Slaughter and May advised FW Aviation on successful worldwide freezing order application

Slaughter and May advised FW Aviation (Holdings) 1 Limited (“FWA”) on its successful application to the English High Court for a worldwide freezing order (“WFO”) over the assets of VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (“VietJet Aviation”).

On 15 October 2026, Mr Justice Saini granted the WFO, finding that there was “solid evidence showing a real risk of dissipation”. In his judgment, he described the impugned transactions under consideration between VietJet Aviation and related parties as a set of “bizarre arrangements” for which he “struggled to find any cogent explanation”.

The judgment sets out a clear articulation of the law, in particular, the basis on which the English courts will consider it just and convenient to grant a WFO in support of the enforcement of a judgment and represents a rare example of a WFO being granted over the assets of a listed, foreign entity.

The decision follows the judgment of Mr Justice Butcher on 30 September 2026, and his subsequent ruling on 15 October 2026, to appoint post-judgment receivers by way of equitable execution over a broad range of VietJet Aviation’s assets (having considered the parties’ further evidence on whether such order would be reasonable and proportionate). Slaughter and May also acted on this application.

In the judgment, Mr Justice Saini noted that “two such parallel regimes are often imposed on judgment debtors”.

Taken together, the judgments demonstrate the range of measures available to the English courts in support of the enforcements of judgments, including against listed foreign entities. In this instance, the judgment debt owed by VietJet Aviation is in excess of USD 250 million and has been outstanding for well over a year.  

The Slaughter and May team was led by partners Efstathios Michael and Megan Sandler, supported by Liu Hui, Jordan Halligan, William Humphries, Jardelle Johnson, Eden Guarino and Hamish Phillips.

Andrew Hunter KC (Blackstone Chambers) and Ben Woolgar (Brick Court Chambers) were instructed as counsel.