DANIEL HUGHES

Principal Solicitor Hughes & Associates

ACTIVITY We act for an array of SME clients nationwide but particularly in the area of High Court commercial litigation and shareholder disputes. These issues have been compounded by Covid-19, and there are significant enquiries from commercial clients exploring their options, such as members’ voluntary liquidations or seeking High Court protection through examinership. From liaising with accounting and insolvency practitioners, it is clear that they are expecting a tsunami of insolvency legal work towards the end of this year.

Our offices are also receiving instructions from accountants around the country with clients/families that have shareholder disputes. These type of cases need to be handled sensitively and time expeditiously. Such cases are in effect the equivalent of a company divorce.

Mediation is becoming a very common feature for these cases and is absolutely the appropriate forum for such disputes. Mediation affords all the parties to the

‘Practitioners are expecting a tsunami of insolvency legal work’

dispute an ability to keep the terms of settlement private and avoid the cost of lengthy and protracted High Court litigation. This is an area of significant growth.

LITIGATION Full credit needs to be given to the Courts Service who, along with the judiciary, have adapted and evolved significantly in the last 12 months. Parties need to be aware that matters that require recourse to the courts will receive court time and the court system is moving along, particularly in the High Court Chancery lists.