If you wish to resolve ownership disputes and preserve business relationships quickly and in a cost-effective manner the Watkins Firm is the right legal partner.  Our unique approach to resolving disputes ensures that our client’s goals and objectives are efficiently accomplished in the shortest possible time frame.  The simple fact is that the Watkins Firm is able to resolve the vast majority of our business disputes and even lawsuits through effective leveraged negotiation.  The skill and experience of your attorney will make a substantial difference in the outcome of your case, while resolving the dispute at hand in the shortest timeframe and least expensive path.

The Watkins Firm has served the San Diego and California business community for more than four decades.  We understand the nature of partnership and ownership disputes from every perspective.  We value the nuances of the relationships that lie beneath the dispute.  In many cases these are family members, or close friends.  Their spouses know one another well, and they often socialize.  The relationship between the partners spreads into surrounding family members and friends and this is why it is important to positively and promptly nip it in the bud.

Our effective business litigation team of attorneys works to resolve ownership disputes and preserve business relationships by getting to the core of the dispute using the potential for damages and the impact on business and profitability as the leverage needed to get the other party’s attention and draw them into cooperative and constructive negotiations.  We understand the inequities that often exist between business partners.  Its natural to feel that one is putting forth more work and bringing in more income than another.  This can lead to bitter feelings and eventually open hostility.

Our experienced lawyers get the issues out on the table and then apply our extensive experience gained over decades of helping other business partners to work through challenges, while repairing the relationships underneath.  Our objective is often as much about restoring a productive working relationship between the parties and helping them to work through things constructively as it ultimately is about money.

Pro-Tip: “Well, negotiations between two people are difficult because of the personal issues between them. And when you talk with somebody like your wife, or anyone you’ve had any kind of relationship with just because you believe what you’re saying is correct doesn’t they agree.  It also doesn’t mean that there’s not emotion involved there, right? And you have to understand that. So person to person negotiations can only go so far. And then when you have somebody speaking representative to representative, well, the two representatives aren’t going to have hurt feelings. We’re going to be able to work past hurt feelings and look at the bottom dollar line. And also look at the bottom line with business going forward, seeing if there’s a way to heal it, or if there’s nothing to heal, giving our client good advice.

Negotiations and in fact, resolving business disputes is all about a mastery of the facts and the associated damages.  Knowing the facts, the damages, the law of the damages is 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 amount, that’s the number. In civil court, we’re only concerned with dollar amounts, and how to get there and understanding human nature. Preparation for my clients has to do with damages, the law and damages, and getting all the facts down so that we have things to say and then informing my client. We cannot just go in there – and here’s the saddest part – and say, ‘here’s the right number. Here’s what I’ll settle for. I’m done talking.’ That doesn’t work. It should. We believe 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.” – Dan Watkins, Founding Partner

If you are searching for a way to resolve ownership disputes and preserve business relationships we invite you to review our podcast Episode 11 – Resolving Business Disputes as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.