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.
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 >
Our 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.
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
Partner & National Head of Dispute Resolution
Alternatively complete the form below:
Contact Us
Dispute Resolution Lawyers


Sarah Foster
National Head
0186 578 1055


Mark Keeley
National Head
0345 274 6875


Richard Beverley
Managing Partner
0345 634 2577


Philippa Dempster
Managing Partner
0207 440 5841


Simon Baigent
Partner
0345 274 6903


Clare Bellis
Partner
0186 578 1058


James Berry
Partner
0114 263 9483


Adam Boyd
Partner
0345 271 6773


Mark Brown
Partner
0345 271 6764


Jill Carey
Partner
0345 634 2548


Lindsey Clegg
Partner
0345 030 5793


Richard Coates
Partner
0345 128 7972


Mike Gilmour
Partner
0345 274 6944


Graham Greenfield
Partner
0345 274 6904



James Hartley
Partner
0345 077 9581


Simon Hobbs
Partner
0190 835 0200


John Kelly
Partner
0345 050 3687


David Marsden
Partner
0345 404 1757


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


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
Director
0345 634 2571


Ciaran Dearden
Director
0114 263 9438


Tristan Duncan
Director
0345 166 6301


Simon Ellis
Director
0345 128 7983


Nichola Faith
Director
0345 404 1756


Jade Flint
Director
0345 050 3698


Rachel Gaffney
Director
0115 935 1860


Robert Hill
Director
0345 274 6924


Imogen Randall
Director
0345 077 9582



Carla Rist
Director
0345 340 4230



Guy Berwick
Consultant
0345 050 3661


Raymond Joyce
Consultant
0345 634 2578


Paul Brown
Managing Associate
0186 578 1020


Andrew Dashwood-Begg
Managing Associate
0186 578 1021


Gary Duffy
Managing Associate
0114 263 9471


Richard Fitzmaurice
Managing Associate
0345 274 6892


Matt Fraser
Managing Associate
0345 634 2563


Carl Holmes
Managing Associate
0345 274 6910


Beth Jenkins
Managing Associate
0345 077 9657


Victoria Jones
Managing Associate
0345 272 5721


Sajjid Kurmani
Managing Associate
0345 166 6312


Li Yen Lim
Managing Associate
0345 050 3668


Josh Middleton
Managing Associate
0345 128 7955


Michael Miller
Managing Associate
0345 073 8552


Mona Schroedel
Managing Associate
0186 578 1057


Rosalyn Shephard
Managing Associate
01865 781 023


Aimee Teague
Managing Associate
0345 030 5742


Zalena Vandrewala
Managing Associate
0345 077 9613


Emma Fitzmaurice
Senior Associate
0345 274 6880


Petya Koycheva
Senior Associate
0345 128 6979


Chloe Oram
Senior Associate
0345 030 5801


Tristan Sharples
Senior Associate
0345 271 6737


Samantha Ball
Associate
0345 271 6769


Nic Davies
Associate
0345 404 4176


Charlotte Flynn
Associate
0345 340 4253


Lisa Goodrich
Associate
0345 030 5805


Emma Hall
Associate
0345 030 5799


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


Paul Wiggins
Associate
0186 578 1227
In safe hands? – Protecting your business’s confidential information webinar
Events 6th Dec 2023Court of Appeal rules on a landlord’s opposition to new tenancy under the Landlord and Tenant, 1954 Act
Articles 25th Oct 2023In safe hands? – Protecting your business’s confidential information
Events 20th Oct 2023- 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.
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