Morgan & Morgan’s Business Trial Group represents companies and individuals in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida in all types of commercial disputes. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality representation on a contingency-fee basis. Our clients have the confidence of working with one of the premier trial law firms in the country and knowing that they will only pay for success.
To discuss your legal matter with our business litigation team at no cost and with no obligation fill out our case review form.
Business Lawyers That Get Results
At the Business Trial Group, our practice and reputation has been built on results. Our lawyers have been honored as Best Lawyers in America, Florida’s Legal Elite, Florida Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent. Morgan & Morgan is also one of only 50 law firms in the country to be recognized by the National Law Journal as America’s Elite Trial Lawyers. Our proudest accomplishments and the true measure of our success, however, has been the tens of millions of dollars in judgments and settlements we have received on behalf of our commercial litigation clients.
Types of Commercial Litigation Cases We Handle
Business Trial Group attorneys have vast experience handling all types of commercial, corporate, and securities lawsuits in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida. Click on the tabs below to learn more about our commercial litigation practice areas.
Breach of Contract & Business Torts
The Business Trial Group has successfully helped clients that have been harmed due to a breach of contract and other dishonest or fraudulent business practices win millions of dollars in settlements and awards. Situations where contract disputes often arise include the sale of a business; unpaid debts or promissory notes; employment contracts; commercial leases; and shareholder and partnership agreements. Our Fort Lauderdale breach of contract lawyers routinely handle lawsuits involving these, and many other, complex business transactions.
Business and contract lawsuits often also involve breaches of fiduciary duties. A fiduciary relationship can exist between two people whenever one of them acts for the benefit of, or gives advice to, the other. Common examples of a fiduciary relationship are attorney-client, agent-principal, broker-client, partner-partner, managing member-members, corporate officer-shareholder, trustee-beneficiary, or executor-heir.
In addition to breach of fiduciary duty, our business and contract attorneys routinely handle lawsuits involving business torts such as:
- Fraud
- Negligent Misrepresentation
- Unfair Trade Practices
- Conspiracy
- Defamation, Libel, and Slander
- Conversion and Civil Theft
- Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
- Tortious Interference with a Contract
- Interference with a Business Relationship
Construction Litigation
The Business Trial Group’s construction litigation attorneys represent owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in Fort Lauderdale and the South Florida area. Our construction litigation team is led by Florida Bar Board Certified construction specialists – which is a distinction held by less than 1% of all Florida lawyers. Our construction attorneys handle a wide-variety of claims, including:
- Breach of warranties
- Construction defects and deficiencies
- Construction delays
- Construction liens
- Design defects and deficiencies
- Insurance claims
- Payment and performance bond claims
- Product defects and deficiencies
- Unreasonable delays and disruptions
The Business Trial Group’s contingency-fee model is especially beneficial to individuals, businesses, condominium associations, and homeowner associations that may not have the resources to fund lengthy construction litigation. Because our construction clients do not have to worry about the pressures of upfront, hourly legal bills, they know that the result of their case will be based on the merits, not on their finances.
Employment Litigation
The attorneys in Morgan & Morgan’s Business Trial Group represent both employees and businesses in a wide variety of employment lawsuits in Fort Lauderdale and South Florida. On behalf of businesses, our commercial attorneys often handle employment cases involving breaches of non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements (“NDA”); tortious interference with employment contracts; and misappropriation of trade secrets. On behalf of executives and employees, our employment attorneys often handle cases involving breach of employment contracts or allegations of unpaid compensation (such as wages, bonuses, commission, or severance).
The Business Trial Group’s employment attorneys represent clients on a contingency-fee basis, which levels the playing field against employers or larger companies and ensures that our clients’ claims are decided on the claims’ merits.
Intellectual Property Litigation
The Business Trial Group’s Fort Lauderdale intellectual property attorneys represent clients in disputes involving trademark, copyright, and patent infringement. Our accomplished attorneys also handle intellectual property lawsuits involving allegations of:
- Misappropriation of trade secrets
- Misappropriation of likeness
- Online trademark infringement, including cases involving domain names, cybersquatting and unfair use of trademarks in pay-per-click advertising
- Misappropriation of corporate names and images in branding disputes
- False advertising
- Unfair or deceptive business practices and unfair competition
- Violations of rights of celebrity
If you or your business has been the victim of intellectual property infringement, our attorneys may be able to help you recover damages such as lost profits, reasonable royalties, and, in certain cases, treble damages.
Investment Losses and Securities Fraud
Our Fort Lauderdale securities attorneys represent investors and investment funds that have been damaged due to stockbroker fraud, misrepresentations, and investment mismanagement. Securities lawsuits often involve breaches of fiduciary duties, churning of brokerage accounts, unauthorized trading, or margin claims. If you have suffered significant losses in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, private placements, currencies, insurance products, annuities, REITs, or other types of investments, contact us today to discuss your legal rights and potential recovery.
Allegations of stockbroker and financial advisor misconduct are usually resolved through arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Because FINRA’s rules and procedures are different than traditional lawsuits, it is important that you consult with attorneys that have experience with securities arbitrations. The Business Trial Group’s securities attorneys have handled FINRA arbitrations in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida and have helped many investors recover compensation for losses incurred as a result of securities fraud and investment mismanagement.
