Commercial and Shareholder Disputes

Overview

Most hard-fought commercial disputes contain an allegation of misconduct: a warranty said to have been false, a representation said to have been dishonest, a counterparty said to have acted in bad faith. That is the ground on which we act, and our fraud practice is what makes our disputes practice different. We know how to find what has been concealed, and how to prove it.

Within companies, disputes between shareholders and directors frequently involve related-party dealings, diverted opportunities and self-interested management. We act for shareholders, directors and companies in oppression proceedings, derivative actions and directors’ duties claims, and we move quickly where value is at risk: interim relief, inspection orders and the appointment of receivers can matter more than the final hearing.

Our work includes

• breach of warranty and post-acquisition disputes;
• fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation claims;
• joint venture and partnership disputes;
• commercial contract disputes involving allegations of bad faith or dishonesty;
• oppression proceedings and exit disputes in private companies;
• derivative actions and directors’ duties claims;
• related-party transaction challenges;
• disputed accounts, inspection of books and shadow directorship issues;
• deadlock, quasi-partnership and family company breakdowns;
• separate representation of individual directors and officers in shareholder proceedings (read more);
• interim relief: injunctions, receivers, freezing orders.