California civil litigation, phase-priced.
Business disputes, breach of contract, partner and member fights, judgment enforcement, civil litigation defense. Each phase scoped and quoted before it starts — the meter never runs open-ended.
California civil litigation runs differently than the hourly-billing default most firms use. Each phase of a matter — pre-filing assessment, pleadings, motion practice, trial preparation, trial — gets scoped and priced separately. You see the next phase's fee before it starts. If a matter settles after the pre-filing memo, you don't pay for pleadings.
That structure changes the conversation. It forces honest scoping at each transition. It removes the perverse incentive to extend a matter that should have settled. And it gives clients real, defensible budgets for matters that would otherwise feel open-ended.
Why this practice exists
Most transactional firms refer litigation out. Most litigation firms have never drafted the operating agreement they're suing over. We do both — and the litigation is faster because we know what should have been in writing in the first place.
What we handle.
Business litigation
Commercial disputes between businesses — breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, unfair competition. Both plaintiff and defense work.
See the serviceContract disputes
Breach of contract, anticipatory repudiation, contract interpretation, recovery of damages. Pre-litigation strategy through trial.
See the serviceBusiness owner disputes
Partner, shareholder, and LLC member disputes — buyout disputes, dissociation, dissolution, deadlock. Where good operating agreements would have prevented the litigation.
See the serviceJudgment enforcement
A judgment is paper until you make it real. Bank levies, wage garnishment, debtor exams, abstracts of judgment, real-property liens, alter-ego analysis.
See the serviceCivil litigation defense
Defending against business-litigation claims. Demurrer / motion to dismiss strategy, strategic discovery, summary judgment when the facts support it.
See the servicePre-litigation strategy
The phase that often makes filing unnecessary. Demand letters, settlement negotiation, mediation. Sometimes the best result comes before a complaint is filed.
See the serviceWork the math yourself first.
Quick-and-honest answers before the conversation starts. Free, no email required.
Decision tool
Should I file a lawsuit?
Six questions — claim value, evidence, defendant solvency, timeline — to an expected-value range.
OpenReference
Statute of limitations finder
Search 22 California civil claim types for the filing deadline, with CCP citation and clock-trigger rule.
OpenCalculator
Civil deadline calculator
Forward + motion modes. Court holidays, weekend roll-forward, and CCP citations on every step.
OpenEstimator
Civil litigation budget estimator
Phase-by-phase fee estimate from intake through trial. Most firms won't put a number on it. We will.
OpenPlaybook
Just got served — 30-day playbook
Day-by-day playbook for a California civil defendant. What to do, what to avoid, when to call counsel.
OpenCalculator
Judgment enforcement timeline
Accrued statutory interest at 10%, the renewal deadline, and the enforcement window.
Open
Tell us what you're facing.
Litigation matters use the case-evaluation form so we can run conflicts before you share anything confidential. Transactional matters start with a short discovery call.