Shareholder, Director and Partnership Disputes

Strategic legal advice to resolve internal business disputes, protect ownership interests and preserve the value and stability of your organisation.

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Disputes between shareholders, directors or business partners can quickly affect decision-making, financial performance and the day-to-day operation of a business. Where trust has broken down or the parties disagree over ownership, management or future strategy, early legal advice can help prevent the conflict from causing further commercial damage.

DTM Legal advises companies, shareholders, directors, partners and members of limited liability partnerships on a wide range of internal business disputes. We act for majority and minority shareholders, individual directors, partnerships and businesses responding to claims brought by current or former stakeholders.

Our Dispute Resolution solicitors assess the relevant agreements, company records and conduct of the parties before developing a practical strategy. We seek negotiated solutions, mediation and structured exits where appropriate, while acting decisively through court proceedings or urgent applications when a client’s position or the business itself requires protection.

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Shareholder, Director and Partnership Dispute Legal Services

We advise clients on a wide range of internal business disputes, including:

  • Shareholder, Director, Partnership and LLP disputes
  • Disagreements over business strategy and management
  • Deadlocked boards and shareholder decision-making
  • Minority shareholder exclusion and unfair treatment
  • Unfair prejudice claims
  • Derivative claims brought on behalf of a company
  • Breaches of directors’ duties
  • Conflicts of interest and diversion of business opportunities
  • Misuse of company money, property or confidential information
  • Disputes over dividends, remuneration and financial information
  • Access to company records and accounts
  • Disputes over articles of association and shareholders’ agreements
  • Partnership agreement disputes
  • Partnership accounts and profit-sharing disagreements
  • Negotiating shareholder, director and partner exits
  • Share purchases, valuations and buyout arrangements
  • Dissolution and winding up of partnerships
  • Urgent injunctions and protective court applications
  • Mediation and negotiated settlement
  • Court proceedings where an agreed resolution cannot be reached

Why Instruct DTM Legal?

Internal business disputes often involve a combination of legal, financial and personal issues. Our Dispute Resolution team takes the time to understand the history of the relationship, the ownership and management structure and the practical effect the dispute is having on the business.

We provide clear and commercially focused advice on the rights, risks and available options. This may include protecting a minority shareholding, defending a director’s conduct, resolving a management deadlock or negotiating an orderly exit that allows the business to continue trading.

Where possible, we aim to resolve disputes through focused negotiation or mediation, preserving value and reducing disruption. Where urgent protection or formal proceedings are necessary, we act decisively and coordinate with corporate, employment, insolvency and valuation specialists where appropriate.

We provide:

  • Early assessment of the parties’ legal and commercial positions
  • Practical strategies focused on business continuity and value
  • Advice for companies and individual stakeholders
  • Support with negotiation, mediation and structured exits
  • Clear guidance on shareholder agreements and constitutional documents
  • Decisive representation in court and urgent applications
  • Coordination with accountants, valuers and other professional advisers

Get in Touch

Whether you are dealing with a shareholder deadlock, concerns about a director’s conduct or a breakdown in a business partnership, our Dispute Resolution team can help you assess your rights and pursue a commercially effective solution.

To discuss your requirements, contact us by emailing information@dtmlegal.com or calling 01244 354 800 / 0151 321 0000.

Key Contact
Head of Dispute Resolution & Construction
DTM Legal
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Key Considerations in a Shareholder, Director or Partnership Dispute

Providing the key documents and information at an early stage can help your solicitor understand the parties’ rights, the effect on the business and the most appropriate route towards resolution. Read our Key Considerations guide to understand some of the points a solicitor may wish to discuss when responding to your enquiry. It can help you prepare the relevant information and make your initial conversation more productive.

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DTM Legal
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Dispute Resolution Team

Jim Morris, Head of Dispute Resolution & Construction Photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Jim Morris

Head of Dispute Resolution & Construction
Kate Roberts, Partner Head of Liverpool photographed outside DTM Legal Liverpool
Kate Roberts

Partner / Head of Liverpool
Richard Harris, Partner, Dispute Resolution, photographed outside DTM Legal's Liverpool office.
Richard Harris

Partner, Dispute Resolution
Richard Thomas, Head of Business Recovery photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Richard Thomas

Head of Business Recovery
Anna Abell, Solicitor, Dispute ResolutionHarris, Consultant, Commercial Property photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Anna Abell

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
Leanna Guy, Solicitor, Dispute ResolutionHarris, Consultant, Commercial Property
Leanna Guy

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
Lucy Ayoubi, Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
Lucy Ayoubi

Solicitor, Dispute Resolution
Molly Clapham, Senior Paralegal, Dispute Resolution
Molly Clapham

Senior Paralegal, Dispute Resolution

Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions by those involved in Shareholder, Director and Partnership Disputes.

Seek advice as soon as disagreements begin to affect decisions, finances or the operation of the business. Early advice can help clarify the parties’ rights, preserve evidence and prevent steps being taken that may weaken your position.

Speaking to a solicitor does not necessarily mean commencing court proceedings. Early negotiation or mediation may allow the parties to agree changes to management arrangements or negotiate an exit before the dispute escalates.

A deadlock can arise where the parties have equal voting power and cannot agree on an important decision. The first step is usually to review the articles of association, shareholders’ agreement and any provisions specifically designed to resolve a deadlock.

Potential solutions may include mediation, changes to management responsibilities, a buyout or the sale of the business. Where agreement is impossible, formal court remedies may need to be considered.

An unfair prejudice claim may be considered where a company’s affairs have been conducted in a way that unfairly harms the interests of a shareholder. Common allegations can involve exclusion from management, diversion of business, improper financial benefits or failure to follow agreed shareholder arrangements.

The available remedy will depend on the circumstances. In many cases, the practical objective is an order or negotiated agreement under which one shareholder’s shares are purchased at an appropriate value.

A company may be able to remove a director, but the correct corporate procedure must be followed. The company’s articles, shareholder voting rights and any shareholders’ agreement should all be reviewed before action is taken.

A director may also be an employee or shareholder, meaning removal from the board does not necessarily end their employment or ownership rights. The wider consequences should therefore be considered before any resolution is proposed. Company changes such as removing a director commonly require shareholder approval through the appropriate resolution process.

The starting point is usually the partnership or LLP agreement, which may set out procedures for decision-making, profit allocation, retirement, expulsion and dispute resolution.

The parties may be able to resolve the dispute through negotiation or mediation, agree a buyout or reorganise the business. If the relationship cannot continue, advice may be required on dissolution, accounts, asset division and the ongoing responsibilities of the partners.

What our Clients Say

See what our customers have to say about their experience

Review Solicitors Stars
5/5 350+Reviews
Sienna
21/10/2023
This practice is unique in the way in which the lawyers operate. They are partner-led and all levels of fee earner looks after your matter. The partners are always engaged and accessible. This creates flexibility and speed without losing the key ingredient of experience.
Charlotte
05/10/2023
The team at DTM Legal provides realistic advice on prospects, and their availability is commendable. They truly understand their clients’ needs.
Anonymous
01/10/2023
Kate Roberts is outstanding. She is razor sharp in all of her fields of expertise and is a brilliant strategist. She is very commercial in her approach to legal disputes and is extremely responsive.

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