Directors find themselves in dispute because they are responsible for running their company and get involved in the big decisions that can lead to disputes, so let’s look at them.

Directors between themselves – a classic boardroom dispute, maybe personalities are clashing or there is a fundamental disagreement on strategy or tactics.

Directors and shareholders – the directors take their instructions from shareholders which leaves plenty of room for disagreement as non-business requirements of shareholders can create discord, especially in family companies where disagreements are not business related.

Directors and management – managers want a stake in the business and the directors are unwilling to meet their demands. In this case intervention by a mediator is useful as a means of exploring what kind of agreement works for both parties before they descend into dispute.

Directors and staff – staff can often feel overlooked and neglected, leading to all sorts of problems. A disciplinary case is the last thing a director needs and a mediation allows staff to express themselves adequately and for the directors to present their case in a less charged setting.

Directors and directors of other companies – directors can find themselves embroiled in a business dispute with their counterparties in other companies, be it related to supply issues, copyright infringement and everything else in between.

Business partners – although partnerships are less common nowadays, partnership disputes are essentially the same as director disputes, except that any financial fallout is likely to impact partners’ personal finances more negatively.

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