Company & Shareholder Disputes

This area of law is specifically relevant to those working in the creative industries such as musical, literary and artistic, and includes the protection of ideas, trademarks and branding.

We have specialists who can advise on all aspects of this complex area from registering a trademark or applying for a patent, through to licensing your Intellectual Property for use by another person. If you already hold Intellectual Property Rights which you believe have been infringed, acting as soon as you’re aware of the problem is essential to minimise any impact that may be caused by the infringement.

If you’d like more information on how you can protect your work or have questions about other elements of Intellectual Property Rights, make an appointment and we’ll see how we can help.

Where a dispute has arisen between Directors we understand that you’ll want to find the most efficient and cost effective way to resolve the problem quickly. At Robinsons, our Business Law team will look at the issues involved and advise on the methods that are available to progress the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Depending on the nature of the dispute, it may be possible to use an Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) in the form of mediation and should this prove successful, the cost saving in avoiding litigation can be substantial. Where an ADR is not suitable we can look at the most appropriate way forward depending on the circumstances and your ideal outcome.

Our expertise in this area is extensive, so by making an appointment to come in for a chat you’ll be taking an important step in moving forward.

If you’re a shareholder in a company where you believe other shareholders have acted inappropriately, you may be considering making a claim of Unfair Prejudice which is covered by The Companies Act 2006.

Claims of this kind are brought when you believe the actions of other shareholders have had a detrimental effect on your shareholding and this can include: exclusion from meetings, abuse of power by a majority shareholder, excessive financial benefits to other shareholders or breaches in the Company’s Articles of Association.

This list is by no means exhaustive as this is a complex area where each case is different and needs to be examined on its own merits. At Robinsons, we have Business Law specialists whose expertise lies in this area and they will advise you on the steps you need to take to ensure your interests are protected.