What are my rights in a shareholders dispute?

Left unresolved, a shareholders dispute can significantly impact on a company’s profitability, if not destroy the company and irreparably damage the relationship between the shareholders. As with all disputes prevention is almost inevitably better than the cure, and in the case of a proprietary limited company, prevention means a properly drafted shareholders agreement (or similar document). A shareholders agreement should, at a minimum, contain clear guidelines for dealing with potential and actual shareholder disputes and may enable parties to engage in cost effective and cost-effective alternative dispute resolution strategies to prevent costly litigation.