Corporate and Partnership Disputes
Our Practice
Disputes between company principals are a fact of corporate life. Members of our experienced Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group are regularly called on to resolve a broad range of complex corporate and partnership disputes, as well as corporate governance and business dissolution matters.
Our persuasive dispute resolution strategies are based on a solid understanding of our clients' short- and long-term business objectives. Practiced negotiators, we are as adept at arbitration and mediation as we are at trial work. We pursue all available avenues – and creative strategies – to reach resolutions favorable to our clients.
We have particularly strong experience in prosecuting and defending corporate officers, directors, and partners in claims involving breach of fiduciary duties. We resolve disputes arising over corporate control, mismanagement, violation of non-compete agreements and breach of contract, as well as partnership disputes. When a partnership dissolves, we seek advantageous settlement solutions before resorting to trials.
Our Experience
- Achieved complete victory for an international internet retailer in a stockholder/breach of fiduciary arbitration that spanned over 8 months of hearings. Client won on every facet of the case, including an award of nearly all fees and costs incurred over the two-plus year arbitration.
- Settled a business ownership dispute after the client, a high-end boat manufacturer, removed a shareholder/CEO. An aggressive and consistent strategy ultimately led to a settlement below what the client was willing to pay for nuisance value.
- Prevailed in a bench trial defending a real estate investment company in a multi-count complaint that included claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
- Represented a developer against a property owner in obtaining specific performance of a $10 million commercial real estate purchase agreement.
- Obtained a binding and non-appealable judgment on behalf of the beneficial owner of an ethnic grocery store who had disputes with company trustees that terminated the trustee and dismissed his entire claim for more than $1 million in fees.
- Represented the buyer of commercial property in Skokie, Illinois in a dispute in which both the buyer and the seller declared a breach of the real estate purchase agreement. Following a bench trial, successfully obtained a declaration from the Court that the seller breached the agreement and that our client was entitled to the return of earnest money.
- Represented a group of shareholders that suspected that the president of a company had engaged in self-dealing and had absconded with corporate assets. Litigated an action to remove the company president from his position and secure control of the company.
- Represented companies in shareholder suits for oppression and breach of fiduciary responsibility.