Corporate Disputes

Our dispute resolution team has extensive experience advising clients on their most complex, high-stakes M&A, shareholder and other stakeholder-related disputes. Corporate transactions can bring about challenging issues for parties, including, for example, as a result of disputes between co-shareholders of a joint venture, purported breaches of sale agreements, and even serious allegations involving fraud or third parties challenging the ownership of assets. 

Often, those disputes require a degree of sensitivity to preserve a commercial relationship. In other circumstances, a more direct approach is required. Our clients’ commercial goals remain the focus of our strategy when helping to resolve any corporate dispute.

Our experience includes advising:  

• Slater & Gordon in its Commercial Court claim (valued in excess of £600 million) against Watchstone Group plc, formerly known as Quindell plc, for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of warranty arising from the highly-publicised acquisition by Slater & Gordon of Quindell's legal services division.
• An investment company on an LCIA arbitration relating to the fault for (and consequences of) the failure of the share sale of multiple Romanian target companies valued at over EUR300 million, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions imposed by governments.
• Two UAE oil and gas companies in a complex ICC arbitration with their joint venture partner concerning the ownership of a giant oil field in Iraq. 
• The former non-executive directors of Petropavlovsk Plc in English High Court proceedings concerning allegations in relation to director’s duties and shareholder activism.
• A prominent broadcaster in relation to the launch and operation of a joint venture, as well as ongoing shareholder issues concerning the valuation of one of its corporate investments.
• Two financial institutions in relation to a complex and long running fraud dispute concerning the ownership of the shares of an English incorporated company in control of a major multiplayer online role-playing platform.
• A Gulf investment company in relation to a share ownership dispute involving an application for urgent ex parte relief (a proprietary freezing order) to prevent the sale of a large number of shares in a prominent UK listed company and disclosure orders to trace the dissipated proceeds of previous share sales.
• A CEE retailer on disputes strategy following a EUR 900 million SPA, including numerous warranty issues and an LCIA arbitration in respect of tax and other indemnity claims made by the buyer. 
• Rockingham Limited in a derivative action brought on behalf of an international construction company against a shareholder, seeking repayment of a debt in light of the serious liquidity position of the construction company and the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
• A leading construction company in respect of a completion accounts dispute in the High Court arising out of the sale of two group companies to a housebuilder in 2019 for over £1 billion.