Commercial Disputes

It is a fact of life that commercial disputes arise. It is almost inevitable that not everything will go to plan all of the time. Issues can arise and conflicts can occur, but that needn’t be a cause for concern if you have the right representation. Our team strives for swift, cost effective and realistic solutions.

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CONTENTS

Key Commercial Dispute Services
Keeping you out of court
Funding a commercial dispute
In-House Counsel
How we work with you
Greener Litigation Pledge

Get in touch

Key Commercial Dispute Services

We can advise on various types of commercial disputes including:

commercial contractual disputes including insurance disputes;
director, shareholder or partnership conflicts;
debt collection;
intellectual property infringements;
construction and property disputes;
professional negligence;
insolvency issues; and
judicial review.

Keeping you out of court

Mediation is a very successful alternative to court litigation in resolving disputes. It offers a forum in which an accredited mediator – who is of course also a neutral party – acts as a facilitator in order to help parties resolve their differences. This means that a suitable settlement can often be reached without the need for court proceedings to take place. Mediation then results in an enforceable contract being made, but only when all parties sign a written agreement.

Arbitration might also be an option for you. Arbitration can most easily be explained as an alternative to court proceedings, by which an independent arbitrator is appointed by either the parties involved in the dispute or a third party. Decisions on the merits of the dispute by an arbitrator are usually final and not subject to appeal, so it is therefore vital that you get the appropriate legal advice before entering into proceedings.

Funding a commercial dispute

Resolving commercial disputes can be expensive and even with our effective legal team there are additional costs such as court fees, barristers and experts to factor in.

We can help you explore ways to reduce both the up front cost to you, and reduce the risk of having to pay legal costs to your opponent if you lose.

Legal Expenses Insurance: As an individual you may have cover under your household contents insurance policy, or as a business you may have taken out legal or business interruption cover, or Directors’ and Officers’ (“D & O”) insurance. We can work with your insurer to agree a strategy and a budget to run the litigation at your insurer’s cost.
Litigation Funding: We have links with a number of companies who offer to pay the legal costs of a dispute up front, in return for a share, usually around 30%, of the damages won. You will also be required to take out an “After the Event” insurance policy to protect you and the funder from having to pay costs to your opponent if you lose.
“After the Event” Insurance: A number of insurance companies offer insurance policies to protect you from paying the winner’s costs if you lose the case (known as “adverse costs”). These policies are usually “self insuring” which means that there is no premium to pay up front. A notional premium is agreed, which usually increases at different stages of the case as the risk increases. If you win the case, you will pay the insurance premium out of your damages. If you lose the case, there is no premium to pay at all.
Conditional Fee Agreement: If you are making a claim, rather than defending one, and you are willing to share an agreed percentage of your damages with us, we will look at entering into a “no win, no fee” agreement if your case is strong enough.
“Pro Bono” work: If your case is of significance to a wider group or of importance for the public good, we will consider taking on the case without charge if it is likely to be successful.

In-House Counsel

Our team of experienced lawyers is well-equipped to support you in various ways. Whether you require advice on a specific issue, additional resources due to capacity constraints, or a second opinion, we are here to help. Explore our legal counsel page for more information and details on our schedule of seminars, specifically designed for in-house counsel.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, with offices in Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

Over the telephone
Online appointments
In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.

Greener Litigation Pledge

Paris Smith has joined the Greener Litigation Pledge, supporting practical measures that help reduce the environmental impact of litigation while continuing to deliver high-quality legal advice and effective outcomes for our clients.

Learn more about the Greener Litigation Pledge

Disputes Services

Construction Disputes

Contract Disputes

Corporate Restructuring & Insol…

man sat at desk looking at debtors on screen

Debt Recovery

company director and shareholder disputes

Director, Partnership & Shareholde…

Intellectual Property Disputes

Professional Negligence

Property Litigation

Guide to Litigation

We created this guide to provide you with an overview of the litigation process in England & Wales. You will find a summary of the common stages a civil case goes through, whether your case is a personal one or commercial, and some of the options available to resolve a dispute.

Download our Guide to Litigation here.

