Practice
Contract and vendor disputes
For the company that wasn’t paid, and for the one being sued for not paying. I take both, though never both sides of the same deal.
Unpaid invoices and milestones
Work was delivered and accepted, and the bill sits unpaid. Or the work wasn’t what was ordered, and you’re being sued for refusing to pay for it.
Supply and distribution agreements
A supplier stops shipping, raises prices mid-term or ends a relationship the contract said would run for years.
Non-competes and client lists
An employer says a former employee took customers; the employee says the clause is too broad to enforce. I’ve sat on both sides of that table.
Leases and equipment finance
Commercial lease defaults, personal guarantees, and equipment that was repossessed before the paperwork said it could be.
How I read a contract case
I start with the signed document and every email that changed it. Most contract cases turn on a sentence the parties read differently, and on what they did afterward that shows which reading they really held.
Then I put a number on it: what you could recover or owe, what it costs to get to trial, and what a settlement would have to look like to be worth taking. You get that in writing before you decide anything.
Many commercial contracts send disputes to arbitration. I’ll tell you early whether yours does, and whether that helps you.
Asked about this kind of case
The other side says the contract was changed by email. Does that count?
It can. Whether a string of emails amends a signed contract depends on the contract’s own terms and on what both sides did next. Bring every message; the answer is in them.
Is it worth suing over a $30,000 invoice?
Sometimes. Some contracts let the winner recover lawyer’s fees, which changes the math. I’ll go through the fee clause and the likely cost before you file.
I’ve been sued but I think they owe me. Can I say so in the same case?
Usually, yes, through a counterclaim filed with your answer. It has to be raised in time, which is one more reason not to wait.
Send the contract and the last few emails
A first look costs you nothing but the time it takes to forward them. I’ll tell you what I see.