Litigation Lawyers in Pittsfield

Commercial Litigation in Pittsfield, Maine is civil litigation that arises out of a business transaction, or some other dispute between two businesses, or between a business and a customer. It can appear out of nowhere, and arise out of almost any business situation.

In Pittsfield, Maine, litigation is complicated and expensive. While it can come up between sophisticated companies, it can just as easilyy involve people who would never guess that they'd one day be involved in a commercial litigation dispute in Pittsfield, Maine. It can arise from the most informal business transactions, such as a homeowner selling a piece of furniture to his neighbor.

Common Sources of Commercial Litigation in Pittsfield, Maine

Commercial Leases: Most businesses in Pittsfield, Maine operate from a single physical location, despite the rise of the Internet and e-commerce. These locations are often in rented space, which is usually more cost-effective than purchasing real estate just for the purpose of operating a business. These rental agreements are laid out in documents called "commercial leases." Like every other contract, these leases are sometimes broken. If the parties cannot resolve the ensuing dispute amongst themselves, they might have to resort to commercial litigation.

Sales of Real Estate: Buying office space, a home, or an empty plot of land in Pittsfield, Maine is not a simple process, and something can go wrong at any step along the way. For instance, 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 certainly lead to the buyer demanding compensation, in the form of a full or partial refund, from the seller. If no agreement can be reached, commercial litigation is the likely result.

Sale of Goods: Buying and selling personal property is far more common than buying and selling real estate in Pittsfield, Maine. Therefore, it's also more common for commercial litigation to arise out of disputes 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 relatively rare cases, they have to resort to commercial litigation when a negotiated settlement is impossible.

Business Loans: When someone starts a small business in Pittsfield, Maine, they usually don't have the money to fund its start-up and first few years of operation. So, the first 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 dispute.

Breach of Contract: Whenever a business in Pittsfield, Maine agrees to provide a product or service in exchange for something of value (usually money), a legally-binding agreement, called a "contract," is formed. If either party fails to perform their end of the bargain, they have breached the contract, and commercial litigation is a possible way to settle the dispute.

How Can a Pittsfield, Maine Commercial Litigation Lawyer Help?

If you have a business in Pittsfield, Maine, it should by now be obvious that there are many different situations from which commercial litigation can arise, and it rarely happens when it's expected. So, it's always smart to have a plan in place (and money or insurance set aside, if possible) to resolve a commercial litigation issue, should it arise.

On that front, the single best thing you can do is, by far, to seek the advice of an experienced Pittsfield, Maine 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 winning if commercial litigation is unavoidable.