Company law
Wilberforce has a strong reputation for its work across all areas of company law, including financial assistance, shareholder disputes and directors’ duties issues. It has particular expertise on high-value corporate reorganisations and on offshore transactional advice and litigation.
The complementary expertise of all our members in equity and trusts provides the framework for a deeper understanding of the issues ensuing from breaches of the fiduciary duties owed to companies, equitable compensation, and the proprietary remedies arising out of wrongful disposals of company assets.
Our members offer expert advice and advocacy in relation to a wide range of company law issues such as:
- Shareholder disputes
- 994 petitions (under Companies Act 2006)
- Derivative actions
- Share and business sale agreements
- Breach of warranty disputes
- Shareholder agreements
- Financial assistance
- Directors’ duties and negligence
- Disqualification of directors
- Restoration of companies to the register
- OEICs
- Corporate insolvency – winding up, administration, CVA, receivership
- Accounting/audit negligence
Instructions come from large, multinational corporations, through to medium sized and small companies and their directors and shareholders. A number of our members have particular experience of company law disputes in other jurisdictions, including most of the principle offshore jurisdictions, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Rankings and recognition
Wilberforce is ranked as a leading company law set in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. Coverage below.
Chambers & Partners UK 2023: Wilberforce Chambers represents an excellent choice of set for company matters. Its barristers frequently represent clients faced with domestic and cross-border shareholder disputes, issues of directors’ duties and breaches of fiduciary duty, among other matters. Their reputation for handling offshore work is particularly strong. Recent instructions handled include Krys v Sheikh Mohammed Bin Issa Al Jaber, a £3.5 billion claim for breach of directors’ duty, conspiracy and tracing in connection with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Issa Al Jaber’s management and dealings with the shares in a BVI company which owned a very large portfolio of hotels worldwide. The set has also been appearing in Re Vijay Mallya, a long-running, high-profile Indian bankruptcy claim concerning the fallen Kingfisher Airways tycoon.
The Legal 500 UK 2023: Wilberforce Chambers furthered its ‘excellent strength in depth across all practice areas’ with the recruitment of Sri Carmichael and Jessica Brooke in November 2021. The set remains a particularly strong choice for matters involving several crossover Chancery practice areas. Clare Stanley KC acts for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Issa Al Jaber defending a £3.5 billion claim for breach of directors’ duty, conspiracy and tracing in a High Court trial to complete in October 2022. Max Mallin KC has a broad commercial and company law practice covering a range of contractual and other business disputes, often with an international element. Carmichael is another member of the team with a broad practice but is frequently instructed on s.994 unfair prejudice petitions and breach of directors’ duty claims.
Wilberforce Chambers are one of the preeminent sets... They offer an array of services aimed at sophisticated users looking for a premium service and product.
