Is Your California Business Involved in a Shareholder Dispute?
Our Orange County shareholder dispute lawyers help California businesses and executives protect their rights and financial interests.
Shareholders and stockholders are important components of any successful business, providing valuable capital and directional insight. But when a shareholder disagrees with certain aspects of a company in which they hold financial stake, disputes may arise that can lead to serious financial and operational ramifications.
At the Newport Beach-based Hochfelsen & Kani LLP, our shareholder dispute attorneys represent business owners, officers, directors, corporations, executives, and third parties involved in all types of shareholder disputes.
Our primary goal is to successfully resolve issues without the need for litigation. Our attorneys have extensive experience in negotiation and offer valuable legal advice during business mediation. However, we are fully prepared to aggressively defend your case in court and have an exceptional record of trial successes.
At Hochfelsen & Kani LLP, our shareholder dispute attorneys work diligently to protect your rights and business interests and we:
- Achieve valuable corporate results in a cost-efficient manner
- Suggest cost-effective, insightful solutions to shareholder conflicts
- Build a compelling case supporting your claims
- Attain legal victories for clients both in and out of court
Your company’s reputation and productivity are important to us. With extensive trial experience in federal, state, and appellate courts across California, we protect your business interests from the moment a shareholder conflict arises.
If you’re involved in a California shareholder dispute, or might soon be, contact us today.
Most Common Types of California Shareholder Disputes
At any given point, an individual or entity with financial stakes in a business may disagree with management decisions or company direction. Without skilled legal guidance, shareholder disputes can shake the foundation of even the most powerful corporations.
At Hochfelsen & Kani LLP, our Southern California shareholder dispute attorneys have successfully represented publicly traded corporations, businesses, closely held businesses, startups, and executives in some of California’s most complex shareholder disputes, including those that involve:
- Allegations of corporate accounting violations
- Board of director election complaints
- Books and records disputes
- Breach of articles of association
- Breach of contract disputes
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Breach of shareholder agreement
- Business dissolutions
- Buy-sell disputes
- Company direction disputes
- Company ethics disputes
- Company spending disputes
- Competing business interests
- Conflict of interest allegations
- Director / officer self-dealing allegations
- Disagreements over shareholder rights
- Disputes over operating agreements
- Dissolution of a member
- Financial commitment disputes
- Fraud, concealment, and misrepresentation claims
- Freeze-out actions
- Insider trading allegations
- Issues in family-owned businesses and closely held companies
- Loss in share value due to fraud or mismanagement
- Mergers and acquisitions disputes
- Minority shareholder exclusion
- Minority vs. majority shareholder disputes
- Shareholder compensation disputes
- Shareholder dividends / derivatives disputes
- Shareholder voting disputes
We represent businesses and executives in all types of cases involving shareholder disputes with majority owners, 50% owners, minority owners, corporate managers, officers, directors, or other company personnel.
Our Southern California shareholder dispute lawyers pursue effective resolutions that achieve beneficial outcomes for both client and business.
To resolve your shareholder dispute promptly and effectively in accordance with your personal, company, and related objectives, you need high-quality legal representation by a skilled California shareholder dispute law firm.
Our meticulous, aggressive legal strategies are focused on optimized beneficial resolutions for companies and their management across California. Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation today.
Available Options for Resolving Shareholder Disputes in California
Many businesses define how shareholder disagreements are to be resolved within shareholder agreements, incorporation agreements, or articles of incorporation. Buy / sell agreements and employee agreements may also outline shareholder rights and dispute resolution options.
However, each case is unique.
When direct, informal negotiations are not a possibility, mediation can be the preferred next step. Mediation uses an independent third-party to help guide discussions and negotiations toward an agreed upon resolution.
If the shareholder dispute cannot be resolved through mediation, the more formal process of arbitration is a potential option. Arbitration allows the parties to present witnesses and evidence supporting their claims before a judge, attorney, or industry expert. The arbitrator may form a legally binding decision regarding the shareholder conflict.
A buyout is another route some corporations may take, allowing the dissatisfied shareholder to leave the company without the need to continue to trial.
In some cases, shareholder disputes must proceed to the courtroom. When alternative dispute resolution is not an option, our business litigation attorneys will aggressively defend or prosecute your case through trial.
Due to the complexity of California shareholder dispute cases, it’s vital that you contact an experienced California shareholder dispute experienced lawyer as soon as you suspect a grievance or conflict.
At Hochfelsen & Kani LLP, our corporate savvy shareholder lawyers have:
- In-depth knowledge of California business law and litigation
- Extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution
- Solid history of success representing California businesses in federal and state courts at trial
Located in Newport Beach, California, we have represented Fortune 500 corporations, professional practice groups, small businesses, start-ups, and individuals in Orange County, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Jose, Silicon Valley, and across the state of California.
What Our California Shareholder Dispute Lawyers Can Do for You
At Hochfelsen & Kani LLP, our lawyers thoroughly examine the legal rights and responsibilities of all involved parties. Our proven legal strategy in shareholder dispute claims assesses all potential options available to our corporate clients and provides prompt and thorough guidance toward an effective resolution.
Our shareholder dispute resolution team aggressively protects your company’s best interests based on our:
- Decades of experience handling corporate shareholder dispute claims
- Proven track record in California business litigation
- Strong history of legal victories for clients both in and out of court
- Financial and strategic business solutions to shareholder conflicts
- Reputation for achieving valuable corporate results in a cost-efficient manner
Our shareholder dispute legal team can help you and your shareholders discover the source of the issues before your business is impacted. We work with client companies and their shareholders to address both conflicts at hand and any potential disputes that may arise.
If you or your business is involved in a shareholder dispute, or feel an impending dispute may soon compromise your company, we are here to help. Contact our Southern California business litigation lawyers today to learn how we can help protect your company’s rights and legal interests.
Contact us today for a free, confidential, no obligation case consultation.