In this powerful episode, we dive into the emotional and legal complexities of family business conflict with solicitor and dispute resolution expert Ed Weeks. With decades of experience helping families navigate shareholder breakdowns, succession battles, and deep-seated sibling rivalries, Ed shares what really causes these disputes—and how to stop them from destroying relationships and companies alike.
We talk trust, betrayal, power dynamics, and why no one ever wants a shareholders’ agreement... until it’s too late. Ed also lifts the lid on the psychology behind mediation, why litigation often makes things worse, and how to spot the real reason a family can’t move forward.
Whether you’re in a family business, advise one, or simply want to understand conflict better, this episode is filled with eye-opening insights.
Key Takeaways
Trust is not a strategy. Without structure, family businesses are vulnerable.
Legal documents feel unromantic—but they’re life-saving.
Most family disputes are emotional, not rational. And that’s what makes them so hard to fix.
Look beyond the surface. Sometimes, the person who looks neutral is fuelling the conflict.
The best lawyer won’t just fight—they’ll help you walk away whole.
Host Bio
Maria founded the Centre for Peaceful Solutions in response to the fatal shooting of a 7 year old in her neighbourhood. She developed a model of conflict resolution for violent crime using her brainchild, the Dialogue Road Map (DRM).
Over 30 years she has mediated everything from threat to life gang disputes to high stakes business deals gone wrong, Maria empowers people to resolve conflict without reliance on experts. So she trains violent prisoners to be facilitators, leaders to be effective communicators, teenagers to be peer mediators and neighbours to be tenant listeners within their respective communities.
The DRM has applications in all aspects of life and is used for resolving conflict, repairing harm, decision making and healing at an individual and group level. It challenges people to live in harmony with their values. In 2020 Maria received an MBE from the Queen for services to mediation.
www.centreforpeacefulsolutions.org
www.peacefulsolutions.org.uk
www.workplacehuddle.com
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/