Business Law

Although our focus is small to medium-sized businesses, we help businesses of all types and sizes. Our clients include owners of private educational institutions, music labels, and real estate investment firms.

The firm provides comprehensive legal services for small business owners at all stages of the business. The firm assists the small business owner with deciding what type of business entity will best serve the individual goals of the entity. Some of the general counsel services that the Firm provides are negotiating contracts on behalf of the client, representing the business or its official in various legal proceedings, providing legal counsel on issues arising from actual or anticipated lawsuits, protecting intellectual property, drafting operating agreements and bylaws, developing and recommending operating policy and procedures, and filing corporate paperwork with the appropriate federal and state agencies. The firm also offers a Business Guard Program which allows a small business owner to receive basic legal counsel throughout the year for a nominal flat fee without worrying about an hourly rate. Please email us for information about our Business Guard Program.

Resolving Business Disputes in Settlement and at Trial

Our experienced trial lawyers and staff will go to the mat for the rights of our clients inside the courtroom. However, avoiding the courtroom altogether is generally the best decision in the long term in most instances.

At our firm, we counsel clients on the advantages and disadvantages of trials and settlement options. We can help you explore if a form of alternative dispute resolution is a more appropriate route for resolving your case and can assist you with making decisions regarding your business interests that are reasonable and practical.

In every case, the client makes the ultimate decision about the direction of the case, and our firm will continue to provide the highest level of legal counsel and representation regardless of that decision.

Effective Business Contract Dispute Resolution

The Law Office of Wilton A. Person provides experienced representation to corporations in Illinois, international clients, and out-of-state clients that are dealing with contract disputes and other forms of business disputes in Illinois. Our firm blends the substantial knowledge and experience of our trial attorney and paralegals with heavily leveraged technology to provide quality legal services that meet the diverse needs of our clients.

Cost-Effective Solutions in Business Litigation

Businesses are subjected frequently to a multitude of legal issues that can result in contract disputes. It is important to have a law firm on your side that has a comprehensive understanding of these issues and can anticipate problems before they occur. At the Law Office of Wilton A. Person., we have handled business dispute issues that include:

• Lease disputes
• Vendor disputes
• Commercial landlord/tenant disputes
• Unfair trade disputes
• Franchise issues
• Product Manufacturing Agreements
• Commercial collections
• Trademark Opposition Actions
• Trade Secret Disputes
• Breach of Contract

The firm uses the latest technology, combined with effective litigation budgets, to provide our clients an advantage in obtaining quality legal service at reasonable rates. We take the steps to understand our clients, their businesses, and their goals in order to formulate a realistic litigation strategy.

We Always Strive to Make Our Legal Service More Efficient

In order to provide quality legal service at reasonable rates, our firm strives to make our legal service as efficient as possible. By using state-of-the-art technology in our practice, we can make communication and billing easier, organize documents more completely and keep all client information secure.

Cost-Effective Alternatives to Litigation

For corporations in Illinois and across the United States, commercial litigation cases can be expensive to resolve through litigation. The substantial expenses of trial, in addition to the time and stress involved with litigation, can make it difficult for your business to progress to a resolution in a timely and successful fashion. The firm explores alternative dispute resolution such as arbitration and mediation when the opposing side is serious about resolving the case or if a contract clause provides for such forum.

Arbitration

In arbitration, both parties agree, in advance, to have their matter heard by an arbitrator who acts like a private judge. Arbitartion is similar to a bench trial before a judge or a panel of judges. The result of arbitration can be binding or non-binding, and the cost is split between the parties. This option is often more private and has the ability to be faster and less expensive that traditional litigation.

Mediation

In mediation, both parties agree to have a third party mediate a settlement prior to resorting to a lawsuit. There is no judge, but the mediator will listen to both sides and advise the parties based on the strength of their respective positions. If the mediation is successful, parties will create a contractual settlement agreement. Like arbitration, this method can be cheaper and quicker than litigation.

A small business owner can ensure that his or her rights are protected at all times during the process by retaining counsel.

When faced with a business dispute, we provide attorney advice that will clearly explain all rights and options available to you to ensure that you make decisions that are in the best interests of your small business. The firm has substantial litigation experience and in-depth knowledge of Illinois law. Contact our firm today to schedule a free telephone consultation and case evaluation with an experienced business law attorney.