02078314545

Any clients of CMI Business Group (t/a Hatton & Berkeley) who have been contacted by Mr Paul Carter or Mr Steve Phillips trying to accept monies through deception please do get in touch, we are processing Action Fraud claims on our clients behalf.

You can contact the offices on: 0203-302-8900 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

Please note that if you had made payment to these individuals for services we will endeavour to assist to recover this for you.

Kind Regards,
Robert Croucher

This popped up when I wanted to see who had the number 0203-302-8900:
"  Need a prestigious, #London trading address? Contact us on 0203-302-8900 or at info@hattonandberkeley.com #Virtualoffice #BusinessServices "    What's the story???

Two men known as Paul Carter and Steve Phillips have been taking money by deception from people trying to purchase Virtual Office services in London online.

They have no intention or means of providing the services, they are not located at either of the three offices they state, there are two Virtual Office companies that operate those sites separately, which are 'London Executive Offices Ltd' (St James' Square) and 'CMI Business Group Ltd' (Berkeley Square and Hatton Garden).

The website www.westone-business.com and .co.uk, which they have been using has been taking down and we are assisting those whom wish to recover the money legally, there are some 200+ instances of fraud.

Trading Standards officers are as they state 'robustly' ensuring that this stops.

Anyone who has been approached by these two men should report it to Action Fraud, of you can do via their website - http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

If you do need any information please do not hesitate to contact me or one of the team here. +44(0)203-302-8900 or info@hattonandberkeley.com

Robert Croucher
Managing Director - CMI Business Group Ltd

Seems that CMI Business Group (t/a Hatton & Berkeley) are really a Speculative Invoicing outfit, in association with the notorious Patric Achache, who assisted ACS:LAW and Tilly Baily Irvine, in their actions in sending thousands of letters to people in the UK demanding money for Pornography or other films and threatening to go to Court if they were not paid.

I am amazed if this is the real Robert Croucher as it seems he is not particularly honest, a cursory background check shows a few things.
https://acsbore.wordpress.com/ has a bit about Mr Croucher and the fact he is funneling monies through a company called Ranger Bay.  Why is this? because he is NOT the director OR owner of Hatton & Berkeley.

Who is the Director of Hatton&Berkeley?

Seems it is Mr Paul Carter

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08221539/officers

Just some evidence, where is yours Mr Croucher?

I guess the thing is this, WHY is Mr Croucher using Hatton & Berkeley as a trading name for CMI Business Group Ltd, and claiming that the actual Director of Hatton & Berkeley is crooked? and why is Mr Croucher funneling his monies from TCYK LLC his shell association with Patrick Achaches numerous other shell companies, through a different company to his own?  VERY suspicious, would I spend a penny with CMI Business group? nope

For avoidance of doubt;

LOCKSTOCK PRODUCTIONS LTD (company number; 8221539) changed name on the 12th of August 2015 to HATTON AND BERKELEY LTD (same company number), this company has no affiliation to CMI Business Group Ltd or any of its operational companies.  Mr Carter is currently on notice pending court proceedings regarding passing off and copyright infringement.  Regarding the ongoing activities of Mr Carter and Mr Phillips the company is not able to comment further publicly at this time.

The registered office of 'HATTON AND BERKELEY LTD' appears as Unit 3, 88-90 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8PN - this unit is registered to a 'Ms Kate Niedzweidz' (real name Ms Katarzyna Barbara Niedzwiedz) - Not Mr Paul Carter, or 'CMI BUSINESS GROUP LTD', nor 'HATTON AND BERKELEY LTD'.  This can be established via the landlords agent Pearl & Coutts.

A link to the companies house register is available here, as requested; https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08221539

As to the speculation regarding TCYK LLC and RANGER BAY LTD, both are clients of CMI Business Group Ltd, they are film producers and rights holders. With regards to the ongoing civil claims and litigious proceedings in the UK and the USA against illegal file distribution of the film 'The Company You Keep', information on these companies operations in the UK is available via Citizens Advice Bureau at the link below;

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/co ... t-infringement/

Should anyone wish to contact the company regarding any of the above they can do so by writing to us or visiting the company offices in person at; 43 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5AP or emailing info@hattonandberkeley.com

Robert Croucher
Managing Director - CMI Business Group Ltd

From what you have written Mr Croucher I would suggest it sounds as if you and Mr Carter were former business associates, whose relationship has broken down irretrievably. I not with interest that a previous website run by a Patrick Achache and used originally for the Goldeneye International Speculative Invoicing that they are currently running, has been switched to the same address as many of your businesses, as can be seen here https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09276690/filing-history

you other businesses over 12 of them as can be seen here, https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/_ ... bA/appointments

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/y ... Ok/appointments

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/I ... fg/appointments

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07822008

I can only surmise that with the connection between Rangerbay Ltd which you admit are a client of yours, and that the fact that the Ranger Bay Ltd website was originally setup by Goldeneyes Julian Becker, Goldeneyes link to Copyright Collections Ltd (recently renamed Copyright Management Ltd), that you are all working together.

