Director, partnership & shareholder disputes

How we help

Our commercial litigation team has years’ of experience in sensitively handling and resolving in confidence director, partnership and shareholder disputes. Working closely with local businesses, we recognise early the issues that may arise and provide professional guidance, avoiding court wherever possible and keeping your business on track.

We always recommend that businesses put in place partnership or shareholders’ agreements wherever possible, which helps to resolve disputes much more quickly. However, whether or not you have signed agreements, our team will efficiently identify the problems with you, look at what you want to achieve and advise proactively as to your options.

Quick resolutions avoid business stalemate, and our team looks always to settle the dispute in a way which allows the parties to move forward.

Our commercial litigation team is supported by corporate and commercial practitioners, enabling Stephensons to deliver a full solution in handling your director, partnership or shareholder dispute where, for example, share transfers or sales are required to finalise a negotiation.

Need to put a partnership or shareholders’ agreement in place? Find out more.

Our services

Our specialists advise in disputes relating to:

• Boardroom decisions
• Strategy and structure
• Value of goodwill in your business
• Exit or retirement packages
• Removing a director, partner or shareholder
• Ending or dissolving the relationship
• Disputes between shareholders

Our clients

Stephensons advises clients across the full spectrum of business models, including limited companies, partnerships and limited liability partnerships.

We have advised partnerships such as those within the legal, accountancy, medical, veterinary, dentistry, surveying and architectural sectors, and limited companies of a huge range from manufacturing to service, retail and leisure.

Case study

Our client was the majority shareholder in a successful company. A fellow director and shareholder had left the business and claimed to have been unfairly prejudiced by the remaining shareholder.

Our clients wanted to buy the exiting shareholder's shares, as there was investment in the business and the value was likely to increase.  Our team obtained favourable valuation evidence from an independent accountant which we used to successfully negotiate with the exiting shareholder. The shares were bought for a substantial discount and the company could continue with minimal disruption.

In some cases, where an immediate purchase of the sharescan’t be made, our team will also advise on options that will allow a case to be concluded, such as deferred consideration.