S.AI

Dispute Resolution

Disputes, handled calmly

Discuss your situation

Our approach

We are not a litigation machine. We bring senior strategy to shape the outcome.

What we handle

Disputes we can support

Shareholder & director disputes Company buyouts & exits Commercial contract disputes Debt recovery Partnership & LLP disputes Employment disputes Fraud & asset recovery Professional negligence International & cross-border

And more. If it is a commercial dispute that matters to your business, ask us. Not small claims, though, where the cost of doing the job properly outweighs what is at stake.

Ask us to help

How a dispute moves

Most never reach a courtroom

Every dispute is different, but they move through the same four stages. The earlier we are involved, the more options you have, and the less it costs. Scroll through to see how it unfolds.

Pre-action Most resolve here

Before any formal step is taken

This is where most disputes are decided. We assess the legal position accurately, gather the right evidence, and identify the strongest route forward, before you commit and before the other side knows what is coming. That includes honest advice on whether a dispute is worth pursuing at all.

Lowest cost, most options
Letter before action Most resolve here

Formally putting the other side on notice

A letter before action is a formal legal document, setting out the claim, its basis, the relief sought, and what must happen to avoid proceedings. Drafted correctly, it resolves more disputes than most people expect, often the first time the other side sees the full exposure they face.

Low cost, still flexible
Proceedings

When formal steps become necessary

If the letter does not resolve matters, proceedings may become necessary. It is not always the right choice, and we will tell you clearly if it is not. Where it is, we manage the process, the documentation, and, where required, the instruction of Counsel. Fee for each step is agreed before we take it.

Higher cost, fewer options
Resolution

Drawing a clear line under the matter

Resolution takes different forms, settlement, judgment, discontinuance or mediated outcome, each with different implications. We advise on the right outcome for your position, negotiate the terms, and make sure it is properly documented, so the dispute ends in a way that protects you going forward.

Resolved, line drawn

Examples

Judgement, in practice

The same judgement applies whether a dispute is modest or substantial. Two outcomes, anonymised.

A multi-million recovery, settled before court

During the financial crisis, an international bank used its control over a client's bespoke portfolio to issue a cascade of margin calls, building to exposure of around £200 million. The contract spanned Singapore, London and New York. We built the claim and resolved it pre-action, with no trial and no years in court.

£200m Exposure engineered against our client

Settled pre-action for roughly a third of the claim.

A £5 million claim, closed for a fraction

Two shareholders bought out a third at real personal cost. After the company was sold, he resurfaced claiming he had sold at an undervalue. The litigation ran seven years and the claim grew past £5 million. We held the shareholders' position throughout, because clearing their desk to build the next company was the strategic priority.

£5m Claim, grown over seven years

Closed for comfortably under £200,000. Settlement used as a tool, not a surrender.

Scope

How we work with you

We are a legal consultancy, not a regulated law firm. We can advise you on nearly all litigation matters, including drafting, correspondence and strategy. We will manage a barrister during your engagement and help you interface with them. You would go on the Court record.

What we cannot help with

Discuss Your Situation

Tell us what you are dealing with

Every dispute is different. The starting point is always the same: understanding your position clearly. Get in touch and describe the situation, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help, what the options are, and what it is likely to cost. Not sure where you stand? A Legal Discovery Day maps your position in a single fixed-fee day.

Discuss your situation Start with Discovery Day

Initial conversation is free. No obligation.