DAC Beachcroft, Nabarro and K&L Gates are among a legal line-up advising on the trial of a group of Farepak directors over the company's 2006 collapse, which began in the High Court today (24 May).

K&L Gates' London senior partner Michael Johns is among the former directors appearing in the Chancery Division today over their role in the collapse of the UK Christmas savings company five and a half years ago.

The UK Insolvency Service – part of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills – has applied for disqualification orders barring them from serving as company directors in future.

K&L Gates is acting on behalf of Johns – who was a non-executive director at the time – as well as Farepak directors Neil Gillis and Paul Munn and former chairman Sir Clive Thompson, with Paul Girolami QC of Maitland Chambers instructed as counsel.

DAC Beachcroft dispute resolution partner Richard Highley is acting for two other directors – Stevan Fowler and William Rollason, the former chief executive of Farepak parent company European Home Retail – alongside Michael Green QC of Fountain Court.

Meanwhile, Nabarro commercial dispute resolution partner has instructed Philip Jones QC of Serle Chambers on behalf of former Farepak managing director Nicholas Gilodi-Johnson.

Two other former directors, Joanne Ponting and Stephen Hicks, are no longer defendants in the proceedings after the Secretary of State accepted undertakings from them. The pair were formerly advised by Mark Cullingford, the head of restructuring and insolvency at Thrings.

The Insolvency Service initially took advice from Treasury solicitors, but subsequently turned to Dickinson Dees late last year, with around eight solicitors working on the case including managing partner Jonathan Blair. The northeast firm is one of the government body's panel advisers alongside Cobbetts, Howes Percival and Wragge & Co in England and Wales and Burness and Shepherd and Wedderburn in Scotland.

The governmental body applied for the orders barring the nine from serving as company directors in January 2011, claiming their conduct at Farepak made them "unfit to be concerned in the management of a company".

The trial is expected for last for six to eight weeks, with the Secretary of State delivering opening submissions today. Counsel will deliver opening submissions on behalf of the defendants tomorrow, and the court will begin hearing evidence on Monday (28 May).