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Freeths - Law firm

Dispute Resolution

Litigation Risk Management At Its Best

Specialist in dispute resolution

We empower you to control the dispute rather than let it control you: results come faster, better, cheaper.

We are experts at resolving disputes whether by negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation. Working with us, and with our early case evaluation, you will know how likely you are to succeed, the anticipated costs and timescale, as well as the best and worst case scenarios.

We achieve success by having a 3-fold approach to the management of any dispute which involves Feasibility, Risk Specific Investigation and Delivery Stages. Our focus on earliest realistic closure is achieved and managed by financial modelling. This enables any client (claimant or respondent) to ask and answer 3 Key Questions at reasonable intervals during any dispute, namely “How Much”, “When” & “How”.

You will benefit from our insightful and commercial recommendations as regards strategy. Together we will agree our game plan, running alongside you every step of the way to manage your dispute – ensuring you always retain control.

 

The legal team who took on the Post Office to successfully fight one the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history >

 

Dispute resolution expertise

  • Early case evaluation – an immediate view on prospects, costs and strategy
  • Insight at an early stage – deploying dispute strategy, you will benefit from our commercially relevant advice on options, enabling you to make fully informed investment decisions on your case
  • We achieve winning outcomes – working with you to map out the “win” scenarios for your business, and agreeing with you an action plan to achieve your objectives
  • We focus on efficiency, closure and cost effective solutions, rather than allowing process to accumulate unnecessary cost. We achieve this by deploying sophisticated project management techniques
  • As your trusted legal advisors, we will be with you every step of the way, managing your dispute and reporting to you in a way that works for your business
  • Our clients consistently return to us for support on their most complex and “high stakes” disputes
  • Technology dispute resolution expertise >
  • Group actions & complex litigation (Post Office Horizon scandal – lessons learned) >
  • Insurance disputes expertise >

The Lawyer Awards Winner Logo Litigation Team of the Year - FreethsOur Dispute Resolution team were awarded Litigation Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2020!

With key account clients with whom we have built trust-based relationships, we manage our cases through exception reporting – focussing on reporting in figures not words.

Chambers & Partners 2024 logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

We use financial cost plans, and financial predicted outcomes so that client decisions are made at all times on the expected ROI, underpinned by CBA information. These factors, coupled with our natural price arbitrage when compared to other “National & International” law firms, means that we consistently deliver the results our clients deserve cheaper than others in the market.

Should you want your case funded, we have long and trusted relationships with litigation funders. However, we put our money where our mouth is and where appropriate we will share some or all of your costs risk.

Who we work with

Key contacts

James Hartley

James Hartley
Partner & National Head of Dispute Resolution

0345 077 9581

Alternatively complete the form below:

