Winkworth family feud: father and wife plot to oust son from board
London estate agent Winkworth sued its chair Simon Agace and his wife Irene Ho Kim Lee for attempting to oust all directors except Simon, including CEO son Dominic Agace. Irene used her 34% voting power at the May AGM to push the ouster. The High Court case was paused after a temporary truce, with Simon agreeing not to change directors before September 2026. Winkworth shares initially fell 1%, then rose 6% on the ceasefire.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page itself is projected from evidence records.
- Current automated evidence projection
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
Father and son agree ceasefire in family feud at Winkworth
Winkworth, a London-listed estate agency, has agreed to a temporary ceasefire in a legal dispute between its CEO Dominic Agace and his father, chairman Simon Agace. The company had launched High Court legal action against Simon to block his ability to oust board members. Under the truce, Simon agreed not to remove or appoint directors before September 10, and must give seven days' written notice. In return, Winkworth paused its legal claim until October 5. The feud emerged after Simon reportedly proposed sweeping board changes that Dominic argued were not in the company's best interests. At the May AGM, 41% of votes were withheld on resolutions to re-elect five directors, including Dominic, while only 9,714 shares were withheld against Simon's re-election. Simon holds a 41% stake; Dominic holds 5.7%. Shares rose 6% after the update.
Winkworth delays legal drama for a month after family feud
Winkworth, the AIM-listed estate agent, has agreed to pause its legal dispute for at least a month after chair Simon Agace and his wife Irene Ho Kim Lee attempted to oust the company's board, including CEO Dominic Agace, Simon's son. The company initiated legal proceedings last week after Simon allegedly breached his contract and director duties under the Companies Act. The family has agreed to undertakings restricting Simon from removing or appointing directors without seven days' notice before September 10, 2026. At the May annual meeting, Irene used her 34% voting power to try to remove all directors except her husband. Winkworth's share price rose 5.88% to 180p following the update, valuing the firm at £23.2 million.
Winkworth Sues Chair Simon Agace Over Alleged Plot with Wife to Oust Son from Board
London estate agent Winkworth has launched High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, accusing him of breaching his contract and director duties under the Companies Act. The dispute stems from an alleged plot by Agace and his wife, Irene Ho Kim Lee, to oust all directors from the board, including their son and current CEO Dominic Agace. At the company's annual meeting in May, Lee used her 34% voting power to attempt the ouster. Agace has since demanded a board overhaul and threatened a shareholder meeting. Winkworth has sought an interim injunction to block Agace from sharing confidential information and using family voting power to change leadership. The company declined further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. Winkworth shares fell 1% on the news.
Show 2 older updatesHide older updates
London estate agent Winkworth sues chair over plot with wife to oust son from board
London estate agent Winkworth has launched High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, for alleged breach of contract and director duties under the Companies Act. The dispute stems from a family feud: Simon Agace, former CEO for 30 years, and his wife Irene Ho Kim Lee attempted to oust all directors except Simon from the board, including his son and current CEO Dominic Agace. Irene used her 34% voting power at the May annual meeting to push for the ouster. Simon later demanded a board overhaul and threatened a shareholder meeting. Winkworth has sought an interim injunction to block Agace from sharing confidential information and using family voting power to change leadership. The company declined further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. Winkworth shares fell 1% on the news. The case occurs amid a broader downturn in the UK housing market, with rising insolvencies and reduced demand due to higher interest rates and geopolitical tensions.
Winkworth Sues Chair Simon Agace Over Alleged Plot with Wife to Oust Son from Board
London estate agent Winkworth has launched High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, accusing him of breaching his contract and director duties under the Companies Act. The dispute stems from an alleged plot by Agace and his wife, Irene Ho Kim Lee, to oust all directors from the board except Agace himself, including his son and current CEO Dominic Agace. At the company's annual meeting in May, Irene used her 34% voting power to attempt the ouster. Since then, Agace has demanded a board overhaul and threatened a shareholder meeting to remove board members if his demands are not met. Winkworth has sought an interim injunction to prevent Agace from sharing confidential information and using family voting power to change leadership. The company declined further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. Winkworth shares fell 1% on the news.