Business Litigation

At Hastings & Ron, our Business litigation practice involves disputes between individuals, businesses, owners, government-affiliated groups, or other entities. Civil litigation may be necessary to resolve monetary disagreements, performance discrepancies, contract interpretations, or relationship troubles.

Business litigation usually involves disputes between individuals, businesses, government-affiliated groups, or other entities. Business litigation also encompasses a wide variety of subject matters, including breach of contract, unfair competition, unfair business practices, breach of warranty, breach of promissory note, breach of guaranty, breach of real estate agreements, partnership disputes, limited liability company disputes, breach of shareholder agreements, failure to pay invoices, fraud, and concealment. In fact, commercial litigation can involve virtually any dispute between one business and another, or between owners of a business. Hastings & Ron have experience in litigating a wide variety of commercial litigation matters.

Business Contract Issues

A contract case usually occurs when one or both parties claim that the contract was breached. A breach of contract is a failure
to perform any promise that forms all or part of the contract. If one party to a contract does not live up to its side of the
bargain, that is known as breach of contract, and the other party can sue for any damages that resulted from the breach. These
damages are not necessarily physical. They can also include profits lost on sales that fell through and time wasted in waiting
for deliveries that did not arrive as promised.

Breach of contract is a fairly common occurrence in the world of business, and happens for various reasons. At Hastings & Ron,
we represent clients in all types of breach of contract cases, including:

Failure to pay for a product or services
Failure to deliver a product or services
Missed deadlines
Failure to meet the terms of a secondary agreement, such as a lease, mortgage or loan document
Disputes over terms in the contract
Disputes between partners or workers
Work stoppages

The attorneys at Hastings & Ron have years of experience handling contract disputes on behalf of both individuals and businesses,
including claims for:

Breach of commercial lease
Breach of employment contract
Breach of services contract
Breach of supplier contract
Breach of buy-sell contract
Breach of asset-purchase contract
Breach of licensing contract
Breach of franchise contract
Breach of entertainment contract
Breach of construction contract
Breach of loan agreement
Collection of business debts

Shareholders Disputes

Shareholder disputes often occur in closely held corporations. Most of these disputes can be resolved among the
shareholders with little, if any, assistance from attorneys. Unfortunately, sometimes the disputes cannot be
resolved without the help of counsel. Lay people do not understand the strict requirements placed on
shareholders by the California Corporations Code. Accordingly, sometimes well-meaning individuals in control
of a company can take decisive actions that expose the company and management to liability and even punitive
damages.

Sometimes heavy-handed, controlling shareholders overstep their authority either through aggressive actions designed
to wrest control from minority members, or to divert money to themselves. In such cases, minority members must act
quickly and decisively to protect their interests.

Member Disputes

Business entities known as limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships are business entities recognized
under California law. These entities are hybrids between partnerships and corporations and California law is still in its
infancy in regulating them.

Hastings & Ron bring insight into these business structures and guides its clients in navigating their way through
disputes involving these entities. Hastings & Ron can explain operating agreements clients signed, and often never
read, to identify their rights and resolve disputes. When Hastings & Ron clients cannot reach an out-of-court
resolution with operating managers, Hastings & Ron attorneys can maximize client success in the
courtroom.

Partner Disputes

Many people do not recognize that partnerships are much like a marriage, with the same fiduciary duties that
spouses have toward each other. Those in control of the partnership must honestly account for income and expenses
and not take advantage of minority partners not involved in the day-to-day operation of a business, or real
estate project. Strict procedures must be followed to dissolve a partnership and to resolve disputes with a
troublesome partner. Failure to comply with these rules and improperly terminating a partnership can lead to
liability.

If you are interested in learning how Hastings & Ron can help you represent your interests in a contract or ownership dispute, contact our office to arrange a consultation. Call us today at 209-476-1010.

Hastings & Ron 4568 Feather River Drive Stockton CA 95219 209-476-1010