ‘caring capitalism’ summit

A London summit on “caring capitalism” that attracted Prince Charles and Bill Clinton as speakers has become embroiled in a bitter legal dispute.

Philanthropist Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, who says the one-day conference was her idea, has launched a £187,000 High Court claim against the think-tank that helped stage the event.

The wealthy ex-broadband technology pioneer, married to dynastic banking patriach Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, is suing the Henry Jackson Society for breach of trust and fiduciary duty.

Her claim suggests HJS acted only as “secretariat” and “agents” for the May 27 Conference on Inclusive Capitalism at the Mansion House and Guildhall and says she raised all the funds.

Lady de Rothschild claims HJS, a registered charity, and its executive director Alan Mendoza are holding £137,000 of “surplus funds” from the conference that should be returned to the couple’s investment company EL Rothschild.

A further £44,000 of invoices connected with the conference are outstanding because “HJS refuses to pay”, says her legal claim, which also refers to another £6,000 in unspecified bills.

It also says HJS must give her control of websites connected with the conference and other assets such as a contacts database which she says “does not belong to” HJS.

Clive Zietman, head of commercial litigation at Stewarts Law which is acting for her and EL Roths- child, said: “Our clients are reluctantly compelled to bring this claim due to HJS’s failure to account for monies re- ceived.

“They will pursue this case to trial unless the society decides to resolve this unfortunate dispute to our clients’ complete satisfaction.”

Mr Mendoza declined to comment and gave no indication how HJS plans to respond to the claim, which was filed on July 17. Lady de Rothschild is an American corporate lawyer and financier as well as a director of Estée Lauder and The Economist.

She invited former US President Mr Clinton, a close friend, to speak at the conference, where the Prince of Wales delivered the opening address. Other speakers included Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

According to her claim, she first met Mr Mendoza in 2011 when he and Dom- inic Barton, boss of management consultants McKinsey, asked her to chair the Taskforce for Inclusive Capitalism, an initiative to “make capitalism work better for the broad base of society”.