Complex Business & Commercial Litigation

From complex business and commercial disputes to routine and common disputes involving a wide range of industries, Lewis Brisbois’ Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice is flexible enough to handle it all. Our ability to offer practical advice to resolve difficult or complex problems, our client-customized approach to litigation, our extensive trial experience, and our efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and results-oriented approach mean clients are in the best of hands. With offices from coast to coast, clients also have the benefit of multi-state representation, including in multidistrict and class action litigation.

The Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice comprises attorneys who regularly handle state and federal litigation, including appeals and regulatory proceedings for local, national and international clients, as well as federal, state and local agencies. They are licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court, state and federal trial and appellate courts, and administrative and regulatory bodies.

Clients who have put their trust in Lewis Brisbois include Fortune 500 corporations, national and international corporations, small and local businesses, and individuals and entrepreneurs. Lewis Brisbois’ clients are also from a wide range of industries, from manufacturers of commercial and consumer products; banking, insurance, and investment companies; and providers of medical services and manufacturers of medical devices to technology and telecommunications companies; national and international construction contractors and project managers; and businesses and individuals involved in sports and entertainment, among others.

The following is a brief overview of our practice areas:

Breach of Merger & Acquisition Agreements
Claims of fraud, breach of contract, misappropriation of funds, improper accounting and reporting, failure of representations and warranties, and failure to achieve results based on best efforts arising out of mergers and acquisitions involve complex and unique legal theories. The attorneys in our Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice have the legal skills necessary to manage and marshal evidence and testimony, protecting and defending a client’s interests post-merger.

Commercial Contracts & Financing
Lewis Brisbois’ litigation services are regularly retained for the purpose of defending and enforcing contracts for the delivery of goods and services and financing agreements related to business operations. These disputes include the defense and enforcement of security agreements; personal guaranties and promissory notes; indemnity and insuring agreements; and a wide variety of complex and routine contracts.

Corporate Litigation
Lewis Brisbois’ Complex Business & Commercial Litigation attorneys have extensive experience in high-stakes disputes representing members of boards of directors, corporations, stockholders, managers of LLCs, and those with managerial or ownership interests in other forms of entities. Our attorneys handle matters nationwide involving fiduciary duties and corporate governance, as well as summary proceedings under the Delaware General Corporation Law, such as advancement and Section 220 actions seeking company records. Within this area of practice, we represent a wide range of clients in many industries as well as investors and non-profits throughout the country.

Licensing & Distribution Litigation
Lewis Brisbois represents clients enforcing and defending claims arising out of licensing and distribution agreements for a variety of commercial and consumer goods and services. These matters include obtaining, enforcing, and defending against temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, and claims for declaratory relief. 

International Trade, Arbitration, & Commercial Dispute Resolution
The Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice has experience assisting clients in international trade and commerce. We have represented clients in international breach of contract disputes, contract arbitration between and among international trading partners, and private mediation and arbitration of claims. These types of claims often involve both domestic, foreign, or multi-national companies, and implicate strategies and concerns regarding choice of law, personal jurisdiction, venue, and enforcement of judgments.

Real Estate Litigation
Our clients’ commercial operations involve a variety of leases and real property ownership arrangements, and we incorporate all aspects of commercial real property litigation into our firm’s practice. The Toxic Tort & Environmental Litigation Practice, Real Estate & Public Entity Practices, and Corporate Practice work hand in hand to offer clients continuity of representation in uniquely specialized areas of law.

Clients also look to Lewis Brisbois’ legal counsel to enforce and defend the contractual arrangements involved in land development, new construction, and improvements for commercial properties. The attorneys in the Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice regularly defend and pursue claim arising out of the acquisition, development, improvement, and construction of real estate for private interests and public works projects, as well as routine commercial real estate contract disputes and related tort claims.

Related Practices
The commercial requirements for legal services overlap into areas related to entertainment, intellectual property, real estate, and bankruptcy. Lewis Brisbois’ diverse specializations allow our clients access to the multi-faceted legal services they require to meet their needs. To effectively represent clients under these circumstances, we utilize state-of-the-art data storage and retrieval systems together with the legal talent necessary for determining the limits to which litigation may invade a company’s records, computer systems, financial reports, and the compelling of management and employee testimony during the course of litigation and trial.

The department’s practice encompasses the full range of commercial transactions and disputes including:

  • Antitrust
  • Banking
  • Class action lawsuits
  • Commercial collections
  • Company dissolutions
  • Contracts
  • Corporate and partnership dissolutions
  • Franchise and distributorship
  • Fraud and deceptive trade practices
  • Inter-company disputes
  • International law
  • International business transactions
  • Lender liability
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Prejudgment/post-judgment remedies, injunctions, attachments, claim, and delivery
  • Real estate
  • Rico
  • Securities
  • Terminations
  • Trade secrets
  • Unfair competition

Chairs

  • Craig Holden (Partner) - Craig.Holden@lewisbrisbois.com, 213.599.7818
  • Kenneth Joyce (Partner) - Ken.Joyce@lewisbrisbois.com, 954.495.2219
  • John Poulos (Managing Partner) - John.Poulos@lewisbrisbois.com, 916.646.8234
  • John Hill (Partner) - John.Hill@lewisbrisbois.com, 330.272.0044

Vice Chairs

  • Greg Johnson (Partner) - Greg.Johnson@lewisbrisbois.com, 916.646.8208
  • Michael Johnson (Partner) - Michael.Johnson@lewisbrisbois.com, 925.478.3273
  • Michelle Gilboe (Managing Partner) - Michelle.Gilboe@lewisbrisbois.com, 612.428.5002
  • Jonathan Preziosi (Partner) - Jonathan.Preziosi@lewisbrisbois.com, 973.792.8736