POL00041773 - Email from Mark Underwood to Veronica Branton re SPM Litigation Committee Minutes

Evidence on official site

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Message

From: Mark Underwood? GRO H

Sent: 14/05/2018 08:12

To: Veronica Branton ij Rodric Williams Andrew
Parsons [/o=Exchange-Org/ou=exchange Administrative Group
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=ad9ed344815e47e4aaa3c0e7e1740919-Andrew Pars]

ce: jiane Blanchard § ‘J; Kim Pretorius

Subject: res 260318 vi.docx [BD-4A.FID26896945]

Hi Veronica — there won’t be any papers, but we will confirm / tweak the agenda by 12 today.
Mark

* Mark Underwood
Head of Portfolio: Legal, Risk & Governance

Ground Floor

i 20 Finsbury Street
2017 Winner of the Global Postal Award f° 77°") ” sao

for Customer Experience

From: Veronica Branton

Sent: 14 May 2018 09:10
To: Rodric Willi
Cc: Ben Foat <}

} Kim Pretorius

Subject: RE: PL Subcommittee minutes 260318 v1.docx [BD-4A.FID26896945]
Hi Rod and Mark

The Subcommittee meeting is tomorrow so we need to send something if only an agenda and the draft minutes of the
last meeting with a reminder that the QCs are attending the meeting.

Could you let me know by midday whether you have any changes to the agenda and if you’re planning to have any
papers for circulation in advance of the meeting?

Best wishes

Veronica

From: Veronica
Branton

Sent: 11 May 2018 13:22
To: Rodric Wil
MacLeod
Ce: Ben Foat
Subject: RE: PL Subcommittee minutes 260318 v1.docx [BD-4A.FID26896945]

Andrew Parsons GRO

jane

Dear all

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Please could you let me know when the updates for the PL Subcommittee meeting on 15 May will be ready?
Best wishes

Veronica

From: Rodric Williams
Sent: 08 May 2018 21:
To: Andrew Parsons
Branton {0
Cc: Ben Foat ¢

Subject: RE: PL Subcommittee minutes 260318 v1.docx [BD-4A.FID26896945]

Veronica

Jane,

26 March 2018 Subcommittee Minutes

Ihave no comments on your or Andy’s amendments to the Minutes. I have in the attached version merely:
- added in the dates of the meetings referred to in para’s 1.1 and 7; and
- deleted “RW” from the “Action” column for para’s 3.3 and 7, because as amended these para’s don’t call out
any specific actions.

15 May 2018 Subcommittee Agenda / Merits Opinion

The agenda set out in your 2 May 2018 email for next week’s meeting is dominated by the Merit’s Opinion. Andy and 1
propose to deal with that as follows:
we will review an advanced working draft as soon as it is available, and prepare a precis of what is sure to be a
long document.
- the precis’s aim is to:
© summarise the Opinion for you and your communications to your GE colleagues;
© act as the QCs’ speaking note at the meeting (which we will ask David Cavender to lead};
possibly be provided to UKGI as an update, but only once the information sharing protocol is agreed.
while reviewing the draft Opinion, we will also consider whether the precis should cover the “next steps and
forward plan” and “contingency planning” agenda items, or if these should be kept separate.

UKGI Information Sharing Protocol

UKGI have not yet responded to the email I sent on 2 May 2018 with the latest version of the protocol. I do not intend
to chase them for a response, as I think we can justifiably (but politely) refuse UKGI direct access to the Opinion or any
precis of it until we are comfortable that the appropriate structures are in place to protect the privilege in a highly
sensitive document.

Without the protocol, I believe we can offer UKGI an oral update on our current approach to the Group Litigation as
informed by the Opinion and Board discussions. I would prefer to provide this in a face-to-face meeting clearly stated to
be privileged. We could provide the update by phone, but that could require us to email an agenda, opening up the
possibility of a wider ranging email exchange (e.g. as per the 30 April email between UKGI and Patrick).

Against this, the “carrot” of a more detailed, written update on the Opinion may be what we need to get UKGI to agree
our version of the protocol.

Please let me know if you disagree with, or have any comments on, the proposed approach
Rod

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From: Andrew Parson:
Sent: 08 May 2018 08:36
To: Jane MacLeod
Ce: Rodric Williams:
Subject: RE: PL Subc

“Veronica Branton ¢

x [BD-4A.FID26896945]

dane

Please find attached a couple of srnail changes frorn me. My principal change is to add a statement at the top of the
rninutes making clear that they are privileged (as if this wasn't obvious enough!)

Andy

Andrew Parsons
Partner
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP.

‘ WOMBLE womblebonddickinson.com
© BOND

DICKINSON v ©
H GRO

From: Jane MacLeo
Sent: 07 May 2018 23:057-~~

To: Veronica Branton

Cc: Andrew Parsons; Rodric Williams
Subject: PL Subcommittee minutes 260318 vi.docx

Veronica

Please find attached my mark-up of the draft minutes of the first meeting of postmaster litigation committee. There are

a couple of names and dates to be inserted (date of January board meeting, May committee meeting and name of our IT
expert) and I have tried to make the language even more anodyne. Rod/Andy — please check that you are comfortable
with these?

Many thanks,
Jane

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