PRACTICE AREA ·
2
OF 06
AT A GLANCE
Who it's for
Founders, partners and minority owners
Courts
Delaware Court of Chancery, NY Commercial Division
Typical length
6 to 18 months from first call to resolution
First step
A free 30-minute call, then a written assessment within 48 hours.
Fees from
$3,500 fixed assessment
Signs it’s time to call
If any of these sound familiar, a 30-minute call now usually costs far less than fixing it later.
01
A partner shut you out
You've lost access to books, records or decisions you're entitled to see.
02
Talks over control have stalled
Neither side has the votes, and the business is paying for the standoff.
03
A buyout price is in dispute
The valuation, the terms or the timing doesn't look fair.
04
Profits are being diverted
Related-party deals, inflated pay or unexplained transfers.
05
You're being squeezed out
Dilution, removal from the board, or a sudden change to the rules.
06
A co-founder wants to leave
You need a clean exit plan before it turns into a fight.
Most cases resolve before trial. I prepare every one as if it won’t, and you get a document at each stage.
01
First call
Thirty minutes, no charge. You tell me what happened and I tell you honestly whether it's worth pursuing.
Note of first call · Week 1
02
Case assessment
Your strongest claims, the defences they'll run, and a realistic range of outcomes, in writing.
· Within 48 hours
03
Pleadings & early motions
The complaint or answer, and any motion that could end the case early or narrow it.
· Months 1–2
04
Discovery
Documents, depositions and experts. It's where most cases are won, and where most budgets go.
· Months 2–9
05
Resolution
Mediation, settlement or trial. I give you my view of every offer, and the number I'd take.
· Months 9–18
What it costs
Fixed prices where the work is predictable, monthly caps where it isn’t. You approve the budget before I start, and it only changes if you say so.
Case assessment
Written, within 48 hours
$3,500 fixed
Pleadings & motions
Complaint or answer, first motions
$18k–26k
Discovery
Monthly, never above the cap
$12k / mo cap
Mediation
Preparation and a full day
$9,500 fixed
Trial
Quoted in writing after discovery
From $60k
Estimated to resolution
Most commercial cases, without trial
$64k–92k
Prices for 2026. Court filing fees and expert costs are billed at cost, and I tell you before they’re incurred.
IN A CLIENT’S WORDS
We'd been stuck for a year. She laid out three ways out, priced each one, and we closed the buyout in four months.
Daniel Reyes
Co-founder, software company · shareholder dispute
Questions about commercial cases
The ones I hear most on first calls. If yours isn’t here, ask me directly.
Can I be forced out of my own company?
Do you take cases on contingency?
Is a buy-out better than going to court?
What should I have ready for the first call?
How is my stake valued?
Can the business keep running meanwhile?
Other practice areas
FREE 30-MINUTE CALL
Tell me what happened.
I read every enquiry myself and reply within one business day, usually sooner. If a court deadline is close, call instead of writing.
Contacting me does not create an attorney–client relationship.