Directors and business owners
Shareholder and director deadlock.
Advice and advocacy where disagreement, proposed removal or disputed control threatens a company's management, ownership, assets or value.
Ownership and control
When the business cannot proceed normally.
- The board or ownership is divided and decisions cannot be taken
- A shareholder or director alleges exclusion from management
- Voting power, dilution, share transfers or valuation is disputed
- Company assets, opportunities or information are said to have been diverted or withheld
Removal and duties
Connected governance questions.
- Who has power to appoint or remove and what procedure applies?
- What duties are alleged, to whom were they owed and what loss is claimed?
- Does the dispute engage unfair-prejudice or derivative remedies?
- Is interim protection required for company assets, records or governance?
Alexander's role
Company disputes from strategy through trial and appeal.
Alexander advises directors, companies, shareholders and investors in substantial disputes about ownership, control and fiduciary responsibility. His work includes unfair-prejudice petitions, derivative claims, compulsory share-transfer and valuation provisions, urgent applications, lengthy trials and appeals.
Representative experience
Brown v Bowthorpe Group and others
Alexander acted as sole counsel for the respondents in substantial High Court proceedings involving alleged breaches of directors' duties, a section 994 unfair-prejudice petition, derivative-action issues, company administration and shareholder standing. The petition was withdrawn on the third day of a listed ten-day trial and a significant costs order was made in the respondents' favour.
Syspal Capital Ltd v Truman
Alexander represented Mr Truman as sole counsel in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The proceedings concerned compulsory share-transfer and valuation provisions operating across company articles, shareholder arrangements and employment documentation. The construction advanced for Mr Truman succeeded at first instance and on appeal.
Instruction route
Define the commercial objective at the outset.
An initial enquiry should identify the parties, the company, the decision or conduct disputed, any imminent meeting or deadline, the approximate value and whether the objective is continued participation, interim protection, negotiated exit, buyout or final determination.