Arbitration Solicitors

When a commercial dispute arises, the last thing most businesses want is a lengthy court battle. Our arbitration solicitors advise businesses of all sizes on resolving disputes privately, efficiently, and with outcomes that are legally binding under English law.

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What Arbitration Means for Your Business

Ignoring a commercial dispute rarely makes it go away. Left unaddressed, disagreements over contracts, joint ventures, or service agreements can escalate into full litigation, which carries significant cost and reputational risk. Arbitration offers a structured, confidential route to resolution that keeps your business relationships intact where possible. Our arbitration solicitors advise clients across Manchester and the wider UK on when arbitration is the right choice, how to initiate proceedings, and how to protect their position throughout the process.

How Our Arbitration Solicitors Help Businesses

Our solicitors advise on the full range of arbitration matters, from drafting clauses to running proceedings and enforcing awards.

Commercial Contract Disputes

When a contract breaks down and the agreement contains an arbitration clause, we advise on initiating proceedings, preparing submissions, and presenting your case to the tribunal. We handle disputes across supply chains, services, distribution, and joint venture agreements.

Arbitration Clause Drafting and Review

A poorly drafted arbitration clause can cause more problems than it solves. We review existing clauses, draft new ones, and advise on choice of institution, seat, governing law, and number of arbitrators to make sure the clause does what the parties intend.

Arbitration Agreement Advice

Where parties want to agree to arbitration after a dispute has arisen, we draft and negotiate standalone arbitration agreements that reflect the specific circumstances of the dispute and give the tribunal clear jurisdiction to act.

Enforcement of Arbitration Awards

An award is only as useful as your ability to enforce it. We advise on enforcing arbitral awards under English law and internationally under the New York Convention, including where the other party is based overseas or resisting compliance.

Challenging or Defending an Award

In limited circumstances, awards can be challenged under the Arbitration Act 1996 on grounds including serious irregularity or excess of jurisdiction. We advise on whether a challenge has merit, how to bring one, and how to defend against a challenge made by the other side.

Institutional and Ad Hoc Arbitration

We advise on proceedings under ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, and SIAC rules as well as ad hoc arbitration. We help clients choose the right forum for their dispute and understand how the relevant procedural rules will affect the conduct of proceedings.

What This Means for You

A confidential process that stays out of the public record
A legally binding outcome without going to court
Control over the arbitrator, timeline, and procedure
Lower cost and faster resolution than most litigation
Awards enforceable in over 160 countries under international convention

When to seek advice

Your contract contains an arbitration clause and a dispute has arisen
A counterparty has issued a notice of arbitration against your business
You are drafting a commercial contract and need advice on dispute resolution provisions
An arbitral award has been made in your favour and the other side is not paying
You believe an award made against your business may be challengeable under the Arbitration Act 1996

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses and individuals on corporate, commercial and ILA law matters across the UK and the Middle East.

A qualified Solicitor individually authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID: 277854), Marium is also a registered Part II Practitioner and mediator in the DIFC Courts, and an established member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Her experience spans complex legal matters for high-profile clients throughout her career, she has been awarded the fastest growing women-led business in the UK recognised by Fortune 500 and former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Businesses Choose MAR Legal for Arbitration

Solicitor Led Advice

Every matter is handled by our qualified arbitration solicitors

Fast Response

Disputes move quickly. We respond without delay and prepare your position at pace.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Where possible, our solicitors work on a fixed fee basis so you know exactly what arbitration advice will cost.

Commercial Focus

We advise on the outcome that protects your business interests, not just the legal position.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for practical advice on arbitration and commercial dispute resolution.

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How Our Arbitration Process Works

Initial Consultation

We review the dispute, the relevant contract, and any arbitration clause to advise on your options and the strength of your position.

Strategy and Scoping

We identify the right institution, seat, and procedural rules and agree a fixed-fee scope for the work ahead.

Preparation and Proceedings

We draft your submissions, manage document production, correspond with the tribunal, and prepare you for any oral hearing

Award and Enforcement

Once an award is issued, our arbitration solicitors advise on next steps, whether that means enforcement, compliance, or assessing the grounds for a challenge.

What Our Clients Say

You Might Also Consider

If arbitration is not the right route, you may also want to consider commercial mediation for a less formal resolution process, ADR for an overview of all available options, or workplace mediation if the dispute involves employment or internal relationships.

FAQs: Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

Arbitration is a private process in which a dispute is decided by one or more independent arbitrators rather than a judge. Unlike court proceedings, it takes place outside the public court system, which means hearings are confidential and the procedure can be tailored to the parties and the dispute. The outcome is an arbitral award, which is binding and enforceable in the same way as a court judgment in most cases.

In most cases, yes. Arbitration is a consensual process and both parties generally need to have agreed to it either in advance, through a clause in their contract, or after the dispute has arisen through a separate arbitration agreement. Without that agreement, either party can refuse to participate and the other has no mechanism to compel them. There are limited exceptions, particularly in investment treaty arbitration, but for standard commercial contracts an express clause is needed.

Yes. An arbitral award made under a valid arbitration agreement is binding on the parties and enforceable as a matter of law. In England and Wales, awards can be enforced through the courts under the Arbitration Act 1996. Internationally, awards issued in countries that have ratified the New York Convention can be enforced in over 160 jurisdictions, which makes arbitration particularly valuable for cross-border disputes.

It depends on the complexity of the dispute, the institution used, and whether the parties are cooperating with the process. A straightforward commercial arbitration with a sole arbitrator might conclude within 6 to 12 months. More complex matters involving a three-person tribunal, extensive document production, and multiple hearings can take 18 months to several years. Expedited procedures offered by institutions like the ICC and LCIA can shorten timelines significantly for lower-value disputes.

Costs vary depending on the institution, number of arbitrators, and the length of proceedings. Institutional fees for ICC or LCIA arbitration are typically calculated by reference to the amount in dispute and can run to tens of thousands of pounds in larger cases. Legal fees depend on the complexity of the matter and the amount of preparation involved. Ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL rules can reduce institutional costs but requires the parties to manage more of the administration themselves.

Not in the conventional sense. There is no general right of appeal on the merits of an award in English-seated arbitration. The Arbitration Act 1996 provides limited grounds to challenge an award, including serious irregularity affecting the tribunal, the proceedings, or the award itself, or an appeal on a point of law if the parties have agreed to this. These grounds are interpreted narrowly by the courts and successful challenges are relatively rare.

Institutional arbitration is administered by a body such as the ICC, LCIA, or SIAC, which provides procedural rules, appoints arbitrators if the parties cannot agree, and handles administrative functions for a fee. Ad hoc arbitration is conducted without an administering institution, typically under UNCITRAL rules, with the parties managing the process themselves. Institutional arbitration provides more structure and support but at a higher cost; ad hoc arbitration offers flexibility but requires more active case management from both sides.

MAR Legal Limited provides advisory and documentation support in relation to arbitration and dispute resolution. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, including representation in court proceedings, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals.

Arbitration Advice for Businesses That Need Certainty

What Arbitration Means for Your Business