Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Disputes definition

What does Disputes mean? In legal practice, disputes are disagreements giving rise to potential legal rights and remedies between parties, addressed through dispute resolution including litigation, arbitration and ADR such as mediation and negotiation. The term is descriptive rather than a defined statutory concept; the substantive rights and procedures arise from statute and common law. Typical features include identification of the cause of action, applicable limitation periods, choice of jurisdiction and forum, compliance with pre-action protocols or pre-action correspondence, disclosure/discovery, evidence, settlement, costs and enforcement. Usage is broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, though civil procedure differs: CPR in England...

Complex arbitrations: managing multi-party and multi-contract disputes through joinder, consolidation, tribunal appointment, concurrent hearings and tailored drafting

Published by a LexisNexis Arbitration expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note

This Practice Note examines how typical difficulties in Disputes involving multiple parties (multi-party disputes) and/or several contracts (multi-contract disputes) can be addressed within arbitration proceedings. Such matters are sometimes described as ‘complex arbitrations’, though that label is also used in other contexts. Multi-party and multi-contract disputes are widespread, reflecting the intricacy of international commercial dealings. As outlined in Practice Notes: Arbitration—an introduction to the key features of arbitration and Arbitration—new starter guide, arbitration is usually a private, contractual process for resolving disputes, affording parties real control over who decides their case and the procedure to be followed. The opportunity to shape how proceedings are organised and run is frequently cited as a key reason why parties—particularly commercial entities engaged in cross-border transactions and/or projects—select arbitration rather than litigation in national courts. However, unlike a two-party dispute under a single agreement, the involvement of multiple participants and/or a suite of contracts can create complications both when drafting Dispute resolution provisions and once disagreements materialise, which this Practice Note considers how best to manage...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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