When your Virginia business becomes a party to a lawsuit, your livelihood is at risk. An adverse judgment can devastate your financial future. Whether your business is the Plaintiff or the Defendant, you need an experienced Virginia business litigation attorney to protect your interests. The dedicated attorneys at S.L. England, PLLC, have the courtroom experience necessary to protect your business and your financial future.
Types of Business Litigation
The attorneys at S.L. England, PLLC, represent business clients as Plaintiffs or Defendants in a variety of legal matters, including, but not limited to:
- Breach of Contract
- Non-Compete Agreements
- Partnership or Shareholder Disputes
- Intellectual Property
- Theft of Trade Secrets
- Conspiracy
- Employment Disputes
- Torts and Tortious Interference
- Unfair Business Practices
Virginia Business Litigation Process
Successful business litigation requires a knowledgeable attorney with courtroom experience who understands the details of the dispute so they can effectively fight to protect your assets.
Litigation begins when the Plaintiff files a Complaint and serves it on the Defendant. The Defendant files a response within 21 days. Failure to file a response may result in a default judgment against the Defendant. If your business has been served with a lawsuit, an aggressive attorney can effectively research applicable case law and file a strong response with the court within the short timeline.
After the Plaintiff and Defendant file their Complaint and Response, Discovery begins. Attorneys for both parties use interrogatories (written answers under oath), depositions (oral statements from witnesses under oath), and requests for production (legal requests for documents) to gather information relevant to the lawsuit.
If the parties do not reach a settlement before the scheduled court date, the lawsuit goes to trial. This may be a bench trial decided by a judge or a jury trial. The judge or jury must make their decision based on a "preponderance of the evidence."
The details of the lawsuit determine which court hears your case. The attorneys at S.L. England, PLLC, can represent you in any Virginia state or Federal court.
What Relief is Available for Businesses?
In the Complaint, the Plaintiff asks the court to grant them specific relief. The Defendant may also ask for relief from the Plaintiff in a counterclaim. Relief is usually money for damages caused by the other party. It may include punitive damages and/or attorney fees. The parties may also ask the court to grant injunctive relief, which requires the other party to perform or cease a specific action.
Do You Need a Business Litigation Attorney in Virginia?
Whether you are the Plaintiff or the Defendant, when your business faces a lawsuit, you need an aggressive, experienced Virginia business litigation attorney to protect your most important asset. The business litigation attorneys at S.L. England, PLLC, have the courtroom experience necessary to effectively argue your case in front of a judge or a jury in any Virginia court. If your business needs to file a lawsuit or if it has been served with civil papers, call us today at call us today at (202) 489-0720 or contact us online.
