Disagreements at the top can quickly damage trust, relationships and the business itself. Whether it’s a breakdown in communication, concerns over misconduct, or feeling sidelined — we’ll help you protect your rights and your role.
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Disputes arise when those involved in running or owning a business fall into disagreement. These issues often revolve around decision-making, profit sharing, or someone failing to meet their responsibilities.
Common triggers include breaches of directors’ duties, unfair treatment of shareholders, conflicts over the business’s direction, or a partner acting without consent. These disputes can seriously harm both individuals and the business.
At CEL Solicitors, we know how stressful and personal these situations can be. Whether you’re being excluded, concerned about misconduct, or facing a breakdown in trust, we’re here to help. We’ll move quickly to protect your position and find a way forward.
CEL Solicitors provides expert legal support for directors, shareholders, and partners in dispute. We help clients across England and Wales manage internal business conflicts with clear advice and strong representation.
Here’s what to expect when you work with us:
Our team understands company law, partnership law, and directors’ duties — so we can get straight to the heart of the matter.
Every dispute is different. We’ll listen carefully and build a strategy that reflects your goals and your business.
We speak your language. No jargon or legalese — just straightforward guidance from the start.
Whenever possible, we resolve disputes without the need for court — saving you time, money, and stress. Our team are expert negotiators who protect your interests while aiming for an amicable solution.
If court action is necessary, we’ll represent you robustly and protect your rights at every stage.
Not sure where you stand? We offer a free, no-obligation call to help you understand your next steps.
We support clients facing a wide range of internal business disputes, including:
Including breach of duty, conflicts of interest, or unfair exclusion from decisions. We act for directors and for companies affected by misconduct.
Covering unfair prejudice, dividend issues, attempts to remove directors, or deadlock situations. We act for both majority and minority shareholders.
Including profit-sharing disagreements, unclear responsibilities, exits, or dissolution. We’ll help clarify your legal position and protect your share.
We advise when directors fail in their legal responsibilities — such as acting in bad faith, hiding conflicts, or misusing company assets.
We act when smaller shareholders are excluded, denied fair value, or suffer from damaging conduct by majority stakeholders.
If relationships have broken down, we’ll guide you through the legal steps to remove a director or partner in line with your agreements.
If another professional has let your business down, we can help you hold them accountable and recover what you’ve lost.
Whatever the issue, we’ll provide calm, practical support with your best interests at heart.
Not every dispute needs to end in court. We’ll help you explore the most appropriate resolution for your case:
Direct dialogue can be the quickest and most cost-effective way to reach an agreement.
This private process offers a binding decision by an independent expert — faster and less public than litigation.
A neutral mediator helps both sides reach common ground. It’s a flexible, confidential process that can preserve relationships.
If court action is necessary, we’ll stand by you with clear advice and strong legal representation every step of the way.
Speak to our friendly team today. You are not alone, and you may have a case.
We have extensive experience handling director and shareholder dispute claims.
We’ll explain your funding options from the start, including fixed fees where available.
Every dispute is different, so we tailor our service to your needs.
Our director and shareholder dispute solicitors are committed to getting the best outcome for our clients.
Yes — negotiation, mediation, or arbitration can often achieve a resolution more quickly and affordably than court.
Yes. If the company is being run in a way that’s unfairly harmful to you as a shareholder, you may be able to bring an ‘unfair prejudice’ claim under the Companies Act 2006. We can help you understand your options.
This depends on the company’s articles of association or partnership agreement. Legal advice is essential to follow the correct process and avoid liability.
For most contract and business claims, you have six years from the date of the breach. For some negligence claims, you may have longer if you only found out about the problem later, but there’s an overall limit of 15 years. Time limits can be complex, so it’s best to get advice early.
Fiduciary duties are legal duties that directors owe to their company. They include acting in the company’s best interests, avoiding conflicts of interest, and using reasonable care and skill. If a director breaks these duties, the company, or sometimes shareholders acting on its behalf, may be able to take legal action.
Keep records such as meeting minutes, shareholder agreements, partnership contracts, emails, and financial statements. We’ll help assess the strength of your case.
Disagreements may lead to restructuring or dissolution of the partnership. We help mediate outcomes or take legal action if necessary.
Even without a formal agreement, partners may still have legal rights under the Partnership Act 1890. We’ll explain your position and help protect your interests.
A director dispute involves a disagreement between directors or between directors and the company. It may involve decisions, management style, misconduct, or breaches of duty.
It depends on how complex your case is. We’ll explain the options before you commit to anything. These can include fixed fees, staged fixed fees that later move to an hourly rate, hourly rates, or a partial conditional fee agreement, where part of our fee depends on the outcome. We’ll always tell you which option we’re recommending and why.
Your case will be handled by our litigation team, made up of qualified solicitors, trainee solicitors and paralegals.