Commercial litigation can be a particularly complicated area of law. While it can involve small business proceedings and legal disputes, commercial litigation also includes gigantic companies fighting for their rights with potentially billions of dollars at stake. Although flashy cases get the headlines, having a solid, dependable legal team for commercial litigation matters is incredibly important to the success of any business venture.
That is where we come in. Our legal team knows commercial litigation inside and out. We can guide you through collecting debt, enforcing a contract, negotiating with sellers and other businesses, and more. We know how hard it is to set up a business, no matter how large or small, so we put a lot of effort into ensuring that our clients are well represented.
To have our commercial litigation lawyers examine your situation, call Howe & Associates by calling (678) 680-6983.
Intellectual Property Theft in Columbus, GA Commercial Litigation
The intellectual property rights owned by a corporation or other business can have a great deal of value, even if it is not tangible. For example, an important intellectual property of many companies is their brand and logo. Anyone else using that brand or logo to try and imitate a company can do real harm to the company’s value and may even harm people if cheap knockoffs are being sold under a brand without permission.
Another important type of intellectual property that can be patented is what is called a “trade dress.” This is the recognizable image of an iconic product that is closely tied to a brand. For example, many individuals can recognize a Volkswagen beetle just by its silhouette. Essentially, a trade dress allows customers to identify an object as what it is. When companies steal trade dress, it can create confusion in the market, and less scrupulous actors can piggyback off another company’s hard work with little to no work of their own.
Our commercial litigation lawyers are more than capable of taking entities that violate intellectual property laws to court, and we will ensure that your brands, trade dress, and other intellectual property are kept safe.
Contract Issues in Columbus, GA Commercial Litigation
A very common reason for commercial litigation is contract disputes. Contracts – and abiding by them – are incredibly important to the integrity of commercial transactions of all kinds. If nobody was expected to abide by contracts, they would not be worth the paper they are printed on.
Contract disputes often happen when one party believes a certain term or condition does not apply to them. They may come to this “realization” after a closer reading of the contract text or when an attorney advises them that a certain provision does not have “teeth.” When two sides disagree about whether one party is defaulting under a contract, matters can easily escalate to litigation.
Suing for Specific Performance
Perhaps the most frequent lawsuit involving contracts is a suit to compel specific performance. “Specific performance” means making a party bound by the contract carry out a certain obligation they have not yet done. For example, suppose a carpenter is contracted to build a table and chairs, but they only build the table and half of the chairs. The person who contracted the carpenter can sue to have the contractor finish the rest of their contractual obligation or pay a hefty fine in damages.
On a larger scale, this can apply to wholesalers, distributors, vendors, and companies partnering with each other. Our commercial litigation lawyers are more than ready to tackle any specific performance lawsuits you have on your plate. Other contract disputes can include determining whether a party is in breach or not, modifying a contract to better suit the needs of both parties and more.
Employee-Employer Disputes
Another type of contract dispute involves employment agreements. Often, despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, employees will not carefully read their agreement or, if they do carefully read them, will have a different idea about the relationship between employer and employee. When this happens, legal battles between employees and employers can arise.
One common employee dispute can arise out of non-compete clauses. These contract clauses prohibit employees from working for competitors to the employer within a set period of time. This is to guard against “poaching,” where a company will take a new hire trained by someone else to benefit from their skill. Employees often dispute these clauses or go against them because they sometimes do not hold up in court. Our attorneys can examine your employer-employee situation to determine the best course of action in your particular case.
Debt Collection for Columbus, GA Commercial Litigation Matters
Companies, corporations, and businesses sometimes give out loans in order to get greater income on interest or for other reasons. Unfortunately, those loans are not always paid off in a timely fashion. When that happens, you may want to take action by hiring a dedicated debt collection company to acquire what you are owed. Unfortunately, debt collection companies can be aggressive and burn bridges, which may not always be desirable when collecting debt from an otherwise cooperative client.
Instead, consider speaking to our commercial litigation attorneys. Using a lawyer to try to get a debt paid can have some distinct advantages over using debt collectors. First, the perceived threat of legal action may compel parties to pay up without much hassle. Second, lawyers can negotiate and act in a cooperative manner, so you can preserve a business relationship with a debtor to a greater degree than if you were to use a debt collection company.
Speak to Our Commercial Litigation Attorneys About Your Columbus, GA Needs Now
Howe & Associates’ commercial litigation attorneys are ready to assist you when you contact our office at (678) 680-6983.