Litigation Lawyers in East St. Louis

In East St. Louis, Illinois, commercial litigation is any civil litigation that includes a business transaction. Commercial litigation can come up in basically any business context.

In East St. Louis, Illinois, you should expect any form of commercial litigation to be expensive and complicated. While large and sophisticated companies are well-equipped to deal with civil litigation, and are frequently the ones facing it, civil litigation in East St. Louis, Illinois can also arise between those who are not nearly as accustomed to handling it, such as individuals and small businesses.

Common Sources of Commercial Litigation in East St. Louis, Illinois

Commercial Leases: Even though more businesses than ever are relying on the internet to sell their goods, the majority of small businesses in East St. Louis, Illinois still have to operate from a physical location. The space from which most businesses operate is typically rented, and the terms of the rental agreement are documented in a contract called a commercial lease. These contracts, like any other, are sometimes breached. When, for example, the tenant fails to pay rent on time, or the landlord fails to perform required building maintenance, a conflict might arise, leading to commercial litigation.

Sales of Real Estate: When buying real estate in East St. Louis, Illinois, a lot of things can go wrong, possibly making commercial litigation crucial. In these cases, things like title defects (when the seller doesn't directly own the land or house that they're selling), physical defects in the property that weren't disclosed to the buyer, or a buyer's failure to tender payment on time, among other things, can all lead to commercial litigation.

Sale of Goods: The sale or purchase of personal property is another prevalent source of commercial litigation in East St. Louis, Illinois. For instance, a restaurant owner might order tomatoes from a supplier, and fail to pay for them. The owner might argue that the tomatoes were rotten and unusable when they arrived, and he therefore does not have to pay. Obviously, if the two parties can't resolve this conflict somehow, they will have 2 options: simply let it go, and likely never do business with one another again, or go to court, and resolve it through civil litigation.

Business Loans: When someone starts a small business in East St. Louis, Illinois, they typically don't have the money to fund its start-up and first few years of operation. So, the initial step is often getting a loan from a bank. However, if the business fails, and the borrower can't make payments, or the lender engages in some type of unlawful conduct, the aggrieved party is going to seek redress. In some cases, the parties will have to resort to civil litigation to resolve their conflict.

Breach of Contract: When an East St. Louis, Illinois business agrees to provide something of value (a product or service) in exchange for something else of value (typically money), a contract is formed. A contract, put simply, is any agreement that the law will enforce. Contracts can be very simple, or incredibly intricate. In either case, if one party fails to perform under the terms of the contract, commercial litigation is one way to resolve the ensuing conflict.

How Can a East St. Louis, Illinois Commercial Litigation Lawyer Help?

Business owners in East St. Louis, Illinois 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.

On that front, the single best thing you can do is, by far, to seek the advice of an efficient East St. Louis, Illinois commercial litigation attorney. Your lawyer can advise you on practical steps you can take to minimize the chances of business litigation occurring in the first place, and give you the best possible chance of success if commercial litigation is unavoidable.