Shareholder Dispute Lawyers Dubai | Partnership Disputes

Shareholder Agreement Disputes
Minority Shareholder Oppression
Business Partner Disputes
Profit Distribution Disputes
Shareholder & Partner Buyout Disputes
Shareholder Deadlock & Company Control Disputes
Partnership Dissolution Disputes
What to do next
FAQ

Two partners built a trading company over nine years. One now controls the bank account and has stopped sending management accounts. The other still has a 40 percent share, no salary and no information. They are no longer speaking.A representative scene, not a reported case.

01Shareholder Agreement Disputes

A shareholders' agreement sets rules that the Memorandum of Association may not: board seats, reserved matters, transfer restrictions, drag and tag rights, exit mechanics. Disputes arise when one party reads these differently from the other, or breaches them.

We check which document prevails, whether the agreement was properly signed and whether any step, such as a notice or valuation, was missed. Many cases are decided by procedure, not principle.

Detailed guide: Shareholder Agreement Disputes

02Minority Shareholder Oppression

Oppression is the use of majority power to shut a minority out: no dividends, no information, no board seat, dilution or sidelining while the majority pays itself. The Commercial Companies Law gives shareholders rights to information, to challenge certain resolutions and to ask the court for remedies.

As a minority holder, document the information requests you made and the replies. A paper record of being refused is more persuasive than a general complaint.

Detailed guide: Minority Shareholder Oppression

Speak to a Business Dispute LawyerSend us the contract or the key messages and we will tell you where you stand.

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03Business Partner Disputes

Partner disputes often start with money and end with control. One partner brings the capital, the other the licence or the work. Understandings that were never written down become the centre of the case.

We reconstruct the real deal from bank records, communications and conduct, and then match it against the licence, MOA and any side agreements.

Detailed guide: Business Partner Disputes

04Profit Distribution Disputes

A partner is entitled to profit according to the constitutional documents, not according to who works hardest. Disputes arise over what profit is, whether it was declared and whether retained earnings were justified.

Accounts matter. If statements are missing or look unreliable, the court can appoint an accounting expert to examine the books. We prepare the questions for that expert carefully because the report often shapes the result.

Detailed guide: Profit Distribution Disputes

05Shareholder & Partner Buyout Disputes

Buyout disputes are about price and process. Who may buy, at what valuation, by what date, and on what payment terms? Where the documents are silent, an expert valuation is the usual route.

Before negotiating a price, we obtain a view on valuation basis: net assets, earnings or contracts in hand. Agreeing a number without that is how many exits go wrong.

Detailed guide: Shareholder & Partner Buyout Disputes

06Shareholder Deadlock & Company Control Disputes

Deadlock occurs when equal holders cannot pass decisions, and the company stops functioning. Control disputes occur when each side claims the right to manage, to sign for the company or to operate its bank account.

Interim steps are often critical: protecting assets, preventing a transfer of shares, and keeping the licence valid. We look at what can be asked of the court quickly. See also director and management disputes.

Detailed guide: Shareholder Deadlock & Company Control Disputes

07Partnership Dissolution Disputes

Dissolution ends the company or partnership and distributes its assets after debts. Parties can agree it, or one can ask the court where there is a legal ground, such as serious breach or impossibility of achieving the purpose.

A court-ordered end is slow and costly, so we look first at whether a negotiated exit protects more value. Where dissolution is the right result, we prepare for liquidation, creditor claims and the treatment of ongoing contracts.

Detailed guide: Partnership Dissolution Disputes

What to do in the next 48 hours

Collect the constitutional documentsMOA, any shareholders' agreement, trade licence, board and general assembly minutes, and the latest accounts.
Write a short timelineDates of capital contributions, key decisions, refusals of information, changes of signatory. One page, facts only.
Do not change company records aloneAvoid transferring shares, changing signatories or moving funds without advice. These acts are often used against the person who made them.

Documents we ask for first

Memorandum and Articles of Association
Shareholders' agreement and side letters
Trade licence and amendments
Minutes and resolutions
Financial statements and bank statements
Messages showing the understanding between partners

Questions we are asked

Can a minority shareholder force a buyout?

Not as a general right. The documents, the facts and the court's powers decide. In some situations, the realistic outcome is a negotiated exit at a valued price.

Can I see the company's accounts?

Shareholders have information rights under the company's documents and the Commercial Companies Law. If refused, we document the request and consider next steps.

Does a licence in my name make me the owner?

Not by itself. Beneficial ownership depends on the agreements and the money. We examine both.

Related disputes

Ready to talk it through?Have the contract, the latest message and any notice in front of you. Call or WhatsApp is fine.

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This page is general information based on UAE and Dubai legislation as we understand it at the date of drafting. It is not legal advice. Laws are amended, and the right step depends on your documents and facts. Outcomes are never guaranteed.