Patrick has developed a profound understanding of national and international commercial law and associated topics, gained over a career approaching 25 years.
He has acted in major litigation for clients from 4 continents. He has lead teams negotiating commercial contracts in Europe, Africa, Russia, Central Asia, North and South America and Japan.
Patrick believes litigation is predictable. His team takes entire responsibility for the process that is dispute resolution; quickly turning disputes (no matter how complex) into a series of informed choices for his clients to consider. He believes the secret of good litigation is to read everything as soon as it becomes available, preferably before any opponent knows of his involvement. That way he can often protect clients from misplaced recollections and subsequent flawed instructions.
Patrick comments, “If someone isn’t a master of all the known facts then the outcome cannot be predicted and a strategy devised. The very opposite is true if all the facts are known.”
“It’s no good warning clients that litigation is uncertain simply because you have not made a real effort to find the evidence and consider it.”
Patrick treats negotiating commercial agreements with similar logic. “It’s about defining the parties’ obligations and clearly allocating risk. If the clients can’t understand a commercial agreement without taking further advice then the lawyers have failed.”
Patrick is passionate about limiting and mitigating risk for his clients, not in a pedantic way but by pragmatic discussion. He believes his experience in litigating commercial agreements gives his commercial clients a real advantage. “In the end when you negotiate a contract you need to know what a judge would make of it, should ever the need arise.”
At the most crucial times a detailed knowledge of litigation and commercial law combine, such as when a client is thinking of terminating a contact. “These are the most dangerous times for lawyers and clients alike. Get it right and your client may be discharged from all obligation and left with a valuable action in damages; get it wrong and the opposite is likely to be true.”
Patrick believes in all litigation it’s important to have discipline and avoid mistakes.
We once sued a top city law firm for professional negligence. For some reason they disclosed their time records. When we read:
‘1 hour meeting senior partner’ followed by ‘9 hours- filleting file,’
we had an idea that the case would not get to trial; and so it proved.
Having guided clients through a wide array of commercial challenges, Patrick has built up a huge bank of experience that allow his clients to see key points that can be used to bring about a successful outcome.
The largest commercial agreement he negotiated was worth £100m in Kazakhstan. His largest commercial dispute was worth £130m in the UK.
Patrick’s expertise encompasses the following areas:
- Agency disputes, Commercial agent claims, undisclosed profit claims
- Banking, Bank Covenants, Facility Agreements, Factoring Agreements and associated disputes
- Breach of Contract
- Construction Agreements and Disputes
- Corporate Recovery
- Data Protection
- Director’s duties
- Distribution Agreements agency and Licencing Agreements
- Engineering
- Employment contracts
- Financial services
- Franchise Agreements and Disputes
- Guarantees
- Health and Safety law
- Injunctions
- Information Technology
- Intellectual Property, Design Right, Copyright, Patents and Trade Marks.
- Insolvency
- Judicial Review
- Manufacturing of every description
- Misuse of confidential information
- Partnership Agreements and Disputes
- Pension Disputes and miss selling
- Product liability / Product recalls
- Professional negligence
- Restrictive Covenants
- Sale of Goods and services
- Shareholder Disputes
- Share Purchase Agreements and Disputes
- Warranty Claims
Patrick also has considerable experience in handling all types of residential and commercial property matters, including Conveyancing; Leases; Landlord and Tenancy Agreements; Real Property and Land Transactions
Patrick is very approachable and happy to discuss any problem without obligation. He has terrifically strong relations with his clients for whom he works phenomenally hard. If you have an intractable commercial contract or dispute to resolve, or if you just need some guidance, call him.
He will know the answer.
Contact Patrick on 01785 223400 or email Patrick.tedstone@orj.co.uk
