Hill Dickinson LLP

Commercial Dispute Resolution

Partner

Sharon is a partner in the award-winning Commercial Dispute Resolution team with over 35 years’ experience of assisting clients with contentious matters. She heads the Commercial Dispute Resolution team in Manchester and the Finance Litigation team. She acts for banks, asset based lenders and other finance providers advising them on strategies to maximise realisations of debts and assets to minimise and where possible extinguish loss. Her practice is varied and also and increasingly includes commercial fraud and she is regularly engaged on £multi-million procurement challenges.

Sharon specialises in finance disputes, claims on guarantees, indemnities and warranties, resolution of contractual disputes, investigation and professional negligence claims and litigation in respect of fraudulent transactions. Sharon has acted in employee frauds and securing funds which had been the subject of phishing attacks by obtaining injunctive relief to preserve those funds and assets. Praised for understanding the business needs of her clients and her straightforward and commercially focussed advice, Sharon is experienced in all aspects of litigation, as well as assisting clients to resolve disputes through alternative means such as mediation.

Work highlights include:

Recovery of funds which had been the subject of phishing attacks by obtaining freezing injunctions Acting for an invoice discounter in a claim for damages for negligent misstatement to recover sums advanced Acting in a procurement challenge for a £17 million NHS contract for wheelchair services. Acting in a high value procurement challenge (£21 million) against two NHS Trusts in relation to the procurement of non-emergency transport services in London, our client being an unsuccessful bidder in the procurement which led to a re-evaluation and award of the contract to our client. Defending a claim under a Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity using arguments of duress and undue influence resulting in the Deed of Guarantee being unenforceable against our client. Obtaining judgment in a claim for damages for negligent/fraudulent misrepresentation and/or deceit and conspiracy and/or dishonest assistance.

A number of her National Finance clients following her from DWF to Hill Dickinson in 2012 .

Sharon trained and qualified at Davis Blank Furniss before moving to DWF where she was made a partner in 1998. She moved to Hill Dickinson LLP and was made a partner in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team in 2018. She was appointed Head of the Manchester Commercial Dispute Resolution team in 2023.

English

Law Society

UK Finance (formerly Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA))

College of Law – Law Society Finals - 1987

University of Leeds – LLB (Hons) – 1986

Travel, reformer pilates, walking, gin.