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DISPUTE RESOLUTION & LITIGATION · SHAREHOLDER & BUSINESS OWNER DISPUTES
Business relationship breaking down? Protect the company, the value and your position.
Clear rights. Commercial strategy. A workable exit or resolution.
Canterbury Legal helps shareholders, directors and business owners navigate ownership disputes, governance breakdowns, deadlock and competing expectations before they damage the business further.
Get advice before the conflict becomes the business plan
Owner disputes can freeze decisions, erode value and pull staff and customers into the conflict. Early legal advice can clarify rights, governance documents and realistic options while there is still room to manoeuvre.
We can help assess
- Shareholder agreements and company documents
- Director and governance issues
- Ownership and control disputes
- Deadlock and decision-making
- Exit, buyout and settlement options
- Negotiation and litigation strategy
Protect the position without losing sight of the business
How we help business owners resolve disputes.
Rights & documents
Review constitutions, shareholder agreements, resolutions and other key records.
Governance disputes
Address director, voting, management and decision-making conflicts.
Ownership deadlock
Develop options where owners can no longer agree on the direction of the business.
Value protection
Consider practical steps to protect operations, assets, customers and business value.
Exit & buyout strategy
Explore negotiated exits, buyouts, settlements and restructuring options.
Formal dispute action
Advise on litigation and other formal remedies where commercial resolution is not achievable.
Shareholder & Business Owner Disputes
People who can help.
Commercially focused advice when ownership and governance relationships break down.
Sydney Austin
Associate – Litigation
Terena Te Whaiti
Senior Solicitor - Litigation
Matthew Bowen
Solicitor
What happens next.
- We understand the business and conflict. Who owns what, who controls what and what has changed.
- We review the documents. Agreements, constitution, resolutions, financial information and correspondence.
- We define the legal and commercial position. Rights matter, but so do value, continuity and leverage.
- We build options. Governance reset, negotiation, buyout, exit or formal action.
- We pursue the best practical outcome. With the future of the business and your position in view.
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Protect the value. Clarify the rights. Resolve the deadlock.
Phone: +64 3 377 0792
Send enquiry.
Business owner dispute FAQs
Early advice is useful once a disagreement begins affecting decisions, access to information, governance, money or the future of the business.
The agreement is often a key starting point. We can review it alongside the company constitution, Companies Act framework and the facts of the dispute.
That depends on the agreements, company structure and circumstances. There is no single answer, so the available rights and remedies need to be assessed carefully.
Yes. Negotiated buyouts, governance arrangements and other settlements can often be explored before formal proceedings.
Bring shareholder agreements, the company constitution, relevant resolutions, key correspondence, financial information and a concise timeline of the dispute.