It is not uncommon for privately held companies and partnerships to change their ownership structure, and usually such changes can be amicably negotiated. Unfortunately, business relationships sometimes deteriorate beyond repair, and it is necessary to take legal action to separate the parties’ competing interests in a company. Such “business divorce” cases usually involve numerous complex legal and accounting issues including business valuation, the use and ownership of trade secrets, tax consequences, enforcement of restrictive covenants, and potential liability to business creditors. Sometimes, a business divorce will involve fraudulent conduct or malfeasance by a business partner that requires aggressive legal action to prevent further damage to the business and its owners.
Our attorneys’ considerable experience in litigating complex business disputes, combined with our firm’s depth of knowledge across multiple practice areas and industries, give us unique insight in handling business separations and ownership disputes. Utilizing our firm’s longstanding relationships with other service professionals, such as accountants and financial advisors, we collaborate to provide our clients with thoughtful, practical and creative strategies to best achieve their goals and protect their interests when ownership disputes arise.
Representative Cases:
Successfully represented the seller of a business at trial to obtain a jury verdict of $750,000 for compensatory and punitive damages against the buyer for breach of the purchase agreement and fraud.
Successfully represented shareholder in complex business divorce with business co-owner involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, conversion and breach of contract and successfully obtained restraining order against co-owner to preserve company assets.
Secured order granting motion for temporary restraining order and injunction on behalf of Plaintiff, a law firm, in an action involving a former employee who was trespassing on Plaintiff’s property.