Shareholder Disputes

It is a fact that most new companies fail within the first year. Because most people engaging in a new business do so with a sense of cooperation and optimism, it is typical to find partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and operating agreements which do not clearly delineate the respective rights and responsibilities of the owners of the new business in the event of its ultimate demise. While we would strongly advise any client to explore these issues fully at the time a new business is formed, it becomes all the more important to have the assistance of competent counsel to protect the interests of the client at the time of dissolution.

At Bland Richter, LLP, we handle corporate and partnership disputes and dissolutions. As is true in many other types of commercial litigation, it is critical in these cases to understand the financial operation of the business in order to determine the proper value to be placed not only on the assets of the business, but also on the owner's interest itself. In doing so, we rely heavily on both corporate accountants, as well as outside forensic accountants and/or appraisers where indicated. Through the assistance of such financial experts, we are able to condense voluminous financial information into understandable summaries and schedules which become the foundation of the suit, or even better, the foundation for a resolution that avoids litigation.

In addition to valuation and dissolution disputes, we also handle cases involving: Corporate governance; Minority interest "freeze out"; Disputes with lenders; and Disputes with vendors.  Please contact us for your needs in the area of corporate litigation.