Commercial Litigation Attorneys
Representing companies in disputes with customers, vendors, competitors, lenders, and former insiders, in court and in arbitration, in Florida and in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, and New York.
Commercial litigation is the resolution of disputes between businesses: the customer that will not pay, the vendor that did not deliver, the competitor that hired away a team with the client list, the lender calling a guaranty, the former partner running a competing business across the street. Industria Business Lawyers represents companies on both sides of those disputes, as plaintiff and as defendant, in Florida’s state and federal courts, in commercial arbitration, and on appeal. In Florida, county courts hear cases up to $50,000 in controversy under section 34.01, and circuit courts hear the rest.
This page explains the commercial disputes the firm handles, how a commercial case is assessed and run, and the Florida statutes that decide deadlines and shift costs. Disputes governed by the law of Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, or New York are handled through attorneys admitted in those jurisdictions. Every matter is assessed on its own facts. A commercial dispute is a business problem before it is a legal one, and the resolution has to work for the business. A consultation is free.
Commercial Disputes We Handle
Commercial disputes come to Industria Business Lawyers in these forms. Several often arrive together in the same matter.
Contract and Payment Disputes
Supply, service, distribution, licensing, and financing agreements; unpaid invoices; guaranties and notes. Covered in depth on the firm’s breach of contract page. A claim on a written contract carries five years under section 95.11(2)(b), Florida Statutes.
Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, and Trade Secret Disputes
Under section 542.335, Florida Statutes, a restrictive covenant is enforceable if it is reasonable in time, area, and line of business, set out in a writing signed by the person against whom it is enforced, and supported by a legitimate business interest the enforcing party proves, and the enforcing party must also prove the restraint is reasonably necessary to protect that interest. Since 2025, the Florida CHOICE Act, sections 542.41 to 542.45, adds separate rules for covered noncompete and garden leave agreements with employees and contractors earning more than twice the annual mean wage of the relevant county. The firm enforces and defends these covenants and the trade secret claims that travel with them.
Tortious Interference
A competitor or a former insider who induced a customer, a supplier, or an employee to break a contract or walk away from a relationship. Malicious interference and other intentional torts carry a four-year period under section 95.11(3)(n).
Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices
Under section 501.204, Florida Statutes, unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts in trade or commerce are unlawful, and section 501.211 lets anyone aggrieved seek a declaratory judgment and an injunction, and lets a person who has suffered a loss recover actual damages. Under section 501.2105, the court may award attorney’s fees and costs to the prevailing party, which can be either side.
Owner and Insider Disputes
Partners, LLC members, and shareholders in disputes over control, money, and exit, covered on the firm’s partnership and shareholder dispute pages.
Fraud, Fraudulent Transfers, and Collection
Deals induced by false statements, transfers that are fraudulent as to creditors under section 726.105, and the collection of the resulting judgment. Covered further on the firm’s business fraud page.
How Industria Business Lawyers Assesses a Commercial Case
Every commercial matter starts with the same questions, answered from the documents rather than from assumptions.
What does the governing document say? The contract, the covenant, or the operating agreement usually decides the forum, the governing law, the remedies, and whether attorney fees shift. Many commercial contracts require arbitration under AAA, JAMS, or other rules, and the firm represents parties there as well as in court.
What is the deadline? Section 95.11, Florida Statutes: five years for a written contract, section 95.11(2)(b); four years for fraud, section 95.11(3)(i); four years for an oral contract, section 95.11(3)(j); four years for intentional torts including malicious interference, section 95.11(3)(n); four years for any action not otherwise provided for, section 95.11(3)(o); two years for negligence, section 95.11(5)(a); and, outside section 95.11, three years from when trade secret misappropriation is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, section 688.007. When the period starts is often the real question.
What is at stake, and can it be collected? Under section 34.01, Florida Statutes, county courts hear cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000; circuit courts hear the rest under section 26.012. Whether the other side can pay a judgment decides whether a lawsuit is worth bringing at all.
What does the business need? Payment, an injunction that stops a competitor, a customer relationship preserved, a clean exit from a bad contract. The remedy sought determines the path. Injunctions in particular move fast and are decided on the evidence assembled in the first days.
The statutes that shape settlement. Section 44.102 requires a court to refer a filed civil action for monetary damages to mediation on a party’s request, if the requesting party is willing and able to pay the costs or the costs can be equitably divided, subject to the exceptions listed in that section, and Florida courts often order it before trial in commercial cases. Section 768.79 lets either side serve an offer of judgment that shifts fees and costs if it is rejected and the judgment misses it by at least 25 percent. Section 57.105 allows fees against a party and its lawyer for a claim or defense with no support in fact or law. Together they mean most commercial cases in Florida reach a serious settlement conversation, and preparing for it from the start matters.
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They consistently deliver thorough and timely work. We wholeheartedly recommend IBL.”
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I would recommend working with Aaron and team.”
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As a result, we’ve continued to rely on them as our go-to legal counsel for ongoing corporate matters.”
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The attorneys were incredibly responsive, guiding me through every step of the process with clarity and professionalism.
They took the time to address all my questions and concerns, ensuring that I felt confident in each decision we made. Their attention to detail and thoroughness were evident in the documents they prepared, which gave me peace of mind. What stood out most was their commitment to my vision. They not only provided legal advice but also offered valuable insights into the industry, helping me navigate potential challenges and seize opportunities.
Overall, working with IBL was a fantastic experience. They made a complex process manageable and stress-free. Thank you for your outstanding support.”
Client testimonials describe individual experiences. You may not obtain the same or similar results.
How We Work a Commercial Case
The claims, the defenses, the forum, the deadline, the likely value, and the decision points ahead.
Where a competitor is using confidential information, a former insider is soliciting customers, or assets are moving, a request for a temporary injunction supported by the evidence assembled in the first days.
A written statement of the claim and the amount, with a deadline, satisfying any notice and cure provision. Many disputes end here.
The complaint in the court or arbitral forum the documents point to, or the answer and counterclaim filed inside the deadline when the firm is defending.
Contracts, correspondence, accounting and bank records, and depositions of decision-makers. In covenant and trade secret cases, forensic review of devices and accounts.
Court-ordered mediation with the evidence in hand, and a section 768.79 offer of judgment timed to shift the risk of trial.
Cases that do not settle are tried; judgments are enforced through post-judgment discovery, garnishment, and liens, or reviewed in Florida’s district courts of appeal.
FAQ
01 • Companies in Commercial Disputes What is the difference between commercial litigation and business litigation?
The terms overlap. Commercial litigation usually means disputes between businesses over contracts, competition, and money; business litigation includes those and the disputes among a company’s own owners. Industria Business Lawyers handles both.
02 • Companies in Commercial Disputes Is a non-compete enforceable in Florida?
It can be. It can be. Under section 542.335, Florida Statutes, a restrictive covenant is enforceable if it is reasonable in time, area, and line of business, is in a signed writing, and is supported by a legitimate business interest that the enforcing party proves, and the enforcing party must also prove the restraint is reasonably necessary to protect that interest. Each of those is a fact question decided from the documents. For employees and contractors earning more than twice the annual mean wage of the relevant county, the CHOICE Act, sections 542.41 to