How we can help

Dispute Resolution

Disputes and different points of view are facts of business life. It is not possible to avoid them entirely. The key is knowing how to deal with them successfully and to learn from them. We explore what ‘success’ means with our clients. We then help our clients decide what to invest in a dispute (time as well as money) based on the likely return. These discussions will determine the resolution approach taken in a particular dispute. We use decision trees and modelling to help us try and predict the most probable result.

 

Threats to your business and its future success demand immediate attention. Well considered strategies are required together with effective implementation. This may involve, among other things, informal and formal negotiation, court proceedings, arbitration, mediation or some other form of alternative dispute resolution. Our dispute resolution solicitors in Manchester are experienced negotiators as well as experienced trial litigators. We have been enthusiastic users of mediation for many years and we have won awards for our use of mediation.

 

How Can Our Dispute Resolution Solicitors Help?

We adopt a flexible approach: some clients want us to ‘own’ the entire dispute for them while others prefer to call on our advice on an ad hoc basis. We are similarly flexible when it comes to funding a dispute, and we work with clients on a fixed or capped fee basis and on conditional fee arrangements where success determines our return. Our dispute resolution solicitors help our clients to arrange funding for their legal costs from a third party or litigation funders.

 

As the courts head in the direction of only awarding a contribution towards the costs of successful litigants, and as we approach a regime of fixed costs in commercial disputes, we work with our clients to ensure the costs incurred are proportionate to the amounts at stake in order to maximise recovery. Detailed costs budgets are an integral part of our project management from the outset.

 

We want our clients to see us as part of their team, trusted to deliver on time and on budget.

Our Ethos

Our own ethos focuses on our people and their approachability. This is central to our recruitment and progression paths. We want our people to develop long-term relationships with our clients, and we encourage our clients to ‘pick up the phone and talk issues through’ with us. Our clients know they can do this without fear of a bill.

 

We help our clients to protect their interests, pursue their entitlements and enforce their rights, as well as strengthen their strategies for avoiding problems in the future. Two of the partners in the team sit as deputy judges. Other team members are ranked in the leading legal directories as recommended practitioners.

 

The Dispute Resolution Services We Offer

Commercial

Disputes involving company directors and shareholders, contracts, fraud, LLPs and partnerships, negligence by professional advisers, restrictions in employment contracts, and sale, agency and purchase agreements.

 

Debt recovery

We provide a fixed fee systemised process allowing our clients to recover unpaid debts at an agreed fixed cost.

 

Intellectual property

We help our clients protect and defend the value in their creative assets, products and brands. We advise on copyright, counterfeits, database rights, domain names, parallel imports, passing off, patents, registered and unregistered design rights, and trademarks.

 

Real estate

Our clients are business occupiers, portfolio owners and property developers. We advise on all aspects of litigation involving property ownership.

 

Trusts and Probate

Our clients are trustees, trust corporations, executors and beneficiaries. We advise on the operation of trusts and wills, challenges to trusts and wills, and claims for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975.

 

If you’d like to get in touch with one of our dispute resolution solicitors in Manchester today, please call 0800 131 3355 or use our online contact form to send us an enquiry regarding your case.