People Issues and Disputes
Businesses inevitably run into arguments and disputes from time to time. They can be damaging, disruptive and costly. If not handled carefully there can be reputational damage. In small businesses, disputes can come in many forms such as between shareholders/owners, with staff or family members, or with customers and suppliers.
We bring our experience to resolve issues as simply as possible. This means getting behind the issue to understand what it is really about. Whilst having a good grasp of any legal or contractual aspect is key, negotiation and compromise is often a wise course of action. This means getting the maximum gain for the minimum cost/effort. Sometimes an issue will only be resolved through a legal route and we assist in putting a client’s situation in the best light. We bring in legal advisers and HR professionals where necessary or helpful.
Avoiding problems
It is obviously far better, cheaper and life is more pleasant if arguments and disputes are avoided in the first place. This is often best achieved by good communication and documentation. Getting relationships and contracts set up well can pay handsome dividends.
This can be helped in two ways:
(a) Good contract and documentation – Getting the right paperwork in place can reduce arguments. The very existence of a good shareholders’ agreement or well written contract sitting on the shelf can avoid many a problem in the future.
(b) The right culture – An increasingly important aspect of running a successful modern business is getting the culture right. Today’s workplace can have four generations of individuals. These are:
Ø Traditionalists (born around 1945)
Ø Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964)
Ø Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and
Ø Generation Y / Millennials (born between 1981 and 2000s)
X and Y Generations and Millennials often have a very different view way of looking at things than Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. This is especially true in areas such as:
- Work-life balance
- Aspiration
- Workimng style
- Team spirit
- Motivation
Understanding this changing dynamic in the workplace can not only avoid many potential arguments and unhappiness but harness great potential for a business’s success. Encouraging a culture of innovation can help many businesses not just survive but really flourish.
We have worked on:
- Shareholder disputes
- Staff discipline issues
- Staff underperformance
- Payment disputes
- Warranty disputes
- Contractor’s Design Portion disputes
- Various contractual disputes
- Successful litigation at the Technology and Construction Court
“Huge thanks to you David for helping us with a sensitive and tricky matter surrounding our rental properties on which we had previously received incorrect tax advice. This required our personal and business tax returns to be corrected and large amounts of additional tax to be paid to HMRC to correct the mistakes. This has resulted in a dispute with former advisers. Your knowledge, diligence, patience and tenacity is appreciated beyond words.” – Business owner, Essex.