Dispute Resolution

UK

The best possible solution for your business, well-protected interests and carefully-managed cost control. That's what the Gowling WLG dispute resolution team will deliver when we work alongside you in a dispute.

Our first priority is to understand your commercial objectives. After assessing your case's strengths and weaknesses, where appropriate, we'll explore early resolution through open discussion with the opposition, and the use of mediation or ADR processes.

If a formal proceeding is unavoidable or the best course of action, this team has a proven track record of securing successful results. Whether it's the specialist divisions of Commercial, Chancery, Companies and Technology & Construction in the English courts, domestic arbitration, adjudications or international arbitration proceedings under common institutional rules including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, SIAC and DIAC, you'll be in safe hands.

That's why clients turn to us when the stakes are high. "Frequently acting on high-profile cases" (Chambers) our team is always ready and willing to fight for clients. In one case, our award-winning IP litigators pursued a six-year battle all the way to the Supreme Court, overturning 100 years of law in the process and saving the client from a £49 million pay-out.

What else can you expect from one of the UK's largest team of dispute resolution lawyers?

  • Global reach - clients operate globally; we do too. A substantial proportion of our work is of a global nature. The team operates in the English High Court, in English domestic arbitration and in international arbitration for a range of foreign clients. Litigation and/or arbitration work is currently being handled in Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, France, Guernsey, Jersey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA
  • Strength in depth - with more than 170 lawyers, you can be certain of the necessary resource to handle your dispute. Legal expertise includes bribery and corruption, commercial fraud, engineering and construction, regulatory and professional liability. Sectors expertise includes aerospace, automotive, food and drink, financial services, real estate, retail and technology
  • Cost control - the team uses 'Phase and Task', an IT tool which tracks legal costs throughout the dispute. Regular communications keeps you in control of your case and costs

These are a few reasons clients around the world choose us to represent them. These include the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, FTSE 100, 250 and AIM-listed clients including Dyson, Phillips Electronics, 3i Group, GKN, NCP, Premier Foods, The Government of Brazil and The Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine.

Our work for these has seen the team win various awards.

The firm's Litigation and Regulatory team was a finalist at the British Legal Awards 2013 for its work advising the Federal Republic of Brazil and the Municipality of Sao Paulo in proceedings against two BVI companies closely connected to the former mayor of Sao Paulo, Paulo Maluf.

This was arguably one of the most important corruption and asset recovery cases ever to be undertaken by Brazil and the largest and most complex civil proceedings brought by the authorities to repatriate assets outside of the country.

Similarly, the IP team's successes have been acknowledged by being named UK Patent Contentious Team of the Year 2014, Managing IP; TMT Team of the Year 2014, Legal Business Awards; and TMT Team of the Year 2013, British Legal Awards. It also won China IP Deal of the Year 2013, China Business Law Journal.

We're a founder member of ICC FraudNet, the worldwide network of lawyers specialised in asset tracing and recovery, connecting clients with a 24/7 international rapid deployment force.

Advice on pre and post event legal insurance is also available.

Gowling WLG supports the Department of Constitutional Affairs' programme to promote judicial diversity.

WINNER - Private Client Specialism of the Year - Contentious Trusts and Probate, The Legal 500 UK 2014 Awards.