Commercial Litigation
Christian Smith
Christian is the firm’s Head of Dispute Resolution and oversees the commercial litigation department’s busy and varied practice. He has over 20 years’ experience representing individual and corporate clients across a broad range of sectors.
Christian has considerable experience advising and acting in shareholder disputes and insolvency proceedings and is regularly instructed by clients seeking or defending injunctions. His steadfast and hands-on approach in fast-paced, highly contentious litigation brings many of his cases to an early resolution.
Clients value Christian’s ability to get to grips with disputes quickly and find practical solutions to complex problems. He has been recognised as "The steadiest of hands; superb with clients" - Legal 500, 2020.
Christian also enjoys working relationships with many of the UK’s leading insolvency practitioners. He is regularly instructed to consider claims by liquidators against directors, claims of misfeasance, preferences, transactions at an undervalue and breach of director’s duties.
Christian and his team provide a full-service commercial dispute offering; working closely with lawyers from across the firm’s other practice areas to review existing commercial contracts and advise on corporate governance and risk management generally. The team design and implement proficient litigation and enforcement strategies to protect, defend and enforce their client’s interests.
John Melville-Smith
John is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution team, with over 20 years’ experience, particularly in challenges to wills, contested probate and inheritance disputes, commercial partnership and contract disputes, professional negligence, insolvency and debt recovery. John has a reputation for giving his clients candid and clear advice both on the prospects of success in law and on the commercial realities of the situation. He is experienced in negotiating settlements from positions of both strength and weakness and always advises his clients to seek a negotiated or mediated settlement in preference to incurring the costs and uncertainties of trial. Wherever possible, he conducts his own advocacy, in both the County and High Courts, and has conducted many trials himself, mainly of fast track contract disputes in the County Court. John is a member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (‘ACTAPS’).
Simon Jacobs
Simon is a Partner in the Commercial Disputes team who has acted in disputes at all levels, from the county courts to the Supreme Court. He has particular expertise in corporate and individual insolvency and in intellectual property, as well as a strong reputation for banking work. Experience includes: acted for Supervisor of a high value voluntary arrangement defeating various challenges to the arrangement; represented shareholder in a complex company members case regarding a disputed application for an Administration Order and other surrounding litigation between the parties; acted for liquidator of financial services company on issues of trust claimed over client monies and assets, including associated litigation in the USA; represented a record company creditor against the liquidator of an online music retailer, establishing royalties earned and held by liquidator were to be paid to the creditor; advised in trade mark dispute over disputed use of a mark in financial services sector; acted for fixed charge receivers of real estate portfolio concerning contractual issues arising in respect of charged assets; acted for lender in Land Registry adjudication concerning allegations of forged title documents; advised in substantial defamation claim for online media agency resulting in early confidential settlement; acted in Supreme Court in appeal concerning the circumstances in which a transaction at an undervalue would be considered an unauthorised return of capital; acted in Court of Appeal in dispute over construction of a solicitors undertaking; acted in Privy Council appeal (from Bahamas) in construction of will of multi-million dollar estate.
Farhana Khanom
Farhana is an Associate in our Dispute Resolution team. She joined Seddons in July 2018, having worked previously in a national firm in the South Coast.
Farhana practices in a broad spectrum of commercial litigation, including contractual disputes, shareholder and company disputes and breach of warranty claims. Farhana provides her clients with clear and concise advice, focusing on the commercial objectives of her clients and any potential risks that may arise. Farhana is recommended in the Legal 500 Guide 2017.
David Wright
David has a broad range of commercial litigation experience acting for claimants and defendants in a wide range of matters. David has particular experience of contractual disputes, commercial disputes, company and shareholder disputes and also professional negligence.
Alongside this, David has also developed a specialism in financial services litigation and has acted in many Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) regulated disputes on a range of investments, pensions and mortgages through the courts, Financial Ombudsman Service (‘FOS’) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (‘FSCS’).
David seeks early resolution of matters wherever possible and understands the need for clear, concise advice in a timely manner.
Team Services
We appreciate that litigation can prove to be an unwelcome distraction and big drain on management time. We strive to minimise this disruption to enable our clients to devote their energy to their core business.
We have wide and successful experience of conducting cases to trial in all of the major civil courts. Acting for businesses, owner-entrepreneurs, and high net worth individuals, we have expertise in all forms of commercial, corporate and businesses disputes.
Our multi-discipline teams have a wealth of experience in negotiating and mediating, and our advice is practical, straightforward and, most importantly, commercial. Seddons’ partners provide a hands-on approach and are always contactable by clients at short notice.
Within the area of commercial litigation, we are adept at handling many issues including:
- Contractual disputes
- Shareholder and boardroom disputes
- Banking litigation
- Directors’ duty claims
- Intellectual property and brand protection
- Defamation
- Partnership disputes
- Sale of goods
- Cross border disputes
- Enforcing foreign judgments
- Contentious trusts
- Arbitration
- Construction Disputes
- Misuse of confidential information and property