In The Style founder vindicated in court case win

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 16, 2023

In The Style's founder Adam Frisby has won the court case that sought to establish who came up with the idea for the online womenswear retailer — him or businessman Paul Clements.

The Manchester High Court has ruled in favour of Frisby, after Clements had claimed that the concept of In The Style was his idea. The judge said it was “likely” Clements was motivated by the millions In The Style raised at its stock market floatation.

Back in December he told the court that he’d made Frisby aware of his plan to set up an e-tailer in 2013 only for Frisby to use the concept to create In The Style.

He also said he’d invested money in setting up a website and buying stock and that Frisby had poured cold water on the idea for the business.

However, the court dismissed all his claims. Its judgement, published Thursday, said “the narrative advanced by Mr Clements is a false one”.

Frisby called it “the most difficult and unimaginable few months of my life” but said he was “so pleased and relieved that today the judge and the high court have rightly ruled in my favour. The judgement confirmed I have told the entire truth. Although I never doubted these fraudulent claims would be dismissed entirely, I cannot begin to tell you how gut-wrenching this process has been over the last 18 months.”