Commercial Litigation
With more than three-dozen litigators resident in Michigan, Illinois and Nevada, Howard & Howard knows what the inside of a courtroom looks like--and what victory feels like.
We've represented our clients in jurisdictions from Michigan to Florida, New York to St. Croix, Illinois to Texas and Florida to California and Nevada. We've fought and won cases involving contract and other business disputes, construction projects, real estate agreements, trade secrets, intellectual property, fraud and harassment. We've done it by arguing in front of judges and juries and the appellate bench--and by being there for our clients.
We regularly address all aspects of business claims, including:
- Administrative Litigation at State and Federal Levels
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Business Litigation
- Dealer, Distributor and Franchise Claims
- Employment Discrimination and Wrongful Discharge
- Environmental Law
- Gaming Law
- Insurance Coverage
- Patent, Trademark and Copyright
- Real Estate, Construction and Condemnation
- Securities
- Shareholder Disputes
- Toxic Tort and Product Liability
- Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition
- White Collar/Health Care Fraud Defense
Our experienced and skilled litigators are locally and nationally renowned. We have litigators who are Fellows in the American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellows of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and certified by the Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Several of our litigators have been named to the Michigan and Illinois "Super Lawyers" listings and the "Michigan Rising Stars" listing. In a 2008 survey conducted by Corporate Counsel magazine, our Commercial Litigation department is recognized in the "In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies Go-To" list.
Our clients come to us with problems from all industry segments–with problems as old as fraud, bankruptcy or torts, and evolving matters like Internet issues, constitutional issues, sexual harassment and corporate espionage. We handle multi-party litigation matters, nationally and internationally, and simple contract disputes.
We win litigation for businesses. In court. In front of juries. We know how to pick our battles and when to fight. We fight to win.
We are proud of the broad range of work we've done on behalf of our clients; below is a sample:
- We've won several contract and business tort-based claims for a Fortune 50 company, both at trial and on dispositive motions, in courts around the country.
- We successfully represented gaming law clients in contract and intellectual property disputes, both in Michigan and around the country.
- We successfully and regularly represent Tier I automotive suppliers in complex patent litigation.
- In a breach of lease case, the plaintiff sought $3 million in damages, and the jury returned a zero verdict. Our client was awarded $300,000 in defense costs.
- We successfully defended a client sued under the Federal False Claims Act for Medicare fraud, saving the client millions of dollars in the process.
How we work for you
We analyze each project individually. Your defense is not copied from old approaches, based on someone else's case, from years ago. We use our experience and creativity to develop the right strategy for your business. We review all of the following, and more:
- The nature of the claim, defenses available, and any merits of the claim;
- Your goals, including cost containment, loss prevention, and business policy;
- Discovery or investigative methods including issues to be explored, witnesses deposed, etc.;
- Use of expert witnesses;
- Settlement negotiations;
- Hearing or trial preparation and conduct;
- Alternative dispute resolution strategies;
- Cost-sharing strategies including working with other named parties or contractors and investigating insurance coverage;
- Methods and timing of reporting progress to you.
We have your interests in mind, and we implement the strategy that is right for you and designed for success.
