Are you searching for a proven partnership dispute lawyer in California?  Are you concerned about the actions of a partner?  Is there a contentious disagreement which could erupt into a full out partnership dispute?  Are you concerned about a dispute with a business partner or the filing of a lawsuit?

Resolving Partnership Disputes

The Watkins Firm has more than four decades of proven experience resolving partnership disputes and lawsuits between LLC members, investors and shareholders in a cost-effective and timely manner.  We employ a unique strategy that is designed to do exactly that: resolve your dispute quickly and efficiently, and at a reasonable cost.  The Watkins Firm is able to resolve the vast majority of our partnership disputes and lawsuits through effective, leveraged negotiation.  Your lawyer will quickly master the facts of the dispute at hand as well as your own goals and objectives for the matter.  We work to thoroughly document the chronology of events and all associated damages.  These tools allow us to productively engage opposing parties and their counsel and work to establish common ground.  Our seasoned attorneys are most often able to negotiate a successful resolution and provide all of the documentation necessary to conclude the dispute and move forward.

A Proven Partnership Dispute Lawyer in California for Mediation or Arbitration

When there are issues of principle or genuine disagreement which cannot be resolved through negotiation, most partnership agreements specify the options of business mediation or arbitration.  You will need a proven partnership dispute attorney for either of these legal venues.  Mediation provides a private and confidential venue where the parties are guided by a neutral third party who works to help to resolve the matters at hand.  Mediation is much less of a formal legal process and allows for more creativity and flexibility, both in the process itself as well as the resolution.

Arbitration is a much more structured legal environment where the parties are able to exert less influence over the process and the ultimate decision itself.  A neutral third party gathers evidence, hears testimony and ultimately renders a decision in the matter.  The advantage of arbitration is the dispute will absolutely be resolved in a relatively short period of time.  The disadvantage or arbitration is you have a lot less influence and control and the decision of the arbiter is final in almost every instance.  You cannot appeal the arbiter’s decision unless you can prove collusion or fraud on the part of the arbiter.

Pro-Tip: “We want to get the facts down and we want the evidence they have in chronological order, because that’s the best way to communicate to a third party, to anyone is in chronological order. That’s how we think. Then I want to help our clients analyze the damages. Whether you are feeling like they owe you something, they’re not complying with the agreement or vice versa. So I want to want something more from you than just to analyze the damages, we need to analyze what it’s going to cost to fight. And also look at the future business. Whether we can salvage this relationship, all of those important things should come into play. Sometimes we’ll even advise our clients how we would think about it and then let them go talk to their partner or whoever they’re dealing with on their own armed with our knowledge and our negotiation technique.

Knowing the facts, the law of the damages key, because that gives your lawyer the ability to predict what would happen if you went to trial tomorrow and you won, what would you win? That’s it, that’s the number. Because in civil court, we’re only looking about dollar amount, and getting there and understanding human nature. Preparation for my clients has to do with damages, the law and the facts, getting all the facts down so that we have things to say and then informing my client. We cannot just go in there and say, here’s the right number. Here’s what I’ll settle for. I’m done talking that doesn’t work. It should. Okay. We believe we’re, we’re all intelligent people. And if we all are intelligent people, we should be able to look at the facts. If we agree on the facts, apply law and come up with the exact same number. Like it’s an accounting problem, but it doesn’t work that way. People are not wired that way.

The outcome is we either have a real simple resolution and they go their own ways or we have a complex resolution or they agree on some kind of compensation and they agree on what to do going forward. Because they’re usually tied together almost like a marriage. And so you just can’t say it’s over because you didn’t pay me that $5,000 you owed me because there’s all these other entitlements and agreements and considerations you have to think about when moving forward.” – Dan Watkins, Founding Partner

Protect Your Interests and Your Money

A proven partnership dispute lawyer in California from the Watkins Firm will work with you to resolve the matter quickly and in a cost-efficient manner.  When negotiation, mediation and/or arbitration is not successful or the right strategy we are always prepared for trial.  If the matter must proceed to Court our attorneys have a proven track record of success at trial over four decades.  The Watkins Firm can and will represent you and protect your money and interests at every necessary step of the process.

We invite you to review our podcast Episode 11 – Resolving a Business Dispute as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.