How we’ve helped our clients

“sources say “The team has outstanding knowledge and the ability to communicate, break down and explain legal jargon;” “The team handles cases at speed with in-depth expertise and industry knowledge;” and “The team have excellent knowledge of the market and they give clear advice.” Further sources say “We have high regard for the team’s diligence and consistency of high level responsiveness. A service second to none;” and “The team always keeps us informed and communication is always same day, sometimes out of hours.””

Chambers Legal Directory 2026 – Client Testimonials

“Sources say “Savvy, smart, and a well-run ship. An excellent firm with oodles of experience and bright lawyers;” “The team deals adeptly with large commercial disputes involving technical angles such as manufacturing, technology, construction and telecommunications;” The team has attracted a large client-base covering most of the major companies and individuals in the Southern region. My experience is that they deal adeptly with large commercial disputes involving technical angles such as manufacturing, technology, construction and telecommunications. Being a full-service law firm, they are also able to offer advice where matters cross over into property or insolvency matters;” and “Excellent attentive response time by the team has always been appreciated. A strong working team with excellent collaboration and attention to detail.””

Legal 500 2026 Edition – Client Testimonials

“Sources say “We have high regard for the team’s diligence and consistency of high level responsiveness. A service second to none;” “The team always keeps us informed and communication is always same day, sometimes out of hours;” and “Paris Smith are always quick responding to our concerns and enquiries. They provide a good, considered and courteous service.””

Chambers Legal Directory 2025

“Sources say ‘The commercial litigation team at Paris Smith is a breath of fresh air in the industry. They are approachable, plain speaking and offer sanity at a time of crisis. Their approach is refreshing and straightforward;’ ‘They were extremely thorough and respectful. They couldn’t have been more helpful. They were always available when I needed them;’ and The team is excellent and very responsive.’”

Legal 500 2025 Edition – Client Testimonials

“I wanted to thank you for the great service accorded by Paris Smith. Right from the initial contact it seemed “right”. Thank you. I was also very impressed at how Christina got to grips with the technical aspects of our issues and drafted a very forthright but extremely well-structured rebuttal of claims against us. ”

Geoff Neal, Managing Director

Euclid Limited

“We had finally found a firm of solicitors who dealt with matters with the expediency, urgency and enthusiasm that we ourselves input to problem cases. In the event of default and disputes Delta Finance had engaged a number of different firms of solicitors over the years and found the process slow and cumbersome. After being recommended to the team at Paris Smith we had finally found a firm of solicitors who dealt with matters with the expediency, urgency and enthusiasm that we ourselves input to problem cases. It has also been refreshing to receive advice from someone with a detailed knowledge and genuine understanding of our industry.”

Julian Hill

Delta Finance Corporation

“Paris Smith have provided our organisation with legal advice on complex public procurement issues where time has been of the essence, bringing in Barrister support. On each occasion they have provided us with speedy and accurate responses that have enabled us to be successful in our disputes and prevented an escalation in legal costs and time.”

Peter O’Driscoll, Director

RingGo Ltd

“Sources state Paris Smith provide the gold standard of commercial dispute resolution in Hampshire”; “A vast amount of expertise in this firm where nothing is too trivial or too daunting. Support staff right through to partners are efficient and effective”; “A great team with real experts in their field. Courtesy and transparency together with speed of response make them stand out from the crowd.” Another source says “They took time to understand our needs and accepted a fairly complex situation with complications caused by undertones of personal conflict”; whilst another says “All round competence with a commercial stance adopted”. Other sources mention individual staff : “Helen Brown took great care to listen to our case even though it was not ever going to be a large account. She gave us very clear options and worked hard to deflate what could have become a very costly personal dispute between directors. Her advice was always pertinent and thoughtful. Her approach was very reassuring and with no pressure”; Chris Holliss – encyclopaedic knowledge of his practice area. Especially good on agency disputes. Always client-focused”; and “Helen Brown – calm, assured, sensible, cogent individual with an appreciation of the commercial realities of the situation. Very strong technically.”

