UK Judge Tosses ‘Hail Mary’ HSBC Suit From Fallen Home Builders

The founders of an insolvent builder lost their bid to have a trial against HSBC Holding Plc over allegations the lender used loans to take control of the firm and ran it into the ground.

The case from Mar City Plc’s founders was unsubstantiated, inconsistent and speculative, a London judge ruled on Friday. Tony and Maggie Ryan had alleged the bank’s now chief executive officer, Noel Quinn, pressured staff to loan millions of pounds to the firm, where Quinn’s daughter worked. HSBC denied all the allegations.

“In short, the statutory test is not fulfilled by what might be ...