This is a troubling sequence of events when a so called reputable company as yu present yourself to be is scurrying around in the dark presenting a "Smoke and mirrors" operation.

The fact that you are also working with Patrick Achache should make anyone run a mile from your business, and any other business that you are involved in.

PS, I know the Citizens Advice information, I helped to formulate it after the previous outfits ACS:LAW and Tilly Baily Irvine had been punished for conducting Speculative Invoicing.

Dear 'Anti Troll',

As you've stated in your above post; 'I helped to formulate it after the previous outfits ACS:LAW and Tilly Baily Irvine had been punished for conducting Speculative Invoicing' [sic], quite a bold statement, care to let the world know what YOUR name is so we can establish whom we are speaking with, I'd be very surprised that we both assisted Trading Standards and the Citizen's Advice Bureau in the UK and that we haven't been acquainted.

As for your speculation regarding Mr Carter, I'd suggest you do a little more homework.

And with regard to Patrick Achache, you can find a picture of us both standing on the doorstep of my office in Mayfair on the homepage of my website, hardly 'hiding' are we.

I await your public response.

My name is of no real concern here, (it is James Bench if you must know).  You only commented on my Postscript, that is interesting, my point of "hiding" and "smoke and mirrors", is with regard to Goldeneye International and their similar actions to what you and Mr Achache are doing for TCYK.  Are you suggesting you are both unconnected?

Mr Achache has been doing this for some time, with ACS:LAW and more recently with the US and Australian cases.  His "Business Plan" was leaked online and has been widely seen.

Mr Achache is obviously a man of many different companies, as are you it seems.

https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?tag=patrick+achache

http://www.wired.com/2010/10/the-legal-blackmail-business/

https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/copyright-trolls ... guardaley/34615 (This was for his APMC company, more recently he has been using a company called Maverick eye, same process, different shell company)

Mr Achache as I mentioned has just transferred the "Copyright Collections Ltd" shell which was to be used as a Goldeneye front to  43 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 5AP , and renamed it to "Copyright Management Services LTD"

So is this all one big coincidence, or is the reputation of Hatton&Berkeley/Cmi Business Group really that complicated?

As I said, you seemed more concerned with my identity, I would be more concerned with the veracity of my evidence, as I would hope other potential customers would be.

I certainly don't remember your name being part of the advice to Citizens advice, or Trading Standards, with regard to Speculative Invoicing.

James Bench,

Your previous accusations that Paul Carter is the owner and director of Hatton & Berkeley is flawed, I would advise scrutiny over any of your research from hereon.

I shall liaise with Trading Standards staff tomorrow to ascertain the validity of your statement(s).

Due to the nature of your defamatory and un-substantiated remarks above, I shall be seeking legal action against you should this continue.

If you have any actual valid questions please feel free to direct them to me in writing via email; robert@hattonandberkeley.com (yes, I am the owner).

Mr Croucher

I disagree with you completely, as I said Mr Carter and yourself have obviously had a falling out, you both used to work together.  How can I tell? From the information available at Companies House.  You are right in calling people to scrutinize my evidence, just as I call them to scrutinize your business dealings and associates.

Not sure why you are liaising with Trading Standards, but you are welcome to liase with Citizens Advice, that is whose guidelines I mentioned.

I wonder what “ defamatory and un-substantiated remarks” I have made that would send you scurrying behind a Lawyer? Rather ironic when you accuse others on such flimsy evidence of file sharing isn't it?  Who is your Solicitor anyway? But please, let me clarify, and retort

WESTONE BUSINESS GROUP LTD https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08725985/officers

WESTONE BUSINESS GLOBAL LTD https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07800354/officers

Last one was interesting, need to be more careful with the truth, when it comes to advertising I guess.

https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/ ... ADJ_247298.aspx

What is REALLY interesting, is that this site was registered
https://who.is/whois/www.westone-business.com (Seems to be registered by a Kruger Voltek Systems Ltd  (Katarzyna NIEDZWIEDZ)) seemingly a business partner of Paul Carter? In 2008

Then it seems a different website was registered called www.westone-business.net (.net, NOT .com) purely innocent reasons? In 2014, of course the registrants name is PRIVATE, but lets look.