Legal 500 2023 – Referee Comments

“Referees say “It’s a very highly skilled and knowledgeable team with a range of experts who can help to a very high standard;” “The team are responsive and able to answer queries quickly and effectively. Our conversations were always pragmatic and understanding of the commercial realities of the situation” and “Paris Smith provides knowledgeable and practical advice.” ”

Chambers & Partners 2023 – Referee Comments

Chambers and Partners Legal Directory 2027 – Band 3

What the team is known for

Paris Smith has experienced teams in Southampton and Winchester and an established reputation on the South Coast. The firm acts for a range of regional and national clients in sectors as diverse as manufacturing, recruitment and financial services. Regularly called upon for its strength in shareholder and payment disputes, the team has additional expertise in contentious insolvency matters and contractual issues.

Strengths

“Their commercial acumen, attention to detail and depth of experience allow them to identify clients’ primary objectives and employ processes and tactics which achieve the best results. They have extremely experienced partners supported by a range of bright juniors to allow them to handle complex and sophisticated matters.”

“Paris Smith has a longstanding, in-depth knowledge of the sector in which we operate.”

“Absolutely everyone I have come across at the firm is fantastic. They are so easy to get on with, and their instructions are very good. They put a lot of effort into cases.”

Notable Practitioners

Chris Holliss

Chris Holliss advises clients on shareholder and contractual disputes as part of his wider litigation practice. Based in Southampton, he is also head of the debt collection and asset recovery team at Paris Smith.

“Chris is an extremely hard-working, intelligent and pragmatic litigator. He can identify the key motivations which have given rise to a dispute and the routes to a resolution. He is able to produce results for clients every time.”

“Chris is an experienced litigator. He is robust and cuts through the noise.”

Helen Brown

Helen Brown handles a range of corporate litigation concerning breaches of warranty and fiduciary duties, as well as issues related to shareholder and partnership agreements. She is based in the firm’s Southampton office.

“Helen has an acute eye for detail and clearly keeps commercial priorities in mind.”

“She is a very good litigation partner.”

“She is good and has a good reputation in the market.”

Legal 500 Directory 2027 Edition

Paris Smith LLP has a committed commercial litigation practice experienced in disputes in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, professional services and trade sectors, leading on complex breach of contract, partnership and shareholder, and post-transactional disputes. The group has also led on trade mark and copyright disputes, applications for freezing injunctions and contentious probate cases. Practice head Helen Brown is a highly experienced commercial litigator, with expertise in representing sellers and acquirers in transactional disputes, as well as shareholders and commercial agents in a variety of cases, while Christopher Holliss has led on high-value contract disputes and debt recoveries. Also of note in the group are Christina Spiers and Michal Kampa, who joined the firm from Scott Bailey LLP in December 2025.

What clients say:

‘Savvy, smart, and a well-run ship. An excellent firm with oodles of experience and bright lawyers.’

‘The team deals adeptly with large commercial disputes involving technical angles such as manufacturing, technology, construction and telecommunications.’

‘Broad breath of skills and areas of expertise.’

‘Down to earth and on your level, yet professional and credible.’

‘Helen Brown is a formidable yet friendly partner with excellent client management skills.’

‘Christopher Holliss is a highly experienced commercial litigation and debt recovery specialist. He is able to absorb technical and contractual issues quickly in order to distil the important issues and has a magic touch in handling clients. He is always alive to practical and commercial realities.’

‘Excellent attentive response time by the team has always been appreciated. A strong working team with excellent collaboration and attention to detail.’

‘The team has attracted a large client-base covering most of the major companies and individuals in the Southern region. My experience is that they deal adeptly with large commercial disputes involving technical angles such as manufacturing, technology, construction and telecommunications. Being a full-service law firm, they are also able to offer advice where matters cross over into property or insolvency matters.’

‘Working in particular with Chris Holliss, we have been able to achieve settlements on a number of large matters before the clients have had to incur the expense and stress of issuing or defending proceedings in court. Those matters that have reached court, are conducted effectively and always with regard to providing the best value for the client’s fees.’

‘Helen Brown worked with us on a dispute resolution case. She was very attentive and patient. Guidance was good and her ability to break down the problem. Good judge of the situation. Excellent service.’