Andrew’s advice is not only technically excellent from a legal perspective but always reflects his acute sense of commercial pragmatism. It, therefore, represents great value for money.
Efficient and cost-effective resolution for business disputes
Direct specialist barrister services
You can now get advice and representation directly from a specialist and experienced barrister without the cost of also engaging a solicitor. This is under the Bar Council’s “Direct Public Access” scheme. Barristers generally face less overheads than solicitors so their fees are also often considerably less. Think of it as “getting it straight from the horse’s mouth”.
I am Andrew Marsden; a commercial barrister with nearly 30 years experience. My specialist expertise is in resolving disputes between shareholders, directors and partners.
I provide specialist legal advice and representation, negotiation and mediation services.
My focus is on the fastest resolution, on the best possible terms and at the minimum of cost. I am commercial, practical and cost-effective. I provide a service that is first class, personal, modern and accessible.
Tony Ruddle Managing Director, Avalon Motor Company Limited
Direct Public Access scheme
Andrew Marsden is authorised to accept instructions directly from clients under the Bar Council’s Direct Public Access scheme. Barristers generally face less overheads than solicitors so their fees are also often considerably less. Think of it as “getting it straight from the horse’s mouth”. Further information relating to the Direct Public Access scheme can be found here.
Resolving shareholder, director and partnership disputes
Sections 994 of the Companies Act 2006 enables a shareholder in a company who is being treated in an ‘unfairly prejudicial’ way to seek relief from the court. The court has similar powers in respect of partnerships.
Typically, these cases involve companies with relatively small numbers of shareholders. The shareholders are usually also directors. The shareholders/directors will generally have fallen out with each other. The unfairly prejudicial conduct often takes the form of an exclusion of one shareholder/director by another from the affairs of the company. On other occasions, it arises because of misappropriation by one shareholder/director of property or funds belonging to the company or of a business opportunity that might have been enjoyed by the company. In other cases, it can involve wrongful dealings in shares, improper dividends, salary or other payments or other improper conduct of the company’s affairs.
The court has very wide powers to control the conduct of the affairs of the company and its shareholders/directors. Such proceedings regularly result in the court ordering one shareholder/director to purchase the shares of another at a value determined by the court to be fair in all the circumstances.
I provide commercial, practical and cost-effective resolution of these matters through my highly experienced specialist barrister’s advice, representation, negotiation and mediation.
About Andrew Marsden
Andrew is included in the prestigious Chambers 100 marking him out as one of the top 100 barristers in the country and one of the very best in his field. He is also ranked in the first tier of Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.
Andrew has also been shortlisted several times as Barrister of the Year by the Bristol law society.
Andrew is authorised to accept instructions directly from clients without the involvement or cost of a solicitor under the Bar Council’s Direct Public Access scheme. Further details of that scheme can be found here.
Andrew is committed to resolving disputes between people in business together. He thinks of his specialist practice as one of “commercial divorce” without “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. He works tirelessly in his client’s very best interests. His approach is commercial, practical and cost effective and the service he provides is first class, personal, modern and accessible.
Andrew is a keen amateur boxer. His other interests include skiing, horse riding, off-road motor cycling, wakeboarding, cognac and the piano.
Expertise and qualifications
Expertise
- Commercial Dispute Resolution
- Company Law (particularly shareholder disputes)
- Partnership Law
- Agency Law (including commercial agency)
- Mediation
Qualifications
- Called to the Bar: 1994 (Lincolns Inn)
- LLB (Business Law (1st class)), Bachelor of Civil Law (Oxon)
- Experienced CEDR accredited mediator
- Professional Memberships: Commercial Bar Association, Chancery Bar Association
Recommendations
Chambers 100
Andrew is included in Chambers 100 where they say
“Andrew Marsden is amongst the very best juniors practising on the Western Circuit. He has a broad commercial practice and wins especial praise for his work in the company and partnership sphere… Commentators say that he is ‘an approachable barrister, with a keen eye to the commercial priorities of a case, who is ready to challenge and question the evidence before him.
Chambers UK
Andrew is “very in-tune with the needs of his commercial clients.” He has “in-depth expertise in corporate, partnership and commercial law disputes.” His approach is considered “sensible, very clear and extremely helpful.” He has an “unfailingly commercial approach and excellent cross-examination skills.” An “extremely articulate and forceful advocate”, “one of the best pound-for-pound commercial barristers in town.” “Tenacious and thoughtful” and possessed of “great people skills”, solicitors appreciate his “close, hands-on involvement in cases”.
His “clear, incisive advice.” Commended for his “client-friendly manner” and “trenchant advice and assiduous approach”, it has been said that “he has an air of gravitas about him, and a good manner with clients.” “He will make a very good judge one day.” He is a “deeply impressive barrister who prepares fully, is fantastic with documents and is commercially minded.”
He is “a commercially focused barrister who is excellent on his feet.” He “impresses across a broad range of disputes, including partnership, corporate and contractual issues.” Andrew is “technically spot-on” and is known for taking a “sensible and pragmatic approach” to his work. “He gives clear and compelling advice.” He “thinks things through to the nth degree.” A “renowned shareholder dispute specialist.”
He is “one of the leading authorities on commercial agency.” He provides “targeted and transparent advice.” He is “always very commercially aware and gets to the nub of the issue at hand.” He “never misses a point.”
Fees
Andrew and his clients either agree fixed fees for specific pieces of work to be carried out by him (e.g. a fixed fee for a written or oral opinion/advice or for his preparation, attendance and advocacy at the hearing of an application/a trial) or agree that Andrew should charge by reference to the time that a particular piece of work takes him to complete.
When a fixed fee is agreed that fee will cover all of Andrew’s services required to carry out the specific piece of work that he is instructed to deal with. If Andrew is asked to carry out further work there will need to be a further agreement with regard to his fees for that further work.
Andrew calculates his fees by reference to an hourly rate of £350 (ex vat). He charges the same for his services whether he is instructed through a solicitor or directly by the client under the Direct Public Access scheme.
Andrew does not usually accept work on a conditional fee basis.
A client may also have to pay solicitors’ fees or expert witnesses’ fees (if such services are required). Court fees will be payable if proceedings need to be issued. In appropriate cases there may be further costs associated with Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures (e.g. mediation).
The extent of any such costs cannot reliably be estimated until the precise extent of those services has been identified in any particular case. Andrew will be able to advise as to the extent of any such additional costs when fully appraised of the nature of the particular matter.
