Business Litigation Defense Counsel
Quinn Johnston’s Peoria and Springfield business litigation attorneys assist clients throughout downstate Illinois in a broad range of business litigation matters involving contract law, sales transactions, construction disputes, real estate leases or sales, employment matters, and tax reviews. Whether we are representing a small business in a rural community or serving as local counsel to a national corporation involved in a dispute in Illinois, our business litigation attorneys are flexible, knowledgeable, and committed to providing the best representation possible.
Business and Commercial Litigation
A variety of businesses—big and small, established and just starting out—have contacted Quinn Johnston’s commercial litigation attorneys with questions involving issues such as:
- Contract breaches
- Contract disputes
- Creditors’ rights and debt collection
- Construction litigation
- Fraud
- Buy/sell agreements
- Exclusive agreements
- Officer and director liability claims
- Corporate governance
- Shareholder and partnership disputes
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Business dissolution
Our commercial litigation attorneys work closely with businesses to develop cost-efficient litigation strategies and reasonable settlement solutions. We have experience resolving cases in a variety of manners, including trial litigation, settlement negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. We determine the best litigation tools to use in each case, including motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment.
Representative Cases
Defense Verdict in Shareholder Oppression Claim: Following an on-going dispute over corporate governance and the termination of the their employment in a close corporation, two shareholders filed a demand for arbitration against our clients, the close corporation and its President and Vice President, seeking to recover more than $1 Million for alleged shareholder oppression, breach of shareholder’s agreement and breach of their employment agreements. The two shareholders also filed a lawsuit in state court seeking injunctive relief reinstating their employment and the removal of the President and Vice President. Quinn Johnston’s litigators obtained a complete defense verdict in favor of the corporation and its officers after trial of the arbitration claims, with the arbitrators expressly finding no merit to plaintiffs’ claims and also awarding our clients the costs of the arbitration. Plaintiffs’ claims in state court seeking injunctive relief and the reinstatement of their employment were also denied following hearing on the matter, leading Plaintiffs to ultimately dismiss the state court action voluntarily.
Successful Enforcement of an Option to Purchase Real Estate: After operating its business from a building and lot leased from a landlord for several years, a Quinn Johnston corporate client exercised its option under the lease to purchase the building and lot. When the landlord refused to sell the building and lot, Quinn Johnston’s commercial litigators filed suit for breach of contract and specific performance of the contract to purchase the building and lot. Following the filing of a motion for summary judgment, our client was able to close on the purchase the building and lot on favorable terms as set forth in the option to purchase.
Defense Verdict in Fraud Claim surrounding Stock Purchase: When a retired employee filed suit against our corporate client and its Chief Financial Officer alleging fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty arising from purchase price paid for the redemption of his company stock, Quinn Johnston’s business and commercial litigators took the matter to trial and obtained a defense verdict in favor of both the corporation and its Chief Financial Officer.
About Quinn Johnston
Quinn Johnston was featured by Fortune Legal Marketplace as a 2013 Top Ranked Law Firm based on Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent ratings for ethical standards and legal ability. Several of our attorneys have also been named as Leading Lawyers by their peers in the Leading Lawyers Network. We represent clients throughout Central Illinois, including in Peoria, Springfield, Bloomington-Normal, Rock Island, Moline, Belleville, Danville, Galesburg, Kankakee, Lincoln, Champaign-Urbana, Quincy and their surrounding areas. Our experienced litigators strongly defend clients while maintaining a high level of professionalism and ethical standards.
