Manage Business Disputes

Business Disputes

One of the best ways to manage business disputes is to prevent them altogether. You can do this by first having a business lawyer review all documents and contracts you intend to sign.

With their skill in business transactions, our small business attorney Chris Stewart can go over legal papers with you to make sure they reflect your understanding of the deal. Then if necessary, the contracts and agreements can be changed before the parties sign, and you can be confident that you understand your legal obligations.

Resolving business disputes

Invariably, there will be times where a business deal goes off the tracks. Perhaps there is a disgruntled partner with a different strategic vision than yours. Or maybe you have a customer that does not pay as agreed. There are essentially four approaches to take to resolve business disputes including the following:

• Direct negotiation.  Both parties agree to talk to each other, listen to what each party needs, and crafts a new agreement that is more acceptable than the original.
• Mediation.  Opposing parties meet to discuss and resolve their differences in a mutually acceptable way with the help of a neutral third party mediator.
• Arbitration.  Conflicting parties agree to accept the decision of a neutral arbitrator that considers all the facts and evidence before rendering a binding decision.
• Litigation.  A judge decides which party will prevail based on the facts and the law.

How we can help with business disputes

Most business disputes are resolved through negotiation, mediation or arbitration. Only a small percentage actually enters a courtroom. Oftentimes, hours before a trial, opposing parties and their lawyers hammer out an agreement. Not only do they want an alternative to costly, time-consuming litigation, they do not want to run the risk of losing in court.

Our attorneys Chris Stewart and Brian Bowen of the Stewart Law Firm have extensive experience resolving disputes related to business transactions through out-of-court negotiations, including mediation and arbitration. Then if talks fail to produce desired results, we do not hesitate to apply greater legal pressure, including litigation. In our experience, opposing parties tend to weaken their positions when faced with a formidable opponent who is not afraid to use aggressive tactics to push for a fair resolution for our clients.