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Commercial disputes can become expensive long before anyone enters a courtroom.
A disagreement over a contract, unpaid invoice, supplier failure, shareholder issue, earn-out or restrictive covenant can quickly affect cash flow, management time and the wider business relationship.
We help businesses assess their position early, understand the evidence, negotiate from a clear position and prepare for arbitration where the contract requires it. Where court proceedings or other reserved legal activities are required, we work alongside the regulated solicitors you instruct.
If a contractual deadline, notice period or limitation date is approaching, mention it when you call.
Time limits can affect your ability to pursue a claim, and the applicable period depends on the nature of the claim and the contract. The courts' guidance also makes clear that pre-action procedures do not extend statutory limitation periods.
The first question is not always "How do we take this to court?"
It is usually:
What actually happened, what does the contract say, what evidence do we have, and what is the commercial value of taking the dispute further?
The purpose is to give you a clearer basis for deciding what to do next.
Sometimes that means pursuing the claim. Sometimes it means negotiating a settlement. Sometimes the most commercially sensible decision is to stop.
Most disputes do not need every stage below. The appropriate route depends on the contract, evidence, value of the dispute and the position of the parties.
| Stage | What happens | Our role |
|---|---|---|
| 01. Early assessment | Facts, contract, evidence, deadlines and commercial position are reviewed | Lead |
| 02. Evidence and correspondence | Documents are assembled and the position is put to the other side | Lead |
| 03. Negotiation | Settlement discussions take place directly or through advisers | Lead |
| 04. Mediation | A structured settlement process with an independent mediator | Support and representation within our permitted scope |
| 05. Arbitration | The contractual arbitration process is commenced and managed | Arbitration support within our permitted scope |
| 06. Court proceedings | Litigation and court advocacy are required | Handover to regulated solicitors |
The exact scope is agreed at the outset so you know which parts we handle and when another regulated provider needs to become involved.
We work across two connected areas: commercial dispute resolution and arbitration support.
The applicable arbitration procedure depends on the agreement between the parties, the seat of the arbitration and any institutional rules incorporated into the contract. The Arbitration Act 1996 remains a principal statutory framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with amendments introduced by the Arbitration Act 2025.
A supplier has failed to perform, a customer disputes payment, or one party says the other has breached the agreement.
We review the contractual obligations, relevant correspondence and available evidence before helping you determine the practical options.
A customer has not paid and normal credit control has stopped producing results.
The issue may be straightforward debt recovery, or it may involve a wider dispute about performance, quality, delivery or contractual obligations.
A supplier has stopped delivering, changed its terms, missed service levels or supplied goods or services that do not meet the agreed requirements.
We can help assess the contractual position and the options available before the relationship deteriorates further.
A disagreement between shareholders or former directors can affect control, information, company assets, restrictive covenants and the future of the business.
The relevant shareholders' agreement, articles and other documents need to be considered together.
Disputes can arise after a business sale or acquisition over matters such as completion accounts, earn-outs, warranties, indemnities or other obligations under the transaction documents.
Early assessment can help establish the contractual position and commercial options.
A former employee, director or business partner may have taken confidential information, approached customers or acted contrary to contractual restrictions.
These matters can become urgent quickly, particularly when information or customer relationships are at immediate risk.
That is why the arbitration clause should be reviewed before anything is filed or served.
Some commercial contracts provide for arbitration rather than court proceedings.
An arbitration clause can specify matters such as the applicable rules, the seat of arbitration, appointment of the tribunal and procedural requirements.
The first step is therefore to read the arbitration agreement carefully.
The Arbitration Act 1996 contains specific provisions dealing with commencement of arbitral proceedings, appointment of arbitrators and other procedural matters.
The procedural requirements depend on the arbitration agreement and applicable rules, but common issues can include:
A commercial dispute does not always need a final winner and loser.
For many businesses, the preferred outcome is a settlement that protects cash flow, avoids unnecessary cost and allows the commercial relationship to continue.
The objective is not simply to negotiate for the sake of negotiating. It is to understand your position and use that information to make commercially informed decisions.
These are examples of common commercial situations, not descriptions of specific client matters.
Commercial disputes are often heavily dependent on documents.
Relevant material can include:
We can help organise the evidence and identify the documents that matter to the issue being disputed.
A clear documentary record also helps when another solicitor, barrister or specialist litigation team needs to become involved.
Adroit Legal Solutions is not a regulated law firm and does not conduct reserved legal activities such as litigation or exercising rights of audience in court.
The Legal Services Act 2007 restricts reserved legal activities to authorised or exempt persons.
That boundary is important.
If a dispute requires court proceedings or another activity outside our permitted scope, we will tell you and work alongside the regulated solicitors you appoint.
This means the work already completed on the commercial position, evidence and negotiation strategy can be handed over in an organised way.
A business should know from the beginning who is handling each part of a dispute.
We do not present ourselves as a litigation firm when we are not one.
Our role is focused on:
This gives you a clear route from the first conversation through to the point where specialist litigation representation is needed.
Disputes develop as information becomes available, so pricing is structured around the stage of work rather than attempting to predict the entire dispute from the first call.
You are not committed to every stage from the outset. The next stage is discussed and agreed after the position has been assessed.
The first objective is clarity.
You should understand:
From there, you can decide how far to proceed.
No. Adroit Legal Solutions does not conduct litigation or exercise rights of audience in court as a regulated provider. Where court proceedings are required, we can work alongside the regulated solicitors you appoint. The Legal Services Act 2007 identifies litigation and rights of audience among the reserved legal activities.
As soon as you become aware of a potential dispute, particularly if the contract contains a notice period or other deadline.
Contractual deadlines can operate alongside statutory limitation periods. The courts' guidance confirms that pre-action procedures do not change statutory limitation periods.
There is no universal answer. The appropriate route depends on the contract, the arbitration agreement, the nature of the dispute, the parties and the circumstances.
Some contracts require arbitration, so the parties may not have a free choice of forum. Arbitration can also involve specific procedural and cost considerations that should be understood before proceedings begin.
Yes. Early assessment, correspondence, negotiation and mediation can all form part of the dispute resolution process.
Yes. We can work alongside existing advisers where our role is useful, including commercial assessment, document review, evidence organisation, negotiation strategy or other work within our permitted scope.
The scope depends on the matter, but it can include reviewing the relevant contract and documents, assessing the evidence, identifying important deadlines, considering the strengths and weaknesses of the position and discussing the available commercial options.
We can provide arbitration support within our permitted scope. The exact work depends on the arbitration agreement, applicable institutional rules, seat and procedural requirements. Where regulated representation is required, we can coordinate with the appropriate regulated provider.
If a commercial dispute has arisen, the first step is understanding your position.
Book a free 20-minute call to explain what has happened, what the contract says and any deadline you are concerned about.
Review and drafting of commercial contracts to identify and manage risk before a dispute develops.
Agreements covering shareholder rights, decision-making, transfers, exits and deadlock arrangements.
Legal support for regulatory requirements, compliance issues and business obligations.
Ongoing legal support for businesses that need regular advice and contract assistance.