Following the judge’s decision that Mrs. Vardy had “substantially true” exposed Mrs. Rooney’s confidential information to the press, Mrs. Vardy lost that case.
According to Mrs. Vardy’s attorney, the judge ordered her to pay 90% of Mrs. Rooney’s fees, which have amounted to more than £1.8 million. These charges included a stay at an opulent hotel, cocktails, and things from the mini-bar for one of her attorneys.
The attorney representing Mrs. Rooney contended that if Mrs. Vardy had “conducted this litigation appropriately,” the expenses may have been less.
Mrs. Vardy’s attorney, Jamie Carpenter KC, claimed that Mrs. Rooney’s total cost included the expense of a lawyer lodging “at the Nobu Hotel, incurring substantial dinner and drinks charges as well as mini bar charges”.
He stated in written arguments for the hearing on Monday that the number of errors in the bill, the extraordinary nature of some of the costs claimed, and the sheer amount of costs that Mrs. Rooney has claimed—both in absolute terms and in relation to her agreed-upon costs budget—have made the costs dispute particularly unmanageable.
The bill was “drawn without sufficient care,” Mr. Carpenter continued, adding it took “a ‘kitchen sink’ approach” in addition to including “over £120,000 of costs to which Mrs. Rooney has no entitlement.”
