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 11 August 2026
We would give your service a full 5 stars without hesitation. The communication from start to finish was second to none—you kept us informed at every single stage, answered our questions promptly, and made what could have been a stressful process feel entirely seamless and straightforward. We are incredibly grateful for all your hard work, thoroughness, and dedication to getting our purchase across the finish line. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rothera Bray (and specifically you!) to any family or friends looking for legal support.
Jamie Johnston
stars
Posted 11 August 2026
Excellent service with the drawing up of our will. Talita Fantauzzi was a great help, simply explaining the whole process and our options. Made a daunting task a simple and pleasurable experience.
Martin Nesbitt
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Posted 10 August 2026
George was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I had an urgent requirement, so we met on Teams. He was clear, understanding, supportive and incredibly knowledgeable! I can't recommend Rothera Bray more highly! Next time I need legal support, they will be my first call (hopefully not for while!). 10/10!
Nick Holloway
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Posted 7 August 2026
I was recommended to use Rothera Bray by a family friend. The staff at Rothera Bray worked relentlessly. They showed a high level of professionalism, and were extremely supportive throughout my divorce and separation, particularly while dealing with a very challenging opposition. They gave me peace of mind, and I always felt safe in the knowledge that I was being well supported during what was an incredibly difficult time in my life. I will always be grateful for the advice, guidance, and compassion they all showed throughout the process. I would never wish for anyone to find themselves in a situation requiring legal support, but if they do, your team will be the first I recommend without hesitation.
Craig Watts
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Posted 7 August 2026
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Nelissa at Rothera Bray in Loughborough. She has the ability to make complicated issues understandable, to enable you to consider options and reach a decision (we were completing our wills and updating a Deed of Trust). Additionally Nelissa is very thorough, approachable and efficient, producing our documents within days. Nelissa feels like ‘a safe pair of hands’ .
Sandra Simpson
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Posted 7 August 2026
Talita Fantauzzi provided a five star client experience when rewriting our wills for us - she was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Martin & Glynis
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Posted 6 August 2026
Isabella & Nelissa were both superb in their handling of the Estate of my late mother. They gave helpful advice with regular updates & quick responses to questions asked. They are without a doubt professional & proficient in what they do. I have no hesitation in recommending them & the firm of solicitors they represent, and will use them again in the future.
Shaun Gathercole
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Posted 5 August 2026
I cannot thank Rothera Bray Loughborough enough; my house move should have been straight forward, but several hiccups happened along the way. I did both my sale and purchase through them and had excellent service. They were supportive, offered great advice and updates and was their when I had multiple queries. Luisa was amazing, she was there for me when I didn't understand certain queries and was a really calm influence when I was worried about queries I had on the property I was buying. I would 100% recommend Rothera Bray and if I did ever move again I would use them in a heartbeat. Thanks so much!!
Rachael Turner
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Posted 4 August 2026
We have used Rothera Bray in the past, when dealing with my late mother's estate. Everything was handled really well, so I contacted Kerry Redfern at their Mapperley branch to sell a property I owned, which was intended to provide retirement funds. Kerry handled everything in a timely manner. The whole process was far less stressful than I had feared and here we are on completion day, with the money in our bank. I feel that Kerry's knowledge in relation to selling property, is extensive and she has guided us through every step of the process. As with probate after my mother's death; and also Rothera Bray dealing with an equity release situation, which facilitated my brother remaining in my late mother's home; I cannot fault the service we have had from them. I feel confident they can successfully deal with any situation that may present in the future where the services of a solicitor are required. We are grateful to them.
Property sale
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Posted 4 August 2026
George helped me with every step of the process when I was facing redundancy, offering invaluable advice and helping me to complete the settlement agreement from my workplace. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend George and Rothera Bray to expertly handle matters, particularly for Employment law/redundancy services.
Scott C
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Posted 4 August 2026
I recently used Rothera Bray for a house sale and purchase. The service I received from Ellie Robinson was top tier I was always kept up to date with the progression of the sale and purchase if ever I had any queries they were always answered quickly. My purchase wasn't straightforward there were a few teething problems with the property we were buying that needed to be sorted to make sure we weren't going to be in a bad situation after purchasing and Ellie made sure she went through everything with a fine tooth comb and everything was right before completion. Grace Millward also helped with things and was great. I would definitely recommend this company.
Michelle Dakin
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Posted 3 August 2026
The solicitor I worked with Fatima Altaf was efficient and personable, sharing realistic information and managing our expectations on what was possible, while also always working in our best interest to understand and progress the outcome to our needs and desired outcomes. We would be very happy to recommend Rothera Bray, we found the whole team to be very supportive, positive and dynamic, we were always informed of updates and there were no gaps or unexpected surprises throughout the process.
Wesley

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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