Legal Malpractice and Professional Liability
Our Fort Lauderdale legal malpractice attorneys help clients receive compensation for losses caused by all types of misconduct. An attorney commits legal malpractice if he or she fails to exercise due care in handling your case or legal matter and as a result, you suffer substantial harm. Attorneys in Florida must also practice law in accordance with the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct. Common examples of legal malpractice include:
- Failure to file lawsuits within the applicable statute of limitations
- Failure to know the law or perform adequate legal research
- Failure to secure witnesses or experts needed for the case
- Negligent document or contract drafting
- Mistakes made in the formation of a corporation or partnership
- Failure to follow a client’s instructions in drafting a legal document
In addition to handling cases involving attorney malpractice, our lawyers represent clients in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida who have been harmed by accountant malpractice, insurance agent malpractice, engineering malpractice, and architectural malpractice. We also handle lawsuits involving fee disputes with lawyers and other professionals.
In Florida, the statute of limitations for filing a professional malpractice lawsuit (other than medical malpractice) is two years from the time that the malpractice is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. Because of the two-year statute of limitations, it is important that you contact an attorney immediately to discuss your legal rights.
Real Estate Litigation
The Business Trial Group’s accomplished Fort Lauderdale real estate attorneys represent purchasers, sellers, brokers, developers, appraisers, landowners, and tenants throughout South Florida. Our real estate attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our clients, including significant recoveries regarding: design and planning negligence, breaches of commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements, landlord-tenant disputes, and construction claims. We also regularly handle lawsuits regarding real estate commission disputes and real estate agent’s breach of fiduciary duties and fraudulent conduct.
Shareholder and Partnership Disputes
Our Fort Lauderdale business attorneys are experienced at litigating a wide array of disputes involving real estate partnerships, medical partnerships, accountant partnerships, law firm partnerships, and many others. The Business Trial Group’s commercial litigation attorneys have successfully represented clients who were victimized by, among other things, dishonest partners in control of partnership assets and partners who were wrongfully ousted by controlling management. Some common partnership disputes include:
- Violations of partnership agreements, operating agreements, or bylaws
- Ownership and management conflicts
- Inappropriate executive compensation and self-dealing
- Misappropriation of assets, corporate theft, and embezzlement
- Negligent management
- Breach of non-compete, non-solicitation, and trade secret agreements
Our attorneys often handle disputes and litigation involving mergers and acquisitions, buying or selling a business, and other complex business transactions. We also frequently represent shareholders and minority owners that have been victimized by oppressive conduct or other acts that harm a corporation.
Our Fort Lauderdale business lawyers can pursue a number of legal avenues to remedy misconduct, including shareholder derivative lawsuits, shareholder oppression lawsuits, and shareholder inspection and accounting. A shareholder derivative action is typically brought against company management, such as majority partners, officers, directors, or board members who are suspected of damaging the corporation.
Minority owners may also be able to bring a lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duty and seek money damages, dissolution of the company, and, in certain circumstances, a court-ordered buy-out of the minority owner for the fair market value of his or her shares.
Trust & Estate Litigation
Our Fort Lauderdale trust and estate lawyers represent individuals that are owed an inheritance, such as money, personal property, or real estate under a trust or will. Our attorneys are experienced at handling trust and estate lawsuits involving fraud, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims. If you believe you have suffered losses related to a trust, estate, will, or probate matter, contact the Business Trial Group to discuss your legal rights.
Our Fort Lauderdale trust and estate attorneys commonly handle lawsuits involving breach of trust or fiduciaries duties. Under Florida law, personal representatives of estates, as well as trustees and guardians, are classified as fiduciaries, which means they must act within the highest legal and ethical standards imposed by the law. Fiduciaries that fail or neglect to manage assets with the utmost care and professionalism can be held liable for breach of trust or breach of fiduciary duty.
The Advantages of Contingency-Fee Business Litigation
Our Fort Lauderdale commercial litigation attorneys believe that a client with a good case should not be deprived of justice because they elect not to pay hourly legal fees to a corporate law firm. Instead of charging clients by the hour like other large corporate law firms, our business attorneys only receive a fee if we are able to obtain a successful resolution of your case. Under the contingency-fee structure, our clients obtain the benefits of large law firm representation without having to pay legal bills during the litigation.
The contingency-fee model is vital for clients involved in business disputes with larger or wealthier opponents who can use the prospect of prolonged litigation as leverage. Without the financial pressures of hourly attorneys’ fees, our clients are not forced to accept low settlement offers and can seek a just resolution of their business dispute.
Click here to learn more about the Benefits of Contingency-Fee Business Attorneys.
Fort Lauderdale Business Attorneys
Since its humble beginnings in 1988, Morgan & Morgan has grown to be the largest contingency-fee law firm in the country, with over 75,000 clients served and over 300 attorneys and support staff. Due to our size and geographical reach, we maintain a home court advantage throughout Florida.
We regularly represent clients in all areas of Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Deerfield Beach, and Weston.
To learn more about the Business Trial Group’s commercial litigation attorneys and for a no-cost, no-obligation confidential case review, contact us today by completing our free case evaluation form.