Professional services disputes

Our professional services disputes team comprises specialist litigation and arbitration lawyers who are highly experienced in UK High Court litigation and in domestic and international arbitration in the partnership and limited liability partnership (LLP) sphere.

Clients include some of the largest firms, predominantly in the professional and financial services sectors, from law firms, accountancy firms and hedge funds to medical partnerships. The team also acts for individual partners.

Where possible, we aim to resolve professional partnership disputes without the need for proceedings, either through negotiation or formal mediation. In some cases, however, urgent injunctive relief is required from the Court, for example, where expulsion of an individual is threatened or where a firm is at risk of losing an existing client base or confidential information (or both). In these cases, we are experienced in obtaining such relief from the Court.

Professional services disputes experience

• Acted for Vestra Wealth LLP against UBS Wealth Management in one of the largest team moves seen in the City of London and in respect of which UBS issued an application for injunctive relief to prevent the move from happening. The principles derived from the case are now routinely used both by parties wishing to orchestrate a team move and parties wishing to prevent them

• Acted for a major international law firm in LCIA arbitration proceedings against departing partners who instigated a substantial team move, obtaining undertakings under threat of an injunction, and successfully settling the case.