Director and Shareholder Disputes
Having both directors and shareholders involved in running a business can have its advantages, such as generating more ideas and opportunities that could consequently help the business expand quicker.
However, it can also have its disadvantages, including a greater likelihood of differing opinions leading to director and/or shareholder disputes.
For a business to operate successfully there should be a good and strong relationship between the owners of the company (its shareholders) and those that manage the daily running of the business (its directors).
Whilst disagreements are bound to arise from time to time, if the trust between shareholders and directors breaks down and a dispute occurs it can have a massive impact on how profitable the business is as well as its ability to trade, ultimately threatening its future.
Whether the shareholders and directors of your business are in dispute due to a director breaching their duties, a difference in pay or conflicting business interests the dispute resolution team at Rothera Bray can help. We have many years of experience in resolving disputes between shareholders and directors and understand the importance of settling any discord quickly and efficiently to avoid disagreements escalating further.
Why use Rothera Bray for director/shareholder disputes?
We can act for both directors and shareholders.
We act for both local and national businesses in a wide range of industries.
We will work with you to assess the best option for resolving your dispute, depending on whether you are a shareholder or director, the nature of the dispute and if you are a shareholder, the size of your shareholding.
We can advise you on all available options for resolving the dispute, including Alternative Dispute Resolution.
We can also draw on the experience of our non-contentious commercial department to advise on drawing up a shareholders agreement if you don’t already have one, allowing any future disputes to be resolved in a quicker and less costly way.
We can advise on the terms of your company’s Articles of Association.
Where possible we will try to avoid court proceedings and resolve the dispute quickly and efficiently to allow all parties concerned to move forward.
We can draw on the experience of our other commercial teams to provide an optimum solution and advise you on other legal aspects.
We can help you with:
- Company dissolution
- Commercial fraud
- Minority shareholder claims
- Conflicts of interest
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Breach of directors’ duties
- Failing to act in the best interests of the company
- Acting outside of the powers granted by the company’s articles
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“A dispute between directors and/or shareholders can result in harm to the business. We’ll help you avoid that.”
Richard Bates
Head of Dispute Resolution
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Posted 13 July 2026
My divorce was a long drawn out process thanks to my ex-husband and Sarah made it a lot less stressful due to her professional caring nature and her expertise. Thank you.
Karen
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Posted 13 July 2026
We cannot thank Rothera Bray enough for the outstanding support they provided throughout our Special Guardianship Order (SGO) process. Thanks to their expertise, professionalism, and dedication, we achieved a successful outcome, and we genuinely couldn't have done it without them. A special thank you goes to Ann-Marie and Emily, who guided us every step of the way. They were always there to offer advice, reassurance, and practical support whenever we needed it. No question was ever too much trouble, and they responded to any concerns or issues incredibly quickly, giving us confidence throughout what was a very challenging and emotional process. Their professionalism, knowledge, and attention to detail are of the highest standard. They made us feel supported from start to finish and always had our best interests at heart. We are truly grateful for everything they have done for our family and would wholeheartedly recommend Rothera Bray to anyone in need of exceptional legal representation. Thank you again, Ann-Marie and Emily, for making such a positive difference to our lives.
Barbara
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Posted 10 July 2026
We were extremely satisfied with the service from Rothera Bray during the process of rewriting our Wills and Side letters. Our Wills are complex and our solicitor clarified the necessary changes and took the time needed to ensure we understood the legalities involved. The service was professional but friendly.
Bob and Yvonne Bundick
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Posted 10 July 2026
I found Rothera Bray to be professional and responsive. I was glad I used a firm with a local office rather than one of the remote conveyancing companies.
Nigel Wright
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Posted 10 July 2026
Ellie has been very helpful she was always ready to answer any questions/queries I had. Nothing was too much trouble at all. Ellie’s knowledge & expertise of my situation was extremely good. She kept me informed of time frames making sure I was always updated on my completion etc. I would highly recommend Ellie to my family and friends, a very patient professional who has helped me a lot. Rothera Bray have a wonderful member of their team in Ellie Robinson.
Beverley Wyatt
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Posted 10 July 2026
We had the pleasure of dealing with Rothera Bray for our property purchase and specifically Tim Brooke and his team Craig Allsopp and Nikola Dzierzak. Despite a non-straightforward transaction with multiple titles, Tim and his team were excellent from start to finish, always advising us in a timely manner and doing a really thorough job on all the searches and relevant property matters. Once completion took place, Tim and team stayed engaged to ensure the title registration was complete despite the delays at land registry. We cannot thank Tim enough as at several points we thought the property deal might fall through but with the advice, guidance and attention to detail provided by Tim we got there in the end! Thank you.
Prachi
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Posted 9 July 2026
It’s lovely to deal with someone whom makes the process just so easy. Dealing with Talita at Rothera Bray was an absolute pleasure . Very professional and thorough.
Will client
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Posted 8 July 2026
George dealt with my settlement agreement, quickly and efficiently. He answered all my questions and put my mind at rest that I was doing the right thing. Thanks.
Julie R
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Posted 8 July 2026
The experience was very good, Millie was very knowledgeable, was quick to respond and brought the matter to a successful conclusion.
Stephen Hughes
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Posted 8 July 2026
Lauren provided me with exceptional support and great advice throughout my case. She is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and honest, making what was such a stressful process for me much easier to manage. I'd highly recommend her to anyone who might need her services.
Employment Law client
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Posted 7 July 2026
The conveyancing process was smooth from start to finish. Everything was handled efficiently, communication was clear, and the team was polite and professional throughout. I really appreciated how straightforward they made the whole process. Ellie Robinson and Grace Millward Thank you for a great service!
Zak Appleby
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Posted 6 July 2026
Thank you to everyone for all your help over a long period of time. Your mannerism and efficiency to solve each issue was most impressive. I have recommended your services to others .What was going on in the background certainly tested my patience and you kept the ship running smoothly.
Daniel P

