Practice group · Bahram Tavassoli
Business and contract disputes
When a deal breaks, both sides usually think the contract is on their side. We read it first, then tell you what a court is likely to think.
We take these cases for the company bringing the claim and for the company being sued. Most start with a demand letter and end in a negotiated number; some go to arbitration under the contract, and some go to trial. Either way you get a written plan before anything is filed, with the steps, the likely timeline and a cost range.
We act for
Owner-run companies
Suppliers and distributors
Professional practices
Individuals in a contract with a business
Disputes this group handles
Breach of contract
Unpaid invoices, missed deliveries, and agreements each side reads differently.
Non-competes and trade secrets
Departing employees, customer lists, and the agreements meant to protect them.
Fraud and misrepresentation
A sale or investment that wasn't what you were told it was.
Debt collection between businesses
Collecting what a commercial customer owes, or defending against a claim you dispute.
Sample matters
Contract cases like these
Settled
Supplier v. regional grocer
Unpaid invoices for seasonal produce, settled at mediation for most of the balance
Dismissed
Claim against a software reseller
Breach claim against our client dismissed on the contract's own notice terms
$84,000
Equipment lease dispute
Recovered for a print shop after the lessor kept a deposit it owed back
Invented sample matters for this template, to show the kind of case we take. Past results don't guarantee a similar outcome; every case turns on its own facts.
Questions about contract cases
Do I have to sue in court, or can it go to arbitration?
It depends on the contract. Many business contracts send disputes to arbitration, and some name the city and the rules. We check that first, because it changes the timeline, the cost and who decides.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
There is a deadline, and it differs by the kind of claim and sometimes by the contract itself. Call us as soon as you know there's a problem, so it doesn't pass while you're still negotiating.
We were sued. What do we do first?
Write down the date you were served and send us the papers that day. The deadline to answer is short, and missing it can mean losing the case without a hearing.
A contract fight on your desk?
Send the contract and the last few emails. Bahram or Idris will tell you where you stand.
The first call is free and doesn't make us your lawyers; a signed engagement letter does.