Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution

We have a highly regarded dispute resolution team that deals in high value, complex and sometimes esoteric disputes across our practice areas.

Our partner led team comprises of partners who handle commercial disputes, real estate disputes, contentious trusts and estates and charity disputes on a daily basis. Working closely alongside our commercial team and employment teams, we provide broad coverage across most types of litigation and dispute resolution including mediation, arbitration and expert determination.

No client enters into litigation lightly. We aim to be involved in the decision-making process, advising on the strengths and weaknesses of a potential claim or a defence and setting out a clear pathway of time and cost, so that our clients are able to take is making all decisions from a position of maximum understanding and information in terms of risk and costs.

In this area of law, perhaps more than any other, timing and response times are crucial. We understand that and pride ourselves upon it. We are available and ready to work with our clients to achieve the best possible outcome to their dispute or potential problem.

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To discuss your requirements with our experienced commercial litigation and dispute resolution solicitors in Westminster, London, please get in touch.

• Call: 0207 222 5381
• Or use our quick enquiry form

Matters our London commercial litigation solicitors can assist with

Our highly experienced commercial litigation solicitors in London have a wide range of expertise and can advise on the following:

• Charity disputes
• Church & faith disputes
• Contested trusts, Wills & estates
• Debt recovery
• Education disputes
• Judicial review
• Professional negligence
• Property disputes
• Shareholder & partnership disputes

Why trust us for commercial litigation and dispute resolution?

• Client care is at the heart of our service. We make sure that the practical solutions we offer are carefully tailored to our clients’ requirements.
• Our team understand the importance of timely responses and, as such, tailor the work we provide to ensure that no time goes to waste.
• We assist our clients in all forms of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). We handle mediations and settlement meetings and are adept at negotiating and advising on the tactics that come with any settlement discussion.
• We will always keep you up to date with how your case is developing and can help to guide you through the entire litigation process.
• We always ensure that our clients have a dedicated person who will deal with their case, giving you a consistent point of contact should you have any questions.

Find out more about our specific areas of commercial litigation expertise

Charity disputes

Our commercial litigation solicitors in London have extensive experience in helping charities and Not for Profit (NFP) organisations with all manner of contentious legal issues. For decades, our team have been at the forefront of charity and NFP law and are well placed to help these organisations realise their aims and objectives.

Our expertise in charity disputes includes:

• Governance issues, legal structure and legal challenges (internal and external)
• Employment disputes
• Terms of appointment
• Board and management team conflicts
• Conflicts of interest
• Reviewing policies and constitutions
• Winding up and dissolution proceedings
• Public law disputes
• Property and land rights
• Bringing and defending claims in respect of all contentious matters
• Debt recovery

We also offer advice in relation to legacies and donations, including:

• Contested legacies
• Claims for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975
• Challenging poorly administered estates
• Claims involving rectification of a Will

Church & faith disputes

Disputes involving churches or any other religious organisation can be very damaging if the correct approach is not taken at the earliest opportunity. Our commercial dispute resolution lawyers in London are among the leading church and faith practices across the country, acting for Diocese, PCCs and other organisations on matters including:

• Clergy Discipline Matters and all proceedings before the Ecclesiastical and Cannon Courts
• Land and property reverter disputes
• Regulatory matters, breaches, investigations and protection of assets related to faith-based organisations
• Bringing and defending claims for all contentious matters
• Policing and protecting church and glebe land
• Having conduct of proceedings in the Consistory Court including contested claims for faculties

Contested trusts, Wills & estates

If a trust or Will has significant ramifications for you or your businesses’ operations, or the relationships within your business, its contents may be contested. Our commercial litigation solicitors work closely with our private client team, as well as our STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) accredited lawyers to bring and defend a wide range of commercial contentious probate matters.

Our expertise includes:

• Claims against executors and trustees for removal, breach of duty or improper conduct
• Claims made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Claims made against the validity of Wills or trusts
• Testamentary capacity and undue influence claims
• Advising charities on challenging and defending Will legacies and
• Court of Protection proceedings

Education disputes

Our commercial litigation lawyers in London are one of the most experienced teams in the country with regards to handling educational institution disputes. Our clients include independent and maintained schools, Academy Trust Companies, Higher Education Institutions and Universities.

