Any form of dispute, either in business or in a personal commercial arrangement, can be extremely upsetting and costly for all parties involved.
Sadly, it is all too common for disagreements to erupt between business partners, or between two companies who trade with each other.
At Underwood & Co, our dedicated disputes team focuses as a first priority on finding ways to resolve any discord as quickly and painlessly as possible. Ideally, we seek a resolution that will enable both sides to come to an agreement without the need for expensive and time-consuming processes that could even end up in a courtroom.
Indeed, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the disputes we deal with are resolved long before the need for litigation arises. Our expertise in this matter helps to ensure that mediation and other forms of dispute management prevail and deliver a solution.
However, in some cases the need for litigation becomes inevitable. In these circumstances, we can handle emergency court applications and other steps in the litigation process.
Over the years, our lawyers have dealt with disagreements between business landlords and their tenants, with situations relating to corporate or individual insolvency, and with substantial civil cases involving commercial or contractual disputes.
As with all the legal advice and assistance we deliver, we make sure that the action taken is tailored to your particular circumstances. Our aim is always to deliver an outcome as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We can provide services in the following areas:
- Administrative law
- Banking and finance
- Breach of contract
- Claims arising out of business or asset transactions
- Corporate/partnership disputes
- Construction disputes
- Debt recovery
- Disputes with customers
- Emergency relief, including freezing injunctions and search orders
- Insolvency
- Landlord and tenant disputes
- Professional negligence (including solicitors, surveyors, valuers, architects and financial advisers)
- Property disputes
- Property sale/purchase disputes
Some examples of our experience in Dispute Resolution
- Acted in resisting proceedings for alteration of the Land Registry Register where the transfer deed was forged without the knowledge of the transferee. Unsuccessful at first instance but settled favourably before hearing of the appeal.
- Successfully defended substantial Chancery Division claim arising out of property transactions carried out by (allegedly sham) corporate vehicles in the 1980s and 1990s, advancing conspiracy and trust claims. The claim was withdrawn shortly before trial.
- Acted for a minority shareholder in an unfair prejudice petition before the Insolvency and Companies Court. Settled favourably before trial.
- Acted successfully in claim for breach of contract in respect of a VAT liability against purchaser and previous solicitors who were negligent who each blamed each other. Settled at mediation.
- Acted for party at a mediation defending a claim for breach of contract and a claim under a promissory note with combined value of circa £250,000. Settled at mediation.
- Secured possession of Central London pub on an urgent basis where over 30 squatters had broken into premises whilst it was vacant (due to Covid-19).
- Acted for numerous landlords of prime and super-prime Central London rental properties in resolving tenancy disputes and securing possession orders against defaulting tenants.
- Secured High Court eviction orders for a property developer client in respect of a multimillion development land site intended for hotel construction against trespassers who took possession of the building site overnight.
- Represented a firm of estate agents in 1954 Act commercial lease renewal proceedings which resulted in favourable settlement shortly before trial.
- Acted for letting agent client in claim for letting fees arising from a tenancy renewal at a super prime Central London property where the client landlord asserted unfair terms pursuant to Consumer Rights Act 2015. Settled at mediation.
- Acted for a client seeking repayment of sums due for a company based in Singapore which resulted in judgment for the Claimant.
- Acted for creditors in insolvency proceedings commenced against corporate and individual debtors in the Insolvency and Companies Court.
- Acted in various adjudications in respect of construction disputes. Most recently acted for an employer client and succeeded in opposing a typical ‘smash and grab’ referral where the contractor sought payment of some £500,000.