Here is how it used to look https://web.archive.org/web/20141223035435/http://www.westone-business.net/ look, it was CMI 43 LTD then, look, you and Paul Carter. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08238660/officers

Now I wonder what happens when we look at where the website reroutes today? http://www.westone-business.net Oh WOW look at that, it redirects to…. http://www.hattonandberkeley.com/

No matter, the other people to whom your company has dealings with may see the evidence here.
Oh one other thing, remember your threat of Legal action, See this post, https://acsbore.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/rang ... is-astonishing/ well, it seems, it was smiled upon by a certain Lawyer, http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading-room/TCYK-trolls Seems he thinks you a Troll, so do I.  Oh and one last thing, when you see your Lawyer, make sure he sees this. http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading-room/injuncti ... ative-invoicing

I am not James Bench, sorry, he is a colleague, I am Joe Hickster, but you can call me Hicks

Go analyze THAT Mr Croucher, is it Rob, Robert or Edwin..

Joe Hickster or James Bench or whatever you wish to call yourself from hereon;

You've just diminished any authority you think you may of had, as for your evidence how am I or anyone else to take you seriously if you fail to communicate like an adult?

You've quoted public record links above of which anyone with a mouse, keyboard and Google can find. Yes, I own the brand 'WestOne', yes I own the brand 'Hatton & Berkeley', yes my middle name is Edwin, yes Paul Carter was a former employee (sacked), yes we are suing him, yes Katarzyna Niedzwiedz is his girlfriend, yes we are assisting the police regarding their post/present activities. All very boring and already very public.

If you have read the thread above it does outline most of this already.

For your information, Trading Standards oversees the operations of the Citizens Advice Bureau, as we operate in the City of Westminster and Camden our clients may fall under scrutiny by them in these boroughs. TCYK and Ranger Bay had been reported to them as a scam, we assisted TS and CAB to ascertain whether this had any validity, of course - it doesn't. They are litigating against people whom are accused of illegally distributing their film in the UK. But you'd know that already as you've assisted CAB in the past right? or was that a lie?

I'd suggest that until you can stop hiding behind fake screen names we'll leave the conversation here.

I don't think I have diminished any of my argument, you have however confirmed a lot of what you have denied elsewhere, so thank you for that.

I believe it was yourself that acted in a churlish manner, threatening me with Legal action, for what? warning others of the nature and conduct ot your business. I don't believe any legitimate business, would or should register lots of similar named shell companies and start changing their addresses on a frequent basis.  It is shady, and anyone can see that it is shady.  The people you choose to do business with are it seems shady, and in the absence of addressing the question I asked and you seem to have difficulty in answering despite the evidence I have shown of your links with Mr Achache and Mr Julian Becker, is can you not bring yourself to admit you are in partnership with Mr Becker of Goldeneye International.  Simple question that you seem to want to avoid.

So Mr Croucher, in your "World" Trading Standards oversees the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau does it? Wow, I would have thought most people would know that Trading Standards are a local  group, formerly known I believe as "Weights and measures" whereas Citizens Advice Bureau is a national Charity that seeks to help those in need, free at the point of service.  Indeed The Citizens Advice Bureaus very motto is "Helping people to move forward"

I have been contacted by a number of people who have received letters from your company on behalf of TCYK LLC, and urging them to send their money to Ranger Bay, I have pointed them to the appropriate authorities, and hope that they will all demand their day in Court.  Of course, you wont allow them that, you will simply drop any cases where people refuse to pay.  That is the nature of your business, and it was outlined by Mr Achache and his various shell companies.  It is losing in the US, it has all but lost in Australia, he is branching out into Asia, and now he has found a willing compadre in yourself.  I guess when it all goes wrong though, you can dissolve your Shell (Hatton & Berkeley) and open another one though eh! (It went wrong with Davenport Lyons, ACS:LAW, Tilly Baily Irvine, Gallant McMillan) I guess you and Mr Wagner are just better though right!

Your connection to Mr Becker and Goldeneye International?  For the benefit of this and other forums.

As for fake screen names, I think that is a bit rich comming from someone like yourself.