Our expertise includes:

• Employment, building and commercial contracts and service agreements
• Protecting property and land rights
• Claims involving allegations schools have breached pupils’ human rights
• Local Authority disputes relating to land and funding
• Proceedings against the Secretary of State to contest directions of transfer of property
• Challenging Ofsted reports and judgments
• Intellectual property disputes and brand protection
• Acting for parents in disputes with the schools their children attend
• Data protection, GDPR and subject access requests.

Judicial review

Our dispute resolution lawyers in London frequently act in judicial review claims in both the Administrative Court and Court of Appeal, defending public bodies that are subject to review as well as acting on behalf of organisations seeking to challenge unlawful decisions.

Our team have expertise in:

• Challenging reports and judgments of Ofsted
• Challenging the decisions of public bodies
• Defending public bodies, particularly schools, against judicial review claims.

Professional negligence

Whenever professional actions or advice falls below the expected standard of an individual or businesses’ duty of care, a claim for professional negligence may be possible. Our commercial litigation lawyers in London have experience advising clients of their rights and options in situations where professional negligence has occurred.

Our expertise includes:

• Claims against lawyers, accountants, architects, financial advisors and mortgage brokers
• Professional indemnity liability and likelihood of insurance responding to a claim

Property disputes

Commercial properties are significant investments, which means that disputes regarding rent, renewals or tenancy agreements can quickly spiral out of control in the worst-case scenarios.

That is where our dispute resolution experts can lend their expertise. We can provide practical and cost-effective advice for a wide range of commercial property disputes, minimising the disruption your business might otherwise experience.

Our expertise in property disputes includes:

• Commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes
• Development agreement disputes
• Vacant possession strategy and site assembly
• Rights of light issues, compensation and injunctive proceedings
• Enforcement of easements, rights of way and restrictive covenants
• Applications to discharge or modify easements under section 84 of the Law of property Act 1925
• Real estate related insolvency issues and debt recovery
• Removal of unauthorised occupation
• Property fraud

We are also the leading practice in the protection Schemes of Management and Estate Management Schemes and act for some of the largest Scheme operators in the country.

Our services in this area include:

• Advising on the constitution and operation of Schemes of Management
• Enforcement against breaches of restrictive covenants
• Defending applications to discharge or modify restrictive covenants in the Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal
• Applying to the Tribunal to amend Schemes
• Recovering debt for unpaid management charges
• Challenging the unlawful operation of a Scheme

Shareholder and partnership disputes

Many businesses are built on the relationships between joint owners, partners and shareholders. It goes without saying that when these relationships become strained, or break down altogether, the aftermath can extremely damaging and expensive for the business as a whole.

Our commercial litigation solicitors recognise the importance of resolving shareholder and partnership disputes quickly and efficiently. We encourage using independent mediation and, if this is not possible, provide a robust approach to court proceedings.

Our expertise in this area includes:

• Breaches of partnership or LLP agreements
• Enforcement of restrictive covenants in partnership agreements
• Partnership expulsions and compulsory retirements
• Dissolution and winding-up of partnerships

Debt recovery

Unpaid debts can be incredibly damaging for any business, especially in situations where debtors become unresponsive and unwilling to pay what it is owed. Our debt recovery solicitors have experience working with a variety of businesses, helping them to recover the maximum amount of debt in a way that suits them best.

We carefully tailor the debt recovery service we provide our clients by ensuring that the work is carried out by the most appropriate member of our team, based on their individual expertise and experience.

Our commercial dispute resolution solicitors’ fees

We believe that our fees should be as transparent as possible. For this reason, we will always make sure that all of the likely costs will be made clear upfront, allowing you to make a fair comparison with our competitors.

In certain situations, we may be able to offer fixed fees for our commercial litigation services, which means you will be able to budget accordingly.

To find out more about our specific fees for dealing with debt recovery disputes, you can visit our debt recovery fees page.

Speak to our commercial litigation solicitors in Westminster, London

To discuss your commercial litigation needs with our experienced team, please get in touch.

• Call: 0207 222 5381
• Or use our quick enquiry form