D.C. Business and Commercial Litigation Attorney
When your business is in a dispute, whether you are being sued or you need to bring the claim, you need a litigator who can actually try the case, not just send letters. I represent corporations and small businesses on either side of commercial disputes in state and federal court, and I can defend you or go on the offensive, with the trial experience to back every position.
If you have been arrested, call immediately. Do not talk to police. Do not consent to searches. Call before you do anything else.
Big-Firm Trial Experience. Without the Big-Firm Detachment.
Before I built my own practice, I was an associate in the Trial Group at Dorsey and Whitney, an AmLaw 100 firm. I handled commercial litigation, class action litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and a little ERISA. I learned how big firms build complex commercial cases, and I learned where they fall short.
What big firms do well: depth of resources, breadth of expertise, deep discovery teams. What they do poorly: knowing the case personally, moving fast, treating the client like the only client. By the time a partner is fully briefed, a small business has paid for a hundred hours of associate work.
I bring the same firepower without the same overhead. I know your case personally, because I am the one working it. I move fast, because there is no committee. And when the case goes to trial, you have an attorney who has tried over 50 cases to verdict, not one who has been managing discovery from a partner’s office.
D.C. Business and Commercial Litigation Cases I Handle.
How I Work With Business Owners.
01
Understand the business
Before I draft a complaint or an answer, I want to understand what you do, who your customers are, who your competitors are, and where this dispute fits in the bigger picture. The legal answer should support the business answer.
02
Map the exposure
What is the worst case? What is the realistic case? What does the case cost, in legal fees, in distraction, in reputation? You should know all of this before we decide on strategy.
03
Choose the right venue and pace
Some cases need to move fast. Some benefit from patience. Some belong in federal court, some in D.C. Superior Court or Minnesota state court, and some belong in arbitration. We pick the venue and pace deliberately.
04
Build for trial
I build every case as if it is going to trial. Most do not. But the ones that get the best settlements are the ones the other side believes you are willing to try. That is the leverage.
05
Communicate plainly
You will not get a memo a month after asking a question. You will get me, on the phone, telling you what I would do if it were my business. That is what I would want from my lawyer.
Cases Won
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different.
A lot of business litigators only do one side. They are insurance defense, or they are plaintiff. They do not really do both.
I do both. Because the lawyer who has tried both sides understands what the other side is thinking. When I am defending you, I know what the plaintiff is going to argue. When I am bringing the claim, I know how the defense will be built. That experience is the leverage.
Frequently Asked Questions.
How much does business litigation cost in D.C.?
Most business litigation is billed hourly, and some matters can be handled on a flat fee for a defined scope of work. I am transparent about fees from the first conversation and put the engagement terms in writing. The total depends on the complexity of the dispute, the venue, the number of parties, and how aggressively the other side litigates.
Should I sue, or should I settle first?
It depends on the leverage you have, the cost of litigation, and the value of the relationship. Sometimes the right first move is a demand letter. Sometimes it is filing. Sometimes it is arbitration. We make that decision together based on the strategy that protects your business.
What is the difference between D.C. Superior Court and U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia?
Superior Court handles most local civil disputes, such as D.C. contracts, business torts, and partnership disputes. U.S. District Court handles federal claims, such as the Lanham Act and federal antitrust, and disputes between parties from different states with more than 75,000 dollars at stake. The venue affects pace, procedure, and often outcome.
What about partnership and shareholder disputes?
Partnership and shareholder disputes, often called business divorces, are some of the most contentious commercial cases. They mix contract law, fiduciary duty, and personal history. I handle them in D.C., Minnesota, and Texas.
Can a solo attorney handle a complex business dispute?
This is the question most business clients should ask. The answer for me is yes, because I came up in an AmLaw 100 trial group. I know how big firms litigate. I have the tools and the network. What I do not have is the bloat. Your case is not staffed by three associates and a partner who has not read the file. It is staffed by me.
What if the other side is a much larger company?
That is often when smaller, more focused firms win. Large companies move slowly. Their counsel is often committee-driven. A focused, prepared trial attorney moves faster, builds the record more carefully, and shows up in court ready to try the case. I have litigated against big plaintiffs. I know how to do this.
Do you handle cases outside of D.C.?
Yes. I am licensed in D.C., Minnesota, and Texas, and I am admitted to federal courts in those jurisdictions. I am frequently brought into cases in Minnesota and Texas by local counsel who want trial firepower. For business clients with multi-state exposure, the multi-jurisdictional admission is a meaningful asset.
What is the timeline of a typical business litigation case?
A straightforward breach of contract case can resolve in six to twelve months. A complex commercial dispute with discovery, motions, and experts often takes 18 months to three years. We will set a realistic timeline at the outset.
Will you actually try the case if it goes to trial?
Yes. That is the entire point. Most commercial litigators do not try cases. They manage them toward settlement. I do try them, which is why the cases I work usually settle better than the ones that do not have a trial threat behind them.
Take the First Step
Protect What You Have Built.
If your business is in a dispute, or you can see one coming, the first conversation is the most important. We can talk through the exposure and the options before you have to commit to anything.