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.
A focused business litigation practice, built on years of first-chair experience in disputes that put companies, livelihoods, and family legacies on the line.
Business divorce, minority shareholder oppression, LLC member disputes, squeeze-outs, and breach of fiduciary duty claims in closely held companies.
Learn more →Enforcing and defending non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements for employers and executives alike.
Learn more →Protecting confidential business information — and defending against overreaching claims — under the Illinois Trade Secrets Act and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.
Learn more →When the harm is happening now: temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and expedited proceedings to stop the damage before it becomes irreversible.
Learn more →Contract disputes of every stripe — sales, services, distribution, leases, and business torts — pursued and defended in state and federal court.
Learn more →Representing franchisees and franchisors in disputes over terminations, encroachment, and fraud — plus practical counseling before you sign or renew.
Learn more →Will contests, trust disputes, undue influence claims, and actions against executors and trustees who breach their fiduciary duties.
Learn more →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.
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.
Initial consultations are free. Tell me what is happening, and I will give you a straight answer about your options.