Business Owner Disputes / Shareholder Oppression

Houston Business Law Attorneys Serving Texas

Disputes among business owners, whether in a closely held company or large corporation, may stem from many causes, be it a personality conflict, disagreement between majority and minority shareholders, breach of duty, or bad faith situation. Regardless of how they arise, business owner disputes and shareholder oppression can cause disruption, lost value, and litigation that threatens your bottom line.

At Hendershot Cowart, P.C., our Texas trial lawyers leverage over a century of combined experience to protect the rights and interests of business owners amid conflicts of all types. Our team is standing by to provide an in-depth analysis of your shareholder and partnership rights and all paths to resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and the effective prosecution or defense of your case in court.

Responsive Representation for Resolving Business Owner Disputes

Our team utilizes extensive experience in business litigation and resolution methods to help clients navigate the most appropriate course of action for protecting clients rights and interests in a range of disputes, whether in or out of the courtroom. When litigation is not the right course of action, our legal team pursues alternative dispute resolutions such as negotiations, arbitration and mediation. We assist with matters involving:

• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Contract disputes and non-compete violations
• Deceptive trade practices
• Fraud and misrepresentation and trade secret misappropriation
• Hostile takeovers or buyouts and business dissolution
• Intellectual property litigation
• Oil and Gas litigation and construction disputes
• Partnership and Shareholder disputes
• Temporary restraining orders and injunctions for interference of business
• Court appointed rehabilitative receiver
• Minority shareholder oppression including freeze-outs, squeeze-outs and lockouts

Proactive Counsel to Prevent Disputes

In addition to preventing damage after disputes arise – through actions such as injunctive relief from temporary restraining orders (TRO) or preliminary injunction and permanent injunction – we also provide proactive counsel to minimize the potential for disputes and provide legal recourse. Because the best way to avoid a business dispute is to prevent one from the outset, our proactive services help business owners and shareholders address issues such as:

• Contract negotiation and drafting
• Non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements
• Buy-sell agreements
• Partnership and shareholder agreements
• Business set-up and formation / mergers and acquisitions
• Governance documents and compliance plans
• Equity compensation and profit sharing / stock option plans
• Intellectual property protection

Our law firm represents clients in Houston, surrounding counties and across the state of Texas. To learn more about your options, call 713-909-7323 to arrange a consultation or contact us online.