How does one manage containing costs in a California business dispute while accomplishing your goals and objectives?  What is the fastest and least expensive strategy for resolving any San Diego business dispute?  The primary goals for any dispute are developed by our clients through the advice and counsel of our experienced dispute resolution attorneys.

The Watkins Firm has more than four decades of experience serving the San Diego and California business community and successfully resolving disputes and business litigation.  We employ a unique approach to disputes which is designed to resolve the issue(s) at hand in a timely and cost effective manner.  We do not layer several attorneys and supporting staff to work on your case (and increase your bill).  This is an outdated model employed by most regional and national law firms.  Our clients are looking for something different.

They want to work with a law firm which is entirely focused upon achieving their goals and objectives for the dispute while working effectively and efficiently to achieve a positive outcome.  We work to efficiently develop a thorough, well-documented chronology of events as well as a mastery of the associated damages.  These tools provide the leverage to open negotiations with opposing parties and counsel. The Watkins Firm is able to resolve the majority of our client’s business disputes and even business litigation through effective, leveraged negotiation.  Negotiation is the fastest and least expensive strategy for resolving any dispute or litigation.

Containing costs in a California business dispute begins by organizing a written record of all relevant information and events in chronological order.  This alone will save you a substantial amount of legal fees as the first step any experienced business litigation attorney will do is build a timeline of the facts.

Business litigation is all about the financial damages.  We work to quickly and accurately assess the potential damages and use them to gain the attention of opposing parties and draw them into productive negotiations.  Our goal is to find common ground, lay the groundwork for developing a “settlement” or resolution which accomplishes our client’s objectives.

When necessary, we represent clients in mediation and/or arbitration.  Each legal venue has advantages and disadvantages and we provide sound counsel throughout the process to minimize legal expenses and maximize cost containment for San Diego business disputes.  We prepare every case for trial and are prepared to take the case to a successful verdict if necessary.

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 the other party or 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 understanding the issues and potential 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. Your Watkins Firm attorney gives good advice based upon decades of experience in similar matters. 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 damages, the law of the damages is key, because that gives you and 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 at dollar amounts, getting there and understanding human nature.  Preparation for my clients has to do with the law and damages, as well as the facts, getting all the facts down so that we have the tools with which to engage.

It’s a dance. The university of Irvine has a law school program that teaches judges how to help people negotiate settlements. They have a long seminar and it talks about perception. And so I’m not a judge, so I didn’t get to go there. But I’ve spoken to many, many judges over the last 35 years and they’ve discussed about how they’re trained. And then they discussed about how many different moves it has to take for both parties to feel that they did as good as they possibly they could have done. And it won’t happen in one offer. I’ve never had it happen. 35 years. Never had someone say I’ll do it for this amount. And the other person says, sounds fair to me. They wouldn’t be coming to a lawyer. So you go through the dance moves,  you right down the settlement offers, you develop factual things to say as well as legally things to say in between those offers. And then at the end of the day with an experienced judge or settlement conference referee you’ll end up with a settlement. That’ll be the number, the right number where both parties are a little upset, both parties are a little happy and everybody saved attorney’s fees and anguish and time in court.” – Dan Watkins, Founding Partner

Containing costs in a California business dispute is one of the base philosophies of our law firm and how we advise and work with our clients to accomplish their goals and objectives.  We invite you to review our podcast Episode 11 – Business Dispute Resolution as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.  Learn how our skill, experience and unique approach to resolving business disputes and the work you can do as a client work together to achieve a timely and cost-effective resolution of any business dispute.