Corporate Law and Commercial Litigation

If you own your own business or are thinking of starting your own business, Edwards Law can help with the transactional steps along the way to make sure your business is compliant and protected.  Services include but are not limited to:

• Business formation and incorporation;
• Contract and policy drafting and review; and
• Drafting compliance documents and implementing/reviewing compliance processes.

If a legal dispute should happen, Edwards Law can guide your business through the pre-litigation and litigation process as well.

Pre-Litigation

At Edwards Law, we work with businesses to advise on commercial law issues, help maintain regulatory compliance and anticipate potential legal concerns such as:

• Noncompete issues;
• Confidentiality issues;
• Breach of contract;
• Business torts; and
• Unfair competition/unfair business practices/defamation issues.

Edwards Law can help your business prevent disputes and lawsuits by drafting airtight company policies, business contracts (such as service agreements, 1099 consulting agreements, non-compete agreements and nondisclosure agreements), and compliance procedures.  These same services will assist your business in effectively preparing for a prelitigation dispute.

Edwards Law handles every aspect of the pre-litigation process and does everything within its power to resolve issues before they go to trial.  The firm’s goal is to quickly and aggressively resolve disputes in pre-litigation before they reach the courthouse.

Litigation

To protect your company against possible financial burdens and protracted litigation, Edwards Law can advise you and your business on the most ideal business formation structures and assist in drafting business contracts and compliance procedures to maximize your position financially and legally. However, if your company is sued, Edwards Law will fight for you in court.

Edwards Law develops the best legal strategies for your business and your budget, and stands by your business through the entire litigation process, including:

Pleadings: This is the part of litigation where each party files what is called pleadings or responsive pleadings, explaining their side of the dispute. Pleadings consist of (1) the complaint, (2) answer, (3) counterclaims (if any), (4) responses to counterclaims (if any), and (5) motions to dismiss.  The pleadings stage is concluded when someone either wins on a motion to dismiss (which serves to dismiss the case or a part of it) or when all parties answer/respond to claims/counterclaim.

Discovery: During the discovery phase, Edwards Law will work diligently to gather all the relevant information pertaining to your case. This includes depositions, interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, subpoenas, and any other steps needed to obtain key documents and paperwork for your case.

During this phase, Edwards Law also makes court appearances on your company’s behalf for case management hearings, discovery disputes, motion practice, pretrial hearings and more. As always, Edwards Law throughout this process tries to reach an agreement with the other party to avoid going to trial, which can be a costly and timely affair.

Trial: If for some reason, an agreement cannot be reached and trial is inevitable, Edwards Law will handle trial preparation, management, and everything else regarding your trial until a ruling is announced.

Areas of Expertise

Examples of commercial litigation cases Edwards Law handles include:

• Unfair Business Practices
• Business Fraud
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty
• Debt Collection Cases
• Breach of Contract
• Construction Defect/Latent Defect
• Breach of Warranty
• Commercial Landlord/Tenant Disputes
• Partnership or Owner Disputes
• Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
• Unfair Trade Practices
• Intentional or Negligent Interference with Contractual Relationships or Business Advantage
• Mortgage Litigation
• Foreclosure Litigation
• Bankruptcy Litigation
• Defamation/Libel/Slander Lawsuit
• Consumer Protection Laws such as TILA and RESPA
• Homeowner Association Disputes