Contracts are the operating system of business, and when one fails the consequences land on real budgets and real people. I litigate contract and general commercial disputes of every kind — as plaintiff and defendant, in Illinois state and federal courts, from demand letter through trial and appeal.
Representative disputes
- Sales of goods and services, supply and distribution agreements, and UCC disputes
- Purchase agreements and post-closing disputes in business sales, including earnouts, indemnification, and representations and warranties
- Commercial lease and real estate contract disputes
- Construction and vendor disputes
- Loan, guaranty, and workout litigation, including judgment enforcement and revival
- Business torts that travel with contract claims: fraud and fraudulent inducement, tortious interference with contract or prospective economic advantage, and breach of the duty of good faith
How I evaluate a contract case
Every engagement starts with the same three questions. What does the contract actually say? Not what the parties assumed — what the words, the boilerplate, and the amendments provide, because Illinois courts enforce clear language as written. What are the damages, really? A strong liability case with weak, speculative damages is a weak case; I would rather tell you that in week one than in year two. What does winning look like for the business? Sometimes it is a judgment; more often it is a repaired relationship, a negotiated exit, or a fast settlement that lets everyone get back to work.
Plaintiff or defendant, the answer is preparation
Commercial cases are usually won on the documents — the emails and drafts exchanged before signing, the course of performance afterward, the notices sent (or not sent) when things went wrong. I get into that record early and build the case theory around what the evidence will actually show, which is also the honest basis for advising you whether to settle and at what number.
Fee structures that fit the dispute
Not every commercial case fits neatly into hourly billing. Where the case supports it, I am open to discussing alternative arrangements — flat fees for defined phases, capped fees, or hybrid structures — so the economics of the litigation make sense relative to what is at stake.