Understand the pressure point before choosing the process.
A substantial educational resource for SME owners, minority and majority shareholders, directors and partners dealing with deadlock, exclusion, unfair prejudice, valuation and commercial conflict in England & Wales.
Direct answer: OVP Law helps readers orient themselves before a shareholder or commercial dispute escalates. Start with the decision that has failed, preserve the records, identify the commercial objective and understand whether negotiation, mediation, a contractual mechanism or formal proceedings is the proportionate next conversation. This site is not currently accepting instructions or providing legal advice.
Who this resource is for
SME owners and founders
For people whose business relationship has become difficult while the company still needs decisions, funding and customers protected.
Minority shareholders
For members seeking to understand voting, information, agreements, exclusion, valuation and the limits of a section 994 petition.
Majority owners and directors
For decision-makers who need to govern lawfully, document authority and avoid turning disagreement into governance failure.
Partners and JV participants
For people mapping contributions, authority, profit, fiduciary obligations and exit terms where the structure is not a simple company.
What “Coming 2028” means
OVP Law is an honest pre-launch and educational project developed by PASECOM GROUP LTD. It is not currently accepting instructions, does not offer a solicitor-client relationship through this website and should not be used for urgent deadlines, injunctions, insolvency concerns or confidential case submissions. The guides are intended to improve questions and preparation, not tell a reader what to do on particular facts. For live assistance, choose an appropriate regulated provider and do not wait for 2028.
Use the waitlist for project updates only. Joining it is not an instruction, does not reserve availability and does not create a client relationship.
Explore the focus
Shareholder disputes
Control, information, funding, dividends, exclusion, agreements, valuation and exits.
Mediation & ADR
How structured negotiation can preserve value and create options a judgment may not provide.
Unfair prejudice
Section 994 context, evidence, alternative routes and the range of possible relief.
Shareholder deadlock
Recognising a true tie, stabilising the company and designing an implementable route out.
How ownership disputes typically escalate
A decision stalls
A reserved matter, board vote, funding request or information request produces no result.
Records fragment
People stop sharing information, messages replace minutes and each side builds a different chronology.
The business feels it
Cash, staff, customers, suppliers, banking and management time become part of the dispute.
Positions harden
Accusations, exclusion, valuation arguments or threats narrow room for a commercial outcome.
A route is chosen
Negotiation, mediation, a contractual mechanism or formal process should match the objective.
Why mediation first can make commercial sense
Mediation is not a sign that legal rights do not matter. It is a controlled opportunity to test whether parties can agree an outcome a court may not design: a staged buy-out, governance reset, information protocol, independent valuation, payment plan or agreed sale. It can also expose which facts genuinely matter and which positions are leverage. It is not suitable for every situation, especially where urgent protection, insolvency or a binding determination is central, and preparation still matters.
Documents people usually need
- Articles and every shareholders’, investment, partnership or JV agreement.
- Companies House filings, registers, certificates, resolutions and transfer records.
- Board and general meeting notices, minutes, written resolutions and voting evidence.
- Accounts, management information, budgets, forecasts, bank and material contract records.
- Emails, letters, messages and notes showing promises, objections, decisions and attempted resolution.
- A chronology separating fact, source, impact, unanswered question and outcome wanted.
Learn before launch
Read the OVP Law insights for plain-English material on shareholder disputes, mediation, valuation and procedure. The latest articles are educational and should be checked against current official sources.
Official sources and boundaries
Start with the Companies Act 2006, the Civil Procedure Rules, current gov.uk guidance and the Judiciary. OVP Law is a PASECOM GROUP LTD educational project. Nothing here is legal, financial or tax advice, and urgent live matters should go to an appropriate regulated provider.