Business disputes often begin long before anyone realizes there is a dispute. There will be no lawsuit, demand letter, or dramatic confrontation. Instead, the dispute will start with a simple conversation about why books are not ready and why a distribution is delayed. One of the partners will give vague answers about finances and take […]
Your Business Partner Just Hired a Lawyer—Should You Be Worried?
Over the years, we have seen many of our business owner clients experience the same reaction upon learning their business partner has hired a lawyer. There is panic and the immediate assumption that a lawsuit is coming. Further, the business owner begins replaying past conversations and wonders whether to hire a lawyer immediately, stop communicating, […]
The Business Owner’s Guide to Preserving Evidence Before It Disappears
We have learned in our practice that most business owner litigants do not lose important evidence because someone within the company intentionally destroyed it. Rather, more often than not, the business owner loses the evidence without realizing its importance in the first place. As the business dispute begins, tensions rise, and communication becomes strained. It […]
Your Business Partner Locked You Out, Now What?
Few client calls create more urgency than the one that starts with: “My business partner locked me out.” This lament often centers on a changed password or restricted access to bank accounts, accounting software, email systems, customer databases, or company records. In more extreme situations, owners find themselves excluded from meetings, decision-making, and day-to-day operations […]
When Should a Business Owner Walk Away from Litigation?
Deciding when to stop fighting can be difficult. Business owners often find themselves making that determination regarding litigation. By the time a partnership dispute, shareholder action, or contract litigation begins, emotions are often running high. Money has already been spent, relationships have been significantly strained or deteriorated, and positions have hardened. Many business owners become […]
The Most Expensive Email or Text You Will Ever Send During a Business Dispute
Business owners often fail to recognize that they are creating adverse evidence against themselves while writing it. It usually starts with frustration. Emotions run high when a business partner you once trusted stops being transparent, or a client refuses to pay, or a vendor breaches an agreement. Leading you to send an email or text […]
What it Means When Your Business Partner Says, “Let’s Keep the Lawyers Out of This”
When business disputes arise, you may hear: “Let’s keep the lawyers out of this.” This may sound like the other side seeks a collaborative resolution. At other times, the intent may be different. As a business litigator, I have seen situations where requests to “keep the lawyers out of it” were less about cooperation and […]
What Business Owners Should Not Do After Their Business Receives a Summons and Complaint
When a business receives a summons and complaint, panic often takes over before strategy does. For many business owners, the lawsuit feels personal from the start. Some react emotionally, and others freeze entirely. Some rush into decisions simply because they want the stress to end as quickly as possible. In truth, business litigation is […]