Litigation & Dispute Resolution

We have more than 30 years experience in resolving disputes in the business/commercial context, including some twenty-five years of focus on disputes arising out of employment relationships, founder/shareholder conflicts, and equity compensation.     While our preference is always to resolve disputes favorably to our clients’ interests as quickly and cost-effectively as possible (often through mediation or unmediated negotiation), our willingness and ability to try a case is generally an effective tool in the effort to achieve a successful negotiation.

Partner Micheal Shah  is well known in California for his extensive trial experience (both jury and bench trials) in the state courts of all Bay Area counties and numerous other counties throughout the state,  and he has tried significant federal cases in United States District Courts in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego. In addition, the firm has conducted numerous arbitrations in various private dispute resolution venues, including the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service (JAMS), and the American Arbitration Association (AAA).  Examples the sort of disputes we handle on behalf of individuals include:

• Statutory employment discrimination.
• Sexual, racial and religious harassment in employment.
• Employment compensation disputes, including disputes regarding severance benefits, equity compensation and commissions.
• Retaliation and “whistle-blower” claims.
• Claims of unfair competition, breach of loyalty/fiduciary duty, trade secret and confidential information misappropriation, and post-employment non-competition covenants.
• Battles for control in corporate, LLC and partnership contexts.
• Right to privacy claims.
• Disputed rights arising from mergers and acquisitions, and “change of control” provisions.