Contact Us

Meet the team

Dispute Resolution Lawyers


Sarah Foster
National Head

0186 578 1055

Mark Keeley

Mark Keeley
National Head

0345 274 6875

Richard Beverley

Richard Beverley
Managing Partner

0345 634 2577

Philippa Dempster

Philippa Dempster
Managing Partner

0207 440 5841

Simon Baigent

Simon Baigent
Partner

0345 274 6903

Clare Bellis

Clare Bellis
Partner

0186 578 1058

James Berry

James Berry
Partner

0114 263 9483

Adam Boyd
Partner

0345 271 6773

Mark Brown
Partner

0345 271 6764

Jill Carey

Jill Carey
Partner

0345 634 2548

Lindsey Clegg

Lindsey Clegg
Partner

0345 030 5793

Richard Coates

Richard Coates
Partner

0345 128 7972

Mike Gilmour

Mike Gilmour
Partner

0345 274 6944

Graham Greenfield

Graham Greenfield
Partner

0345 274 6904

James Hartley

James Hartley
Partner

0345 077 9581

Simon Hobbs

Simon Hobbs
Partner

0190 835 0200

John Kelly
Partner

0345 050 3687

David Marsden

David Marsden
Partner

0345 404 1757

Amy Morley

Amy Morley
Partner

0345 050 3669

Martin Noble
Partner

0345 030 5699

Will Richmond-Coggan
Partner

0186 578 1004

Nick Sutton
Partner

0345 077 9567

Image of Paul Tomkins

Paul Tomkins
Partner

0345 050 3260

Caroline Watson
Partner

0345 030 5789

Louise Wilson
Partner

0345 073 8583

Rachael Yates
Partner

0345 077 9578

Emma Anderson
Director

0345 272 5712

Henry Clappison

Henry Clappison
Director

0345 634 2571

Ciaran Dearden
Director

0114 263 9438

Tristan Duncan
Director

0345 166 6301

Simon Ellis

Simon Ellis
Director

0345 128 7983

Nichola Faith

Nichola Faith
Director

0345 404 1756

Jade Flint

Jade Flint
Director

0345 050 3698

Rachel Gaffney
Director

0115 935 1860

Robert Hill
Director

0345 274 6924

Imogen Randall
Director

0345 077 9582

Dispute Resolution

Carla Rist
Director

0345 340 4230

Dispute Resolution

Guy Berwick
Consultant

0345 050 3661

Raymond Joyce

Raymond Joyce
Consultant

0345 634 2578

Paul Brown

Paul Brown
Managing Associate

0186 578 1020

Andrew Dashwood-Begg

Andrew Dashwood-Begg
Managing Associate

0186 578 1021

Gary Duffy

Gary Duffy
Managing Associate

0114 263 9471

Image of Richard Fitzmaurice

Richard Fitzmaurice
Managing Associate

0345 274 6892

Matt Fraser

Matt Fraser
Managing Associate

0345 634 2563

Carl Holmes

Carl Holmes
Managing Associate

0345 274 6910

Beth Jenkins

Beth Jenkins
Managing Associate

0345 077 9657

Victoria Jones

Victoria Jones
Managing Associate

0345 272 5721

Sajjid Kurmani
Managing Associate

0345 166 6312

Lim Li Yen

Li Yen Lim
Managing Associate

0345 050 3668

Joshua Middleton

Josh Middleton
Managing Associate

0345 128 7955

Michael Miller
Managing Associate

0345 073 8552

Image of Mona Schroedel

Mona Schroedel
Managing Associate

0186 578 1057

Rosalyn Shephard

Rosalyn Shephard
Managing Associate

01865 781 023

Image of Aimee Teague

Aimee Teague
Managing Associate

0345 030 5742

Zalena Vandrewala

Zalena Vandrewala
Managing Associate

0345 077 9613

Image of Emma Fitzmaurice

Emma Fitzmaurice
Senior Associate

0345 274 6880

Petya Koycheva
Senior Associate

0345 128 6979

Chloe Oram

Chloe Oram
Senior Associate

0345 030 5801

Tristan Sharples
Senior Associate

0345 271 6737

Samantha Ball
Associate

0345 271 6769

Image of Nic Davies

Nic Davies
Associate

0345 404 4176

Image of Charlotte Flynn

Charlotte Flynn
Associate

0345 340 4253

Lisa Goodrich profile photo

Lisa Goodrich
Associate

0345 030 5805

Emma Hall
Associate

0345 030 5799

Nicola Heslop

Nicola Heslop
Associate

0345 030 5800

Rhiannon Murphy
Associate

0345 030 5655

Chris Musgrave
Associate

0345 166 6260

Amy Platt
Associate

0345 166 6267

Mollie White
Associate

0345 404 4103

Image of Paul Wiggins

Paul Wiggins
Associate

0186 578 1227

Related news
More related news, articles and events for Dispute Resolution
Testimonials

"Thank you for your efforts this week. In a world where law firms experience bad press and excellent customer service is rare, it is refreshing to see an organisation that is proactive and able to exceed expectations; you have clearly managed both."

