Michael Flatley ups the tempo in row over show

The writ against Bruce MacInnes was filed with the High Court in Belfast yesterday, as Mr Flatley also moved to have new directors formally appointed to Switzer Consulting by the court.

Both are the latest stages in the row over control of his multi-million-euro "Lord Of The Dance" tour, which is currently making its way across Europe.

Mr. MacInnes, of St Sampson, Guernsey, wants to overturn an undertaking that Switzer and its ousted directors will not interfere with the tour.

He has claimed in a sworn statement before the court that he had invested "substantial sums" in Switzer, which gave him rights to the tour’s intellectual property, and that he is owed €700,000 from the company of which Flatley has taken control.

"Switzer has been and remains unable to perform its contractual obligations as a direct result of the injunction, with the consequent risk of promoters withdrawing and claiming damages," he said.

Mr MacInnes, who was also a director of Switzer, has also claimed that Mr Flatley’s lenders had sought to "grab" assets, including "Lord Of The Dance", from Mr Flatley to improve their own security.

He said this came after billionaire businessmen Maurice Regan and Luke Comer had provided the finance for a re-mortgage of Mr Flatley’s Castlehyde mansion in Co. Cork, with the intention to sell the palatial residence.

This was not possible when Mr. Flatley sued his insurers regarding the house. Mr. Flatley, living in Avenue Princess Grace, Monaco, was registered last week as the 100% shareholder of Switzer and is contesting a claim from Mr. MacInnes that he holds 10% of the company.

In his writ yesterday, Mr Flatley sought a declaration from the court that the shares claimed by Mr MacInnes were "null and void".

He said Mr MacInnes received the share warrants late last month from a former trustee of the company, Alexandra Walsh, who had been removed from her position by that time by the court.

He said Mr. MacInnes received the shares, knowing they were beneficially owned by Mr. Flatley. Mr. Flatley sought an order from the court stating that he owns 100% of the shares in Switzer.

He also claimed damages "for loss and damage" by reason of Mr MacInnes’s "conspiracy to cause loss" to him, and sought compensation for an alleged breach of trust by Mr MacInnes. The legal actions have been adjourned until next week.

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.