Practice area
Dispute resolution and litigation
Most disputes are decided by the quality of the record long before they reach a hearing. We take instructions early, work out what can be proved, and give you an honest view of the options — including the option of settling.
What we do
We act in civil and commercial disputes before the Magistrates' Courts, the High Court and the specialised courts. The work includes contract and debt claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, land and boundary matters before the Environment and Land Court, employment claims before the Employment and Labour Relations Court, and judicial review of decisions by public bodies.
We also act in arbitration and mediation, whether the parties reached that forum by an arbitration clause or by referral from court. Where a matter is better resolved by negotiation, we say so, and we prepare the settlement so that it is enforceable rather than merely agreed.
How we run a file
At the outset we set out the claim or the defence, the evidence that supports it, the likely timetable, and the exposure on costs. We keep instructions and correspondence in one place, and we tell you when something changes the assessment rather than at the next hearing. Urgent applications — injunctions, preservation orders, stays — are prepared on the footing that the court will read the affidavit before it hears the advocate.
Questions clients ask
Should I sue or settle?
It depends on what you can prove, what the other side can pay, and what the delay costs you. We give you the merits and the recovery prospects separately, because a strong claim against an empty pocket is not a commercial win.
How long will a case take?
Timelines vary by court and by the number of interlocutory applications. We give you a realistic range at the start and revise it as the matter progresses; we do not promise a hearing date we cannot control.
Is arbitration cheaper?
Not always. Arbitration is usually faster and private, but the parties pay the tribunal. For high-value commercial disputes it often makes sense; for a modest debt claim it usually does not.