(Managing Director/Owner of Winston Joinery Group)

“I always felt they were strong on the detail and complexity.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2024)

“Freeths have handled every aspect of my legal battles with great care and guided me in the right direction.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2024)

“Freeths has a very wide range and depth of expertise, meaning they are able to handle anything we require of them.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2024)

“The firm shows a good grasp of the details and provides good communications on complex matters."

(Chambers & Partners, 2024)

“The team are very effective and client-oriented. The lawyers provide good commercial advice and are realistic about the risks faced in litigation but still fight their client's corner hard.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2024)

“They quickly understand business issues and their advice is incisive. The resolutions they put forward are always in reference to what is commercially acceptable..” “Freeths provides excellent commercial advice in tricky cases..”

(Chambers & Partners, 2023)

“The team is extremely responsive and provides practical and pragmatic commercial advice.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2023)

“They quickly understand business issues and their advice is incisive. The resolutions they put forward are always in reference to what is commercially acceptable.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2023)

“The team were superb and always very informative of their views and reasons for how they approached each complex stage or obstacle.”

(Chambers & Partners, 2023)

Notable Work
  • Successfully defended Eurobet UK Ltd in a claim in the High Court for £650k, made by an on-line Italian gambler. The large win by this gambler was the result of a software ‘bug’. The case, which was widely reported in both the national and international media, made The Telegraph’s Top 10 biggest computer failure cases that year.
  • Acting for Philips Electronics and Philips Pension Trustees in bringing £300 million claims against Aon Hewitt and AllianceBernstein, for the negligent design and implementation of the pension fund’s investment strategy in 2007. The claim follows on from an earlier claim for £100 million, which Louise acted on against Hewitt in relation to actuarial negligence, which settled successfully following a second mediation.
  • Defending a substantial claim issued in the High Court in London relating to the supply of defective fabric by a Turkish company. The case involved a complex paper trail and issues such as security for costs. We had to adopt a robust defence and pursue security for costs, because the claim was spurious and because of its impact on a family run business with many High Street retailers.
  • Acting for multiple claimants in a shareholders’ dispute involving a detailed analysis of director’s fiduciary duties in relation to 40% of the equity (with an estimated value of £80 million) in a maritime engineering and naval architecture company in the High Court’s Chancery Division. The case settled on very favourable terms to our clients.
  • Currently advising several hundred Sub-postmasters in a High Court Group Action against Post Office Ltd in relation to the Horizon accounting software.
  • Acted for Developer threatened with suspension and termination by Design & Build Contractor in works relating to the refurbishment of office premises to residential use. Contractor in delay, fire safety issues to be resolved. Contractor claimed over £2 million. Developer client could not afford to terminate Contractor, however strong the case, because of the longstop date exposure to funders. Dispute resolved by contract variation on “nuisance” terms within 26 days of instruction.
  • Mediated in a dispute concerning breach of fiduciary duty against the First Defendant; a debt claim against the Second Defendant and a Petition for relief under s.994 of the Companies Act 2006. The issues in the matter were complex but we were able to achieve a settlement on the day of the mediation.
  • Acted for two clients who were due to inherit the deceased’s residuary estate; worth £1.5 million. This was in connection with defending a challenge to the validity of the deceased’s last will on the grounds of lack of capacity and want of knowledge and approval. We secured a very favourable settlement for them, where the disputed will was admitted to probate.
  • Successfully resisted a £2 million+ unusual mutual wills case, where it was alleged that because of that mutual will, our client held his late wife’s estate on trust for the claimant (a non-family member). Complex company and estate issues arose, given (i) our client’s 100% shareholding in estate companies and the claimant’s position as director in them; and (ii) the fact that our client and the claimant were joint executors of the late wife’s will. A settlement was reached prior to trial whereby a small % of the £2 million was paid, including costs.
  • Acting for a Nigerian oil corporation in ICC proceedings involving complex jurisdictional and res judicata issues. This involved successfully convincing the Tribunal to find that no jurisdiction existed for the Claimant to bring the claim, bringing the international and domestic arbitration actions issued against her client to an early conclusion.

Client service

‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.

Our values

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Talk to us

Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?

Contact: 03301 001 014

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