Hicks (Joe Hickster) (James Bench is my colleague)

Mr Croucher, you stated:

TCYK and Ranger Bay had been reported to them as a scam, we assisted TS and CAB to ascertain whether this had any validity, of course - it doesn't. They are litigating against people whom are accused of illegally distributing their film in the UK. But you'd know that already as you've assisted CAB in the past right? or was that a lie?

I say:
No this was not a lie.  TCYK LLC are a US company, and so do NOT fall under the jurisdiction of Trading Standards in the UK, Ranger Bay, is not SELLING anything, and so they don't fall under the jurisdiction of Trading Standards either.  The fact you dont know this is, well quite troubling actually. (The fact you dont provide evidence for this so called investigation is disingenuous

Michael Coyle of Lawdit however described TCYK LLC as a "Massive Racket", his advice to people receiving letters from your company is .."deny and dont pay a penny"  http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading-room/TYCK-Sky-trolls

Please though Your connection to Mr Becker and Goldeneye International?  For the benefit of this and other forums.

Hicks

Joe Hickster / James Bench / Whatever you wish to call yourself;

For ease i've broken this down for you and others;

1.  You and others have been sending false and defamatory Tweets to myself and worryingly the more junior female members of my staff, this is being reported to the MET Police as it is continued harassment (see Malicious Communications Act 1988), I will be seeking that charges be brought against you should you not cease and desist from contacting myself, members of my staff or other officers of any of my operating companies.  This is being taken very seriously and I believe you are underestimating the impact of your actions.

2.  Patrick Achache is a client pf the company and will remain so, I have never even heard of or met a Mr Julian Becker, nor had any dealings with 'GoldenEye International' your accusations are again false and un substantiated through anything other than your own interpretation of 'the truth'.

3.  Trading Standards, (Westminster) oversee Citizens Advice Bureau locally (City of Westminster) Bethan Featherby and Martin Harland (senior trading standards officer), your accusation is slightly perplexing, as you'd know this if you had assisted CAB in the past.

4.  Your accusation that I use 'shell' companies, is utterly unfounded and denied, these defamatory remarks are just that. Hatton & Berkeley is not a 'shell' company as you've stated, it is a well respected brand and a young one at that of which I am extremely proud of all of my staff, consultants and associates who've helped build it.

5.  Your assumption that TCYK LLC just as it is a US based company has no right to litigate in the UK is incorrect, any rights holder in the world can litigate in the UK - I'm not obliged to provide you with any evidence of my co-operation with Trading Standards regarding the activities of Ranger Bay and TCYK LLC. As they use our virtual office services and they trade from our address in Westminster, yes they do fall under the jurisdiction of Trading Standards in the UK, not a lie. Fact.

6.  Goldeneye International and Mr Becker, again, I've never met anyone from either and nor do I have any knowledge of who they are. Again, your accusations are unfounded and pure speculation without any merit.

7.  Lawdit solicitors and Mr Michael Coyle - see recent emails I have reviewed, I believe on the Slyck forum;

http://www.slyck.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6 ... b3f9&start=2100

This shows that Michael Coyle and his associate Riyaz Jariwalla were tendering for the work in the UK to work with Patrick Achache and Guardeley. Somehow I believe this compromises his position somewhat as to appear disingenuous. Oddly they seem to be quite confident that they'd succeed with any cases as well as their LBA campaign and ensuing legal proceedings.

To summarise;
Please stop contacting me, any of my staff and certainly any of my clients, should you continue I will ensure that you are put to maximum task with respect to issuing legal proceedings against you for ongoing harassment and defamation. I hope that is clear enough for you; Joe Hickster / James Bench.

For ease I am pleased you recognise how slow I am, thankyou for patronising me.

1.I have sent neither false, nor defamatory tweets, emails, or other messages to you, or other members of your “team”.  I have sent messages to you, and an Operations Manager (Possibly you), that were both factual and backed with evidence.  This is clear to those on this and other forums, that they can verify what I have put.  You allege, yet never provide any true detail.  (Junior female staff members? I didnt know you were more that a one man band to be fair.)  You sound quite threatening when you talk of me underestimating the impact of my actions.

2.You are free to have who you wish as a client, it is your reputation not mine after all.  I find it astonishing though that part of a leaked email conversation between Mr Achache and Lawdit, of which the only reason for the leak was a pathetic and risible attempt to sully the name of a Lawyer defending people like the innocent Old age Pensioners, targetted by Hatton & Berkeley, was leaked by YOUR client to Terry Stephens, a client of Goldeneye International, who are engaged in the same Specualtive invoicing as yourself.  Bit of a co-incidence then, if you say you dont know them.

