Discuss your dispute in confidence.
Initial consultations are free. Tell me what is happening, and I will give you a straight answer about your options.
Chicago · Business & Commercial Litigation
Seasoned litigation counsel for business owners, partners, and shareholders in Illinois.
When a business relationship breaks down — with a partner, a departing employee, a franchisor, or the other side of a contract — you need an experienced litigator who treats your problem with the urgency it deserves. I have spent more than fifteen years litigating complex business disputes in Illinois state and federal courts, including at the appellate level.
15+ years litigating complex business disputes
Illinois state and federal courts, including appeals
Former named partner at a Chicago litigation boutique
One attorney on every call, filing, and appearance
What I Handle
Practice Areas
A focused business litigation practice, built on years of first-chair experience in disputes that put companies, livelihoods, and family legacies on the line.
Shareholder & Partnership Disputes
Business divorce, minority shareholder oppression, LLC member disputes, squeeze-outs, and breach of fiduciary duty claims in closely held companies.
Learn moreNon-Competes & Restrictive Covenants
Enforcing and defending non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements for employers and executives alike.
Learn moreTrade Secret Litigation
Protecting confidential business information — and defending against overreaching claims — under the Illinois Trade Secrets Act and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.
Learn moreEmergency Litigation, TROs & Injunctions
When the harm is happening now: temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and expedited proceedings to stop the damage before it becomes irreversible.
Learn moreBreach of Contract & Commercial Litigation
Contract disputes of every stripe — sales, services, distribution, leases, and business torts — pursued and defended in state and federal court.
Learn moreFranchise Litigation & Counseling
Representing franchisees and franchisors in disputes over terminations, encroachment, and fraud — plus practical counseling before you sign or renew.
Learn moreEstate & Trust Litigation
Will contests, trust disputes, undue influence claims, and actions against executors and trustees who breach their fiduciary duties.
Learn moreAbout the Firm
A solo practice by design.
Austermuehle Law, P.C. is deliberately built around one attorney: me. When you hire the firm, you get a partner-level litigator on every phone call, every filing, and every court appearance — not a rotating cast of associates learning on your dime.
Before founding the firm, I spent more than fifteen years as a business litigator at a respected Chicago-area litigation boutique, where I was a named partner. I have handled complex commercial cases and consumer class actions in Illinois state and federal courts, including appeals, and I bring that experience to every matter — whether it is a two-party contract dispute or a company-threatening emergency.
Read the full attorney profileAttorney
Patrick D. Austermuehle
- J.D. with Honors, Chicago-Kent College of Law; Notes & Comments Editor, Law Review
- B.S., University of Wisconsin
- Admitted: Illinois (2009); U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois (2010)
- 15+ years of complex business and commercial litigation experience
- State and federal trial and appellate courts
- Member, Illinois State Bar Association
Written by the firm
The Illinois Business Litigation Report
Changes to the Illinois laws which govern businesses and employees are made in places many people do not look. I write short notes on the ones worth knowing about, each linking the court opinion, bill, or agency action behind it so you can read the source yourself.
Read the Illinois Business Litigation Report- August 31, 2026 · N.D. Ill.A software rival built a fake insurance agency to get inside the product
- August 3, 2026 · LegislativeTwo new obligations for Illinois businesses, with two different deadlines
- July 30, 2026 · Rule 23 orderThe bank sold the collateral cheap, and the personal guarantees evaporated
How I Work
Clear-eyed advice, not just aggression.
Litigation is stressful, expensive, and often emotional. My job is to separate the emotion from the strategy — to give you a candid, business-minded assessment of your position, and then to execute. Sometimes that means a fast, favorable settlement. Sometimes it means trying the case. Either way, you will always know where your matter stands and why we are doing what we are doing.