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Resolving Company Disputes

Disputes between people inside a company are often complex and can be emotionally charged. Disputes aren’t just legal problems, they’re often financial, personal and reputational too. If not handled early and carefully, they can jeopardise business performance, investor confidence, and impact the future of the company.

Company disputes can arise from disagreements over strategy, unequal contributions, breach of directors’ duties, removal of a director, dividend payments, share transfers, or deadlock between equal shareholders. Sometimes there’s a breakdown in trust, or a shareholder feels excluded from decision-making and brings an unfair prejudice claim under the Companies Act 2006.

When roles and expectations aren’t clearly documented or the Articles of Association or Shareholder Agreement don’t reflect reality, tensions can escalate quickly. And when they do, it’s essential to act fast, with the right support.

Loch provides pragmatic, decisive support for resolving company disputes. Whether you’re a majority owner trying to protect the business or a minority shareholder asserting your rights, we guide you through the legal and strategic options, always focused on protecting your interests and the value of the company.

How Loch can help

We take the time to understand the people and pressures behind your dispute; what’s driving the conflict, what’s at stake, and what outcome matters most to you. From there, we develop a plan: whether that’s negotiation, mediation, or, if unavoidable, formal legal proceedings.

We’re experienced in resolving disputes between directors and shareholders, advising on breaches of directors’ duties, navigating removal of directors, responding to unfair prejudice petitions, and handling deadlock situations in owner-managed businesses and LLPs. We also advise on derivative claims and issues arising under LLP Agreements.

Where documents like the Shareholder Agreement or Articles of Association are relevant, we review them in detail and explain your rights and risks in plain English. If the documents are missing or silent, we help you understand your statutory and fiduciary duties, and how best to proceed.

We also work closely with corporate and employment law colleagues to advise on exits, governance changes, and reputational risk – all with minimal business disruption.

Discreet, strategic and experienced, Loch helps you take back control of the situation and protect the business you’ve worked hard to build.

Key Elements

Director disagreements, shareholder exclusion, breach of duties, dividend disputes, failure to consult on major decisions, or deadlock between equal owners. These are often emotionally charged and require sensitive but firm resolution.

Often, yes. Many disputes can be resolved through negotiation, mediation or settlement, especially with early legal advice. Loch supports you through this process and only pursues litigation if it’s the right commercial option.

It’s common, but not ideal. Even without formal documents, the Companies Act 2006 and common law provide legal protections. We’ll explain your rights, duties, and options based on your specific role and position.

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