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Deborah Polden

Partner

Deborah is a Partner in our Commercial Dispute Resolution team, helping businesses to avoid and resolve a range of commercial disputes, though negotiation, mediation or litigation.

Deborah is a litigation partner with 15 years' experience of resolving a wide range of high-value and strategically important commercial disputes for national and international businesses across a number of industries. She has significant experience of High Court proceedings, including obtaining or resisting urgent injunctions, but is also able to assist clients to resolve their disputes without recourse to the Courts, through negotiation and mediation.

Deborah has experience of the range of commercial and contractual claims, with a particular focus on corporate disputes (post M&A-disputes, shareholder disputes, unfair prejudice claims) and competition litigation.  She also has a growing group litigation/class actions practice, acting for defendants facing claims from multiple claimants.

Her client base spans a number of industries, particularly consumer (both retail and food & beverage), industrials and transport.

Outside of advising clients, Deborah leads the Leeds office gender network.

Deborah's recent experience includes:

  • defending one of the first Covid-related procurement challenges to be set down for trial, in heavily expedited High Court proceedings
  • acting for a number of the defendants to group litigation being brought against them by hundreds of claimant property search businesses, relating to the Enivronmental Information Regulations 2004
  • acting for a number of retail clients pursuing competition damages claims against MasterCard and Visa in the High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal to recover historic overcharged interchange fees

Deborah also works alongside our Corporate team to secure Court approval of transactions where required, including public company takeovers by way of scheme of arrangement, capital reductions, and other applications under the Companies Act.

  • 10 years ranked in Chambers UK
  • Up and Coming, Chambers UK 2022
  • Next Generation Partner, Legal 500 2022
  • Acritas Star lawyer
  • Ranked in Chambers UK 2018, 2019
Deborah Polden

Partner

Deborah Polden

Partner

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