Are you searching for a proven attorney with decades of successful experience that can help you to resolve your shareholder dispute in San Diego or Southern California? Are you a minority shareholder who is concerned about the actions of other shareholders or the company’s executives or board of directors? The Watkins Firm can help to resolve shareholder disputes and protect shareholder rights in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Shareholder Disputes are Unfortunately Quite Common
Shareholder disputes are unfortunately quite common in California. Majority interests mistakenly believe they can bully others and dictate decisions and disbursements. Officers of the company, board members and majority shareholders often use harsh tactics to “control” minority interests who are concerned about the decisions of management, the improper or inappropriate distribution or allocation of funds, and the lack of transparency and access to company books, records and internal communications. This can result in shareholder disputes or the need to file a proactive derivative lawsuit.
The Watkins Firm has developed a unique approach that is designed to resolve your shareholder dispute in San Diego and Southern California in a timely and cost-effective manner. We have more than 40 years of experience with virtually every form of shareholder dispute and associated behaviors. We can help to assert and protect your rights as a shareholder as well as the investment you’ve made in the company.
California Law Provides Additional Protections for Minority Shareholders
Fortunately, California law is quite aggressive in its protections of minority shareholders and investors in a corporation. In fact, California law specifically favors the minority shareholder in many ways unless the corporate documents are modified to include verbiage to the contrary. Here in California, majority shareholders have a fiduciary obligation to minority shareholders to uphold the highest levels of good faith and loyalty, as well as a duty to protect the business and financial interests of the minority.
Common Tactics to Infringe Upon Shareholders’ Rights and Interests
What tactics do majority interests often use to intimidate or block progress in shareholder disputes and those involving a minority interest? Common issues our clients face include but are not limited to:
- Limiting access to or withholding information regarding corporate operations
- Limiting or refusing access to corporate records and shareholder lists
- Refusing appropriate access to the corporate books and accounting
- Excessive or inappropriate payments or salaries for majority shareholders
- Withholding dividends
- Entering agreements, contracts or leases that favor the majority interests at the expense of the minority interests
- Failing to hold regular corporate meetings and excluding minority interests from genuine participation in corporate decisions
- Retaliation or harsh action against minority interests, or termination of employment
How Can The Watkins Firm Help to Resolve Your Shareholder Dispute in San Diego?
How can the Watkins Firm help to resolve your shareholder dispute in San Diego? What rights or pre-emptive rights do you enjoy as a shareholder?
The Watkins Firm has represented San Diego and Southern California shareholders for more than 40 years. We take a unique approach to these cases which is designed to resolve your shareholder dispute in San Diego in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In many cases, we simply provide advice on our client’s rights and straight forward guidance on the steps they should take to assert these rights.
The Watkins Firm is able to resolve the vast majority of our shareholder dispute cases through effective, leveraged negotiation. This is the fastest and least expensive strategy to resolve the dispute while accomplishing our client’s goals and objectives.
We represent clients in mediation and arbitration. We help to hold majority interests accountable for their actions and ensure our clients receive the access to the information to which they have a right and just compensation based upon the shareholders’ agreement.
We work with shareholders to file a derivative lawsuit on behalf of their company when executives, the board of directors and/or majority shareholders are taking decisions or actions which compete with or are not in the best interest of the company itself.
If you are involved in any form of shareholder dispute or are contemplating a derivative lawsuit or other action against majority interests we invite you to review our Podcast Episode 14 – Shareholders’ Rights and 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.
