Business and commercial disputes can come up on almost any topic. You may have a vendor who is refusing to deliver on time, or a customer or client who refuses to pay. The purchase of a franchise, once thought to be a smart business move, may have turned into a financial and logistical nightmare, for instance. Finding just the right parcel of land or having it zoned appropriately has mired you in a tangle of red tape. Or perhaps the problem is internal – partners are facing significant disagreements, employees have engaged in serious misconduct, or something suspicious is happening to the money.
No matter the situation, the attorneys at Blanchard, Miller, Lewis & Isley, P.A., can help. We handle our business and commercial clients’ needs with discretion and experience born of a long history of successes at trial.
Regardless of the topic or the parties involved, our approach to every business or commercial litigation case we handle has one thing in common: we prepare for trial from day one. We find that a trial-focused approach allows us to build the strongest possible case for settlement as well as for a jury and judge. And because we have decades of combined experience and success in court, we know that when we prepare for trial, we can win.
While we prepare, we keep you involved. Our attorneys each have a direct line through which our clients can contact us during business hours. We do the work to understand your goals and to keep your situation confidential – no matter what it takes.
To learn more, contact our Raleigh office today.
Types of Business and Commercial Litigation We Handle
Our attorneys have experience in handling a wide range of business and commercial litigation types. We’ve represented clients and gone to trial in areas including:
- Commercial contracts
- Employment contracts
- Franchise disputes
- Noncompete agreements
- Real estate transactions
- Construction disputes
- Unfair and deceptive trade practices
- Zoning and land use disputes
- Administrative and regulatory disputes
- Shareholder and partnership disputes
With extensive experience and a close working partnership among our lawyers, we are prepared to handle any business or commercial dispute.
Whether your case involves a shareholder or partner, another business, a private individual, or a government entity, we’re prepared with the knowledge and experience to address the matter. While we are committed to resolving the issue in a way that meets your goals and controls your costs, we also do the work necessary to represent your interests at trial if needed.
What to Do in a Business or Commercial Dispute
If you find yourself or your business facing a dispute or at risk of doing so, you can take several steps to protect your position. These include:
- Securing copies of relevant records.
Contracts, invoices, paperwork, certifications, meeting minutes – if it matters in the dispute, create a copy and store that copy in a secure location. Electronic documents can be backed up onto an external data source that is stored off-site in a safe place. This information could be valuable to your legal team as you prepare to assert your rights and protect your interests in negotiations or at trial. - Maintaining or preserving confidentiality.
Many businesses have a pressing need to keep disputed matters out of the public eye. While this is particularly true in cases involving confidential personal information or trade secrets, the need for discretion arises in a wide range of cases. While you can’t always keep a situation “under wraps,” you can take steps to prevent information from being freely available – including activating, if needed, your business’s crisis intervention plan for information control. Your attorney can help you determine which steps are appropriate and execute them in a timely fashion, including the intervention of a court via an injunction or other order if needed. - Double-checking the business’s financial health.
Disputes cost money. This is the No. 1 reason businesses prefer to avoid them. When a dispute appears to involve finances, such as in a breach of contract or suspicion of employee or partner misconduct, double-checking the financials is essential. Making copies of this paperwork and keeping it confidential is a key task. If needed, your lawyer can help you find an outside financial professional, such as a qualified forensic accountant, who can review the situation and provide detailed insight into the situation – and what your most cost-effective options are for resolving the issue. - Setting specific goals.
How do you want to resolve the dispute? What is your “best case” scenario? Which scenarios would you consider reasonable resolutions, even if they are not ideal ones – and which scenarios are absolutely unacceptable? As in any business matter, clarifying your goal greatly improves the chances that you will be able to reach it. You will also be able to discuss it with your attorney, who can provide objective evaluation and advice, as well as legal support. - Working with an attorney.
Often, protecting your interests and protecting the interests of partners, employees, and the business as a whole are the same thing. In some situations, including partner or shareholder disputes, protecting your interests and the business’s interests means diverging from the interests of other involved parties. No matter which situation you’re in, connecting with an attorney is a must. Your lawyer can provide specific guidance and help you carry out your plans in order to reach your goals.
Contact BMLI Today
To learn more, contact our office today. Our number is (919) 755-3993, or you can email us.