Litigation Lawyers in Los Altos

In Los Altos, California, commercial litigation is any civil litigation that includes a business transaction. Commercial litigation can come up in basically any business context.

Commercial litigation in Los Altos, California, can get quite expensive, very quickly. Furthermore, it can also be incredibly complicated. It often involves two sophisticated business entities, but it can also arise between two ordinary individuals who never would have imagined that they'd get caught up in commercial litigation in Los Altos, California.

Common Sources of Commercial Litigation in Los Altos, California

Commercial Leases: Most individuals who have businesses in Los Altos, California need a physical location from which to run their operation. Often, the business owner has to rent some office or commercial space from somebody who owns a building or plot of land. The terms of these rentals are put in writing in commercial leases. Like any contract, when one party violates one of the clauses of the lease, such as by failing to pay rent, commercial litigation might be used, as a last resort, to resolve the conflict.

Sales of Real Estate: Buying office space, a home, or an empty plot of land in Los Altos, California is not a simple process, and something can go wrong at any step along the way. For example, there might be a title defect, or some type of physical flaw on the property, and the seller fails to disclose it to the buyer, this will almost definitely lead to the buyer demanding payment, in the form of a full or partial refund, from the seller. If no agreement can be reached, commercial litigation is the possible result.

Sale of Goods: Buying and selling personal property is far more typical than buying and selling real estate in Los Altos, California. Consequently, it's also more common for commercial litigation to arise out of disagreements concerning the sale or purchase of goods, as opposed to land. Some common problems that can come up in the sale of goods are a seller's failure to deliver the right product on time, or the buyer failing to pay the price that they agreed on. Most of the time, reasonable, professional people can settle these disagreements amongst themselves. However, in fairly rare cases, they have to resort to commercial litigation when a negotiated settlement is unrealistic.

Business Loans: Starting a business in Los Altos, California, or anywhere else, is costly. Typically, when somebody starts a business, they have to take out a loan from a bank. However, if the lender engages in some type of improper activity (such as trying to collect payment in a manner not permitted in the loan agreement), or the borrower doesn't make the payments on time, commercial litigation is likely to result.

Breach of Contract: When a business or individual in Los Altos, California promises another entity to provide a product or service in exchange for something of value (almost always, but not necessarily, money), they have entered a legally-binding agreement called a "contract." Both parties are now obligated to perform their commitments, as laid out in the agreement, and if one party fails to do so, the other can use commercial litigation to seek redress for any losses suffered as a result of this breach.

How Can a Los Altos, California Commercial Litigation Lawyer Help?

Business owners in Los Altos, California are probably aware of the fact that commercial litigation can always be just around the corner, and just about any business deal that goes bad can trigger it. It's advisable, therefore, to take some simple steps to prepare for possibly civil litigation, so it will only be minimally disruptive to your business, should it occur in the future.

A commercial litigation attorney in Los Altos, California can be very advantageous in that regard. Your lawyer can advise you of your legal commitments, as well as your legal rights. Knowing what is required of you, and the individuals you deal with in a commercial context, is the best thing you can do to avoid commercial litigation, and to succeed in a dispute, should one occur.