A business lawyer can help your company take steps to reduce the risk of disputes and lawsuits. But even the most carefully worded contracts and amicable business relationships cannot absolutely guarantee that you will never face litigation. In a situation like this, the future of your organization depends upon you retaining skill legal counsel.
The plaintiff in a business lawsuit will be focused on seeking monetary damages, injunctions, and other relief in the court system. Conversely, the defendant will want to advance a strong defense that avoids or minimizes legal damages and other adverse decisions. No matter which side of a business lawsuit you find yourself on, you can depend on the seasoned business attorneys of Stanfield Bechtel Law.
Representing Business Clients In Diverse Types of Litigation
Business lawsuits come in various forms, from inside or outside your company, and from current or former employees, competitors, regulators, suppliers, and other parties. Our experienced business litigation attorneys are ready to represent you in these and other matters:
Breach of contract: Contracts are essential to good business and control nearly every transaction and relationship involving your company. It’s therefore no wonder that breaches of contract are among the most common types of business lawsuits. Perhaps a party to a contract has breached its agreement with you, or you have been accused of the same. Monetary damages and specific performance (fulfilling the contract terms) are two remedies that plaintiffs often seek.
Employment issues: Current or former employees may file a lawsuit to accuse your company of such misconduct as:
- Discrimination
- Workplace harassment
- Wage and labor issues
- Wrongful termination
- Breach of employment contracts
- Violations of state or federal law (e.g. the Family and Medical Leave Act)
- Retaliation and whistleblower claims
Plaintiff companies may also have a claim of their own against a current or former employee, such as violation of a non-compete agreement.
Partnership disputes: Partnership agreements are designed to help business partners efficiently run their enterprises by specifying their respective rights and duties. However, disputes can erupt over how decisions should be made or how profits should be shared.
Shareholder disputes: Corporate shareholders may not like how a corporation is being operated and decide to take their grievances to court. We can represent you, whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant in one of these actions.
Breach of fiduciary duty: A fiduciary is a party who is obligated by law to act in the best interests of someone else. Fiduciaries are expected to observe such duties as loyalty and good faith. A breach of fiduciary duty may involve any number of behaviors, such as:
- Embezzlement
- Conflicts of interest
- Self-dealing
- Fraud
- Illegal activities
- Failing to conduct adequate accounting
Product liability: if your business produces a good that causes injury to someone, you could be faced with a product liability lawsuit. These claims can become so significant that they grow into class action lawsuits filed on behalf of thousands or millions of consumers. Legal defense can help you defend your company’s bottom line.
Our Firm’s Litigation Services
Litigation is more complicated than simply going to court. Stanfield Bechtel Law takes a comprehensive approach to representing business clients by providing such litigation-related services as:
Risk mitigation: The objective of risk mitigation is to decrease the chance of a lawsuit being filed against your business. We can review your existing operations and relationships to determine the likelihood you will be sued. Then, we can get to work remedying these potential threats.
Internal dispute resolution: Many problems can be resolved within your company and without the need for a judge’s involvement. Using established internal dispute resolution methods, or helping you create them for future use, we can help you quickly and efficiently resolve internal issues.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR): If a lawsuit has already been filed or there’s a good chance that one will be, consider ADR. This term describes various out-of-court methods like mediation or arbitration which can settle pending or actual litigation. ADR is available at any time, right up to trial. Compared to traditional litigation, ADR offers such potential advantages as:
- Ending litigation early or avoiding it to begin with
- Saving time, expense, and company resources
- Allowing the litigants, rather than a judge or jury, to determine the outcome of the dispute
- Preserving important business relationships that might be harmed by litigation
- Protecting confidentiality and avoiding the embarrassment of a public trial
Litigation: If the above options do not prove suitable to your situation, then litigation may be necessary. We are prepared to advocate for your best interests, regardless of which side of the lawsuit you are on. We have extensive knowledge of not only the substantive business laws of Connecticut and Massachusetts but also the rules of civil procedure, evidence, and discovery.
Contact Our Connecticut Business Litigation Attorney
Stanfield Bechtel Law seeks the most advantageous outcomes of business lawsuits by leveraging our litigation skills and business experience on behalf of our clients. To learn more about our services and how we can represent your organization, reach out to us today.