Littleton’s Partnership and LLP Group is highly-respected by practitioners and peers. It is listed as a leading practice by both legal directories. It is distinctive for its ability to handle the full range of disputes arising in the partnership field.

Members are familiar with – and have litigated disputes arising in  – all relevant structures including 1890 Act Partnerships, LLPs and Limited Partnerships. The disputes litigated include:

  • Sensitive internal disputes: including allegations of misconduct, workplace investigations, and partner/LLP expulsions.
  • Claims fo discrimination or whistleblowing brought in Employment Tribunals, together with any and all other claims brought there.
  • Team moves and contentious exits: often involving restrictive covenants, confidential information, and competing fiduciary duties.
  • Commercial disputes: where partnership or LLP structures underpin complex business relationships.

In each of these areas Littleton barristers have been at the forefront of the market. Much of our work is highly confidential and we advise individuals and firms facing the most sensitive of allegations. Some cases in which our involvement is public include:

  • Bates van Winkelhof v Clyde & Co LLP: worker status of LLP members (Supreme Court);
  • Frontiers Capital I Limited Partnership v Flohr: alleged misappropriation of commercial opportunities and whether the general partner of a limited partnership has the right to act as agent of the limited partners after the partnership has dissolved (Coirt of Appeal and Chancery Division)
  • Townsend v Howard Kennedy: whether LLP drawings comprise wages (Employment Tribunal)
  • Williams v Solo Capital LLP: LLP member as employee when member status a sham (Employment Tribunal)
  • Partridge v Harrington and another: dispute over the ownership of the Unilad social media business (Chancery List)

Our barristers are experienced in resolving partnership and LLP disputes through:

  • Arbitration
  • High Court litigation
  • Employment Tribunals
  • International proceedings

We advise both professional and financial services firms for whom Littleton members have long been trusted advisers, and individual partners or LLP members facing challenges such as injunctions, expulsions, or internal investigations. We are also familiar with assisting clients through the more unfamiliar areas of partnership law.