Halifax pays pounds 2m in dispute over name

HALIFAX Building Society has paid damages and costs understood to be about pounds 2m to Provident Financial as a result of a dispute over the use of the name Halifax, writes Peter Rodgers. .

Provident, based in Bradford, won an injunction 13 months ago preventing the building society launching a motor insurance sales drive under its own name.

Provident itself owns a profitably motor insurance specialist called Halifax Insurance, which was set up in 1965 and bought by the group in 1978. The case was due to go to full trial but the two parties settled out of court.

Under the agreement, Provident is selling the trademarks used by Halifax Insurance to the building society and accepting damages and costs.

It is renaming Halifax Insurance Provident Insurance from 1 March.

John van Kuffeler, Provident's chief executive, said the payment from Halifax would cover the costs of rebranding its own insurance products under the group name and avoid a legal conflict. 'We have received sufficient to take account of any future costs we are likely to have.'

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