3.Again, I am not in Westminster, I was talking about the NATIONAL Citizens Advice Bureau, not a local branch.  Ms Featherby and Mr Harland, have nothing to do with your Speculative Invoicing practise, and everything to do with the fracture of you and your former business partner Mr Carter, as can be seen here.
http://www.spamdex.co.uk/hattonandberkeley-co ... ease-read-.html

4.You don’t use a Shell company? CMI Business Group Ltd T/A Hatton & Berkeley? The only Hatton & Berkeley on the Companies House website is owned by Paul Carter, but of course we have already covered that.  It is certainly young, I am glad you are proud, that goes before a fall, as they say.

5.That is NOT what I said, any rights holder in the world would have to employ a LAWYER to litigate, (clue is in the name).  Of course you are not obliged to provide me with any evidence of your co-operation with Trading Standards with regard to your activities of Ranger Bay and TCYK LLC, the face that it is outside of Trading Standards jurisdiction helps as their wouldn’t be any to provide.

6.You still dont know who Goldeneye International or Mr Becker are? VERY interesting, well Mr Becker is the Technical guy for Ranger Bay, as well as owner of Goldeneye International, he represents Pornograhy Producers, in the same way that you do for TCYK LLC.  Mr Achache is involved with both of course, or at least has been.

7. No this shows that Mr Achache, and possibly yourself are so shaken by the loss of revenue from people paying up, and the fact they are wanting you to go to Court to prove your evidence that you are lashing out at the one person who has provided help for those falsely accused.  The fact as I made in the above points is that it came from Mr Achache, was made availiable to Terry Stephens part of the Goldeneye International clients, and was only part of the conversation.  Lawdit are a legitimate Lawfirm that offers Copyright protection, but not sending out cash demands and then dropping the demands when people demand it goes to court.

To summarise;
Just my opinion of course, but, not sure what happened in your formative years to make you so aggressive and petulant, even boorish, with a delusional sense of grandeur, but I will indeed stop contacting you, from now on I will merely address the other people on this board, and I will expect you to stay your own commentary from anything I post.  Thankyou for your understanding of this complex issue.  Any further comment from you to myself on here or anywhere else online, will break this agreement, and I will then continue to converse, as is only right.

LOOOL!!!!!
Gotta love someone when they get caught and go scurrying off like a cry baby and trying to find anything they possibly can to grab a hold of and spout such utter tripe such as 'im going to call the cops on you'!!!! How very infantile!!
The evidence presented on here alone by Joe Hickster is damning for you Croucher and to think otherwise is the act of an individual seriously deluded and devoid of anything they call 'sanity'!

Keep doing the fantastic work you do Mr. Hickster!

Still no word from the elusive Mr Carter? What say he?

Joe Hickster,

Thank you for your assistance, that link has now been removed. As for evidence relating to threatening phone calls to my staff - it's all been reported to the police at Saville Row police station. You may address your enquiries there.

My websites have very clear legal notices on them that disclose all of the company(s) operating structure, again all of your assertions are mere speculation. 'Hatton & Berkeley' is a copyright protected brand name owned by CMI.

You assert that it is a requirement to hire a lawyer in the UK to litigate, your statement(s) are incorrect (of which there are many). A lay person, or 'Litigant in Person' may bring a claim in the UK. See here;

https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploa ... _finalised_.pdf

In this instance our client TCYK LLC, can instruct a barrister through direct access. Of which they have been doing for some time now, something that you seem to be missing, people are actually being taken to court - reads very differently to the published material of James Bench and yourself.

As you are familiar with Lawdit Solicitors perhaps you can confirm this with them.

Ian (full names next time please) - in response to your comment, I fail to see any evidence other than mere speculation by an individual(s) who cannot even provide a real name? On closer inspection Mr Hickster it appears, was accused of downloading pornography by a lawyer, namely a Mr Andrew Crossley, it is evident from court records there was never a 'Joe Hickster' taken to court. Nor can I find Joe Hickster on the electoral roll, I'll assume this is another fake name for now until I can find out more,.

Remember this particular forum is being used to discuss cases of online fraud committed against clients. I'd suggest if you do wish to discuss copyright issues in the UK keep it to the relevant forums - Slyck I’ve found to be the most useful and the conspiracy theories are really quite amusing.

I await further conjecture.