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Cross-Border
Corporate Disputes Counsel

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Shareholder conflicts, derivative claims, boardroom disputes — coordinated across multiple jurisdictions in a single mandate.

Corporate disputes in international structures rarely stay in one jurisdiction. A shareholder dispute in a PT-headquartered group with operations in DE, CY and the UAE involves four different procedural regimes, three corporate codes, and conflict-of-laws questions that determine which forum's outcome controls.
VLO coordinates these matters as a single mandate. One partner owns the strategy. Local counsel in each jurisdiction work to a single litigation plan. Clients receive consolidated reporting in English.
Typical engagement length: 6–24 months. Typical matter value range: €500K–€50M.
QUICK INQUIRY
WHAT WE DO
Send a brief for this practice
Cross-border corporate dispute resolution
SELECTED MATTERS
Anonymised cross-border outcomes

SHAREHOLDER DEADLOCK

50/50 shareholders cannot agree; one wants exit at fair value, other refuses. Cross-border holding makes valuation contested.
DERIVATIVE CLAIM
Minority shareholders allege director self-dealing; need procedural strategy across multiple jurisdictions where the conduct occurred.
MANAGEMENT LIABILITY
Board members face claims in multiple jurisdictions following insolvency. Need coordinated defence strategy.
OUR APPROACH
Engagement methodology

SCOPING

Identify all jurisdictions and forums involved

STRATEGY MEMO

Procedural map, merits, fees — 5 business days

EXECUTION

Local counsel coordinated by VLO partner

RESOLUTION

Settlement, award, or judgment — coordinated enforcement

WHY VLO
Differentiators for this practice
PARTNER OWNERSHIP
One named partner stays on the matter from first call to final outcome. No reassignment, no transition meetings.
Local counsel managed by VLO — clients receive one consolidated reporting in English, not separate bills from four firms.
CROSS-BORDER COORDINATION
TRANSPARENT FEES
Fixed-fee, capped, or hourly with monthly caps — chosen at engagement. No surprises in billing.
No press without explicit consent. Confidential by default. Enhanced communications encryption.
DISCRETION
CLIENT VOICE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Iberian industrial group · 2024
A shareholder deadlock that two other firms had stalled for fifteen months — VLO resolved it in seven.
GENERAL COUNSEL
EU-MENA holding · 2023
Procedural strategy across three jurisdictions that we could not have devised internally. Real cross-border thinking, not parallel-track.
RECENT MATTERS
Selected anonymised work
€8M shareholder dispute · PT/DE
Minority exit at fair value via coordinated procedure across two corporate codes.
Coordinated defence in three EU jurisdictions following claims arising from group insolvency.
Board liability defence · multi-jurisdictional
Derivative claim · CY-headquartered group
Recovery of misappropriated assets via parallel proceedings against directors and recipients.
2023
2023
2024
OUTCOME
Recovery
FORUMS
CY, MT, LV
OUTCOME
Settlement
FORUMS
NL, CY, AT
OUTCOME
Buyout
FORUMS
PT, DE
LEAD PARTNERS FOR THIS PRACTICE
  • Henrique Almeida Costa
    MANAGING PARTNER
    Cross-border corporate disputes
  • Elena Moretti
    PARTNER · CONT. EUROPE
    M&A-related disputes
  • Inês Pereira Marques
    SENIOR ASSOCIATE
    Corporate Disputes specialist
ADJACENT PRACTICES
Often combined with
LITIGATION & ARBITRATION
When dispute escalates to formal proceedings.
EXPLORE →
EXPLORE →
When judgment recovery becomes cross-border.
ENFORCEMENT
M&A
Post-closing disputes from prior transactions.
EXPLORE →
LEAD PARTNERS FOR THIS PRACTICE
    FREQUENTLY ASKED
    Common questions
    Do you handle non-litigated disputes?
    Yes — negotiation and mediation are often the optimal route, especially in shareholder disputes where ongoing business relationships matter.
    Fixed-fee for scoping and strategy memo. Hourly with monthly caps for active phases. Discussed openly at engagement.
    What is the typical fee structure?
    Can VLO act in jurisdictions where it has no office?
    Yes — through vetted local counsel coordinated by the VLO partner. Clients deal with one team, receive one consolidated reporting.
    Scoping conversations are complimentary for matters above €100K. Strategy memo is fixed-fee.
    Is the initial consultation paid?
    Have a corporate dispute?
    Send the brief — we respond within one business day.
    SEND A BRIEF →