How we can help
In addition to international arbitration work, we also cover cross border litigation particularly in relation to Europe. We were recently involved in a Commercial Court action in this country taking instructions direct from French clients without the need for any translator or any intervening contact. The dispute concerned the financing of a marine project in the French West Indies. The issues before the Court required an analysis of French Public Policy, conflict of laws as to the competing jurisdiction of the French and English Courts and relatively more straightforward contractual construction issues on the finance agreement arranged through an American sister company to the supplier of what were claimed to have been defective marine engines.
Not all disputes revolve around claims and defences. Our Turnaround & Insolvency Group recognises the need to consider sympathetically the requirements of companies facing insolvency with a view to assessing whether restructuring or refinancing would be practical alternatives to liquidation. Comprising three specialist insolvency lawyers, one of whom is a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, the Insolvency & Turnaround Group is ideally equipped to advise distressed businesses. Having an extensive understanding of insolvency legislation and experience of court procedures, our team brings a flexible and sympathetic approach to the challenges faced by businesses, which are under financial pressure. Whilst the solution for one business may be to maximise untapped financing opportunities, another less financially sound business may be rescued from an ailing corporate structure through the medium of the new streamlined administration process.
Bringing the same approach to bear in relation to personal insolvency, our team also advises individuals on alternative debt and liability settlement processes.
Another specialist area of litigation covered by Druces is property litigation.
Druces has a first-rate reputation as a property firm and property litigation has to be tailored to the needs of property clients.
In most litigation disputes the relationship between Claimant and Defendant will have broken down completely. With property litigation the relationship often has to subsist as the parties remain as landlord and tenant or by virtue of the fact that the building itself remains standing. The need to resolve the practical issues can often override pure legal issues.
The resolution of property disputes is often considered to be similar to transactional work and the advice given and approach adopted in many instances has to be less confrontational and driven towards a practical resolution of differences. These techniques are actively used by the property litigators at Druces whilst maintaining their knowledge and understanding of the more traditional litigation techniques available and used in non-property disputes.