Dispute Resolution

Overview

Our Dispute Resolution team – led by our Managing Partner Razi Mireskandari – are skilled and experienced litigators, adept at achieving pragmatic, expeditious and commercial outcomes to clients’ legal disputes.

We advise individuals, rights owners, brands, companies, partnerships, charities, public bodies, and international businesses on a wide range of contractual and tort disputes, rights of enforcement, recovery of damages and claims involving regulators and overseas defendants.

Members of the team have specialist expertise in all areas where litigation can arise, including property, music, film, IP, data protection, claims involving the media, and professional negligence.

What we do

  • Commercial Litigation

    We advise on all forms of commercial litigation for both claimants and defendants and are valued for helping our clients achieve their aims in the most pragmatic and cost-effective manner.

    Our clients range from individuals and companies (in varied sectors, including technology to manufacturing and retail), to professional partnerships, charities, governments, investors, business owners and international businesses operating in the UK.

    We guide clients through every stage of their dispute – from assessing the initial risks, to pursuing or defending the claims in the courts, to resolving matters through mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution.  Several members of our team are accredited mediators.

  • Defamation, Privacy & Media Litigation

    Our specialist Media and Communications Disputes team is ranked in the top tier of the UK’s leading legal directories for advising clients in this area.

    We advise some of the UK and global leading publishers on their content and in defending and responding to claims. We also act for individual and corporate claimants in protecting their reputations and privacy. We have acted and are noted in some of the UK’s leading cases in these areas.

  • Restructuring & Insolvency

    We are an exceptional team of specialist partners and associates, highly experienced in providing advice on all aspects of restructuring and insolvency law. We have broad experience advising corporates, insolvency practitioners, lenders, and other creditors as well as directors and other office holders and individuals. Not only do we have the technical legal expertise we also have a deep understanding of the economic, commercial, and business points of a deal. We provide clients with the advice and assistance they need to realise their objectives.

    Our expertise includes all aspects of restructuring and insolvency work including: administrations, liquidations, CVAs, fixed charge receiverships, schemes of arrangement, solvent restructuring and reorganisation, insolvency litigation, advice to directors and other office holders.

    We act for insolvency practitioners, companies, directors, lenders, and individuals in financial difficulty, and are able to meet the most complex of needs.

    Our Team

    Led by partner-level experts with extensive experience, our dedicated team of specialists provide clients with a responsive, cost-effective, and commercially focused service.

    We work seamlessly with SMB’s other practice areas and specialisms, to ensure our clients’ needs are met in all matters.  The wider team includes experts in real estate, real estate finance, disputes, corporate, and employment law.

    Ben Klinger | Head of Department

    Stephen Shotnes | Partner

    Antony Perlmutter | Partner

    David Phillips | Senior Associate

  • Property Litigation

    Our dispute resolution team also advise on a diverse range of Property Disputes and work closely with our Real Estate team who have proven expertise in advising on substantial and often complex property matters.

    Our clients include developers, family offices, private investors, institutions, leisure operators and retailers. Ideally, we help resolve disputes using negotiation and mediation in order to achieve the best commercial outcome for our clients. But if litigation is unavoidable, we work together with our firm’s Dispute Resolution team to bring about a satisfactory and commercial conclusion.

  • IP & Rights Litigation

    We have specialist experience in protecting our clients’ intellectual property in all aspects of their operations in the UK and internationally.

    We are recognised as leaders in our field and act for retail brands, artists and rights owners, photographers and content owners, publishers, broadcasters, fashion labels, manufacturers and tech companies. Our team is actively involved in brand protection, taking enforcement action against IP infringement where needed, including injunctions, seeking damages and removal. We are acknowledged for our practical and commercial approach, based on our strong understanding of the industry.

  • Music Litigation

    We have specialist expertise in advising clients in the music industry on dealing with disputes, enforcing their rights in the courts and recovering sums due to them.

    These range from pursuing those who infringe an artist’s or a songwriter’s rights, or refuse to pay royalties, to taking action against counterfeiters or handling disputes between band members (or ex-band members).

    We have industry knowledge and a strong international network of lawyers in other jurisdictions with whom we work closely on international claims.

  • Professional Negligence

    We have specialist experience in advising clients on claims for negligence against professional partnerships and other advisers, which can be pursued against them and their insurers.

    We also advise professionals on defending these claims in a wide range of industries.

    Members of our team are qualified mediators and can provide guidance on mediation where this might be a better means of achieving clients’ objectives.

  • Testimonials

    “Strength in depth and goes the extra mile.” Legal 500, 2023 

    “A perfectly balanced team, with the drive and initiative to secure results against the odds during the toughest of commercial litigation.” Legal 500, 2022

    “Impressively clear minded about the best means to achieve client objectives.” Legal 500, 2022

    “They have a very innovative practice in terms of securing litigation funding for media-industry based litigation. They also have a wealth of experience in that sector, which gives them a real edge in cases that touch on those areas.” Legal 500, 2022

    “It feels like a single effective practice rather than a series of specialist groups.” Legal 500, 2021

    “A very responsive and experienced firm whose people give practical and helpful advice…” Legal 500, 2021

    “The firm has a lively collaborative ethos and has been strengthened by a number of lateral hires in recent years which have helped it to reach out beyond its traditional media-related commercial disputes into property-based litigation and financial services disputes.”
    Legal 500, 2021

    “The unique attributes of Simons Muirhead Burton are their availability and willingness to assist on the full range of commercial issues. Their advice is clear, concise and commercially focussed. They look for the best solutions not always via legal actions.”
    Legal 500, 2021

    “A dynamic and collaborative ethos and has strength in media- related disputes.” Legal 500, 2020

  • ‘The team’s work is very reliable – seamless communication and very good analytical skills.’

    Legal 500, 2024
  • ‘The greatest asset this team have is its ability to work as a team.’

    Legal 500, 2024
  • ‘Its ethos is client care, which is added to an excellent awareness of litigation risks and opportunities.’

    Legal 500, 2024
  • “Prepared to work hard and get into the detail, keeping overall strategy well in mind.” Legal 500, 2023

    Legal 500, 2023