Richard Bates
Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution
Richard Bates leads the Dispute Resolution team at Rothera Bray. Richard is a litigation specialist and can provide a wide range of services to both commercial and private clients.

Caroline Bowler
Partner
Caroline Bowler is a partner in our Dispute Resolution team and an equine law specialist at Rothera Bray, which is the Official Legal Partner to British Dressage and The British Show Pony Society. She works from our Lace Market office and has been described as “one of the best equine lawyers” in the Legal 500.

James Carley
Partner
James is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution department and is very experienced in dealing with commercial and personal litigation matters.

Nicky Calthrop-Owen
Consultant
Nicky Calthrop-Owen is an Insolvency and Restructuring Consultant and is based at Rothera Bray’s Nottingham office.

Kendal Litherland
Consultant
Kendal Litherland is a Consultant in Rothera Bray’s Dispute Resolution department and is based at our Nottingham city office.

Ruth Ball
Managing Associate & Head of Insolvency
Ruth Ball is a Managing Associate and the Head of Corporate & Individual Insolvency at Rothera Bray and is based at our Lace Market, Nottingham and Market Harborough offices.

Terhi Sygrove
Recoveries Manager
Terhi Sygrove is a debt recovery specialist and head of the debt recovery department at our Lace Market, Nottingham Office.

Jade Belcher
Associate Solicitor
Jade Belcher is an Associate Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Dispute Resolution department and is based at our Lace Market office.

Tom Barry
Solicitor
Tom is a Solicitor in our Dispute Resolution department and is based at our Lace Market office.

Amrita Johal
Solicitor
Amrita Johal is a solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Dispute Resolution department and is based at our Lace Market office.

Millie Moreton
Solicitor
Millie Moreton is a Solicitor in Rothera Bray’s Dispute Resolution team and is based at our Lace Market office.

Eleanor Kivneen
Senior Paralegal
Eleanor is a Senior Paralegal in our departments for Dispute Resolution for Individuals and Dispute Resolution for Businesses. She is based at our Nottingham Lace Market office.

Jayde Pullar
Senior Paralegal
Jayde Pullar is a Senior Paralegal in Rothera Bray’s Dispute Resolution team and is based at our Lace Market, Nottingham office.

Rowan Ketteridge
Paralegal
Rowan Ketteridge is a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team and is based at our Lace Market, Nottingham office.

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