Helen Brown

Practice Areas

I am a partner in the Commercial Disputes team dealing with corporate litigation including:

- unfair prejudice claims;

- derivative claims against Directors for breach of fiduciary duty;

- breach of shareholder agreements;

- breach of warranty claims following sale;

- recovering earn out/deferred consideration after sale; and

- partnership disputes.

In the agricultural land, farm and estates sector, I deal with:

- reviewing and advising on contract disputes with suppliers or customers;

- machinery and equipment disputes;

- partnership disputes; and

- negligence claims against professional advisors – surveyors, accountants, solicitors, insurers.

DISPUTES WORK EXAMPLES:

-I have successfully negotiated the exit of one of two shareholders in a 50/50 company. Other shareholder had disappeared, claiming to be sick, but was using company funds to pay for extravagant foreign trips.

Purchaser of business was delaying in agreeing completion accounts. We worked with the seller’s accountant to force through default Completion Accounts and secured payment of deferred consideration.

Other commercial work I undertake:

- Complex contract disputes

- Professional negligence claims

- Intellectual property disputes – copyright, passing off and trade mark infringement

- Defamation

- Franchise disputes

PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE WORK EXAMPLES:

Recovering damages for a client of a large accountancy practice which wrongly advised on tax avoidance strategies which resulted in a six-figure tax bill. The case settled at mediation.

Settling a claim for a charity against an architect’s practice for negligently overseeing the construction of a large extension.

Advising on the liability of an insurance broker who failed to organise adequate insurance cover for a client.

I am happy to consider “no win, no fee” arrangements for suitable cases and can source litigation funding and litigation insurance for appropriate claims.

I have a breadth and depth of knowledge across different industries. I work as part of the client team to achieve desired outcome. I am tenacious. I ensure attention to detail.

Protect/Secure/understand. I use experience to gain a crucial advantage in litigation.

In the franchise disputes area, I help mainly franchisees resolve disputes with their franchisor. Often this is in connection with termination of the franchise arrangement, either because one party has broken the terms of the agreement, or the franchisee wants to leave and needs advice on how to achieve this with the best possible outcome. I have dealt with many different business types from hairdressers to fast food outlets to high-tech medical equipment businesses, but a familiarity with the unique key features of franchise agreements is what makes me a specialist in this field.

Professional Memberships

I am a member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.