Disputes

Nobody wants a dispute – but sometimes an amicable solution just cannot be agreed. It is imperative to get the best legal advice as soon as problems arise – commercial disputes have a habit of escalating quickly.

What we do:

Getting us involved early is vital to protect your business and reputation. We can assist with:

  • Competition disputes
  • Contractual disputes
  • Defamation
  • Fraud
  • Intellectual Property disputes
  • Judicial review
  • Outsourcing disputes
  • Partnership disputes
  • Procurement disputes
  • Professional negligence
  • Shareholder and investment disputes
  • Tax disputes/investigations and representation at tax tribunals
  • Telecoms and media

Why use Haddletons:

Disagreements are inevitable in all aspects of life. But where your business is concerned and the stakes are high, minor problems can quickly become major disputes.

Success in resolving disputes can mean different things to different people. It may mean ensuring confidentiality or settling to save a trading relationship. It might equally mean pursuing a case aggressively to trial. With our deep experience in resolving the most complex disputes in litigation, arbitration, negotiation and mediation, we will help identify your goals and the best strategy to achieve them. For tax disputes we are chartered tax advisors as well as lawyers, offering unparalleled expertise and procedural knowledge of the tax system.

The Haddletons Way

Trust

We earn your trust through our authenticity. We listen, we communicate honestly, we genuinely care.

Warmth

We are people just like you. Get to know us and you will find that we can do more than just resolve your problems and lighten your load.

Personal Service

We look at the world through your eyes to offer a truly bespoke service. The more we understand you and your world, the more we can do for you.

Premium Quality

We offer a premium service with price certainty. Our insight and expertise applied to your needs.

Haddletons recently provided high quality incident management training to our business. They were able to understand our requirements from the first point of contact and created a bespoke course tailored to our needs which engaged and informed our audience and suggested ways we could enhance our existing incident response procedures. The team over-delivered and did so on time, on budget and in a memorable and entertaining way. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to any business who want to reinforce and evaluate their own incident management planning.

Debbie Sharpe

Principal Solicitor, Centre for Process Innovation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a commercial dispute?

A commercial dispute is any dispute between two or more business entities. The dispute can arise out of a variety of situations, from contract violations to intellectual property infringement. This term does not suggest that litigation is imminent or that the parties have fallen out: simply that there is a challenging business problem to be resolved.

What is a procurement dispute?

Public procurement law regulates the purchasing of contracts for goods/services by public sector bodies. Disputes arise when parties involved feel the process has not been ‘fair’ or when parties wish to challenge a decision.

What is arbitration?

Arbitration is a private process for resolving disputes. The person making the decision is referred to as the “arbitrator” and can be chosen by the parties (who pay for the process). Steps in the arbitration, like disclosure of evidence, are typically agreed by the parties with the arbitrator.

Arbitrators are highly trained to make decisions but are not necessarily lawyers. An engineering dispute might benefit from an arbitrator with an engineering background.

When arbitration is binding, the decision is final, and is enforceable by a court.

What is defamation?

Defamation involves the publication of words which might negatively affect the reputation of a business. Libel is written defamation, slander is verbal defamation.

What is judicial review?

Judicial Review is the process of challenging the lawfulness of decisions or actions made by a public body. The review challenges the way in which the decision was made not the actual conclusion reached.

What is litigation?

Litigation is the process of taking a dispute to a court of law. The court system is set up by the state and the judges reach decisions about the rights and duties of the parties to the dispute.  There are steps to follow for disclosure of evidence and the decision of the judge is final and enforceable (subject to any successful appeal). The amount of the dispute and its nature determine which court will hear a claim.  The court’s ability to make decisions is limited in scope by the claim before it. Parties have a much greater range of options available to resolve disputes privately and more cost effectively.

What is mediation?

Mediation is a way of sorting disputes privately, with the help of an independent third person who won’t take sides. The third person is called a mediator. It is a highly effective way of bringing the parties to agreement. When the mediation ends, an agreement is signed. If the mediation fails, the discussions cannot be referred to in any court proceedings.

Get Started Today

We handle your disputes with care. With Haddletons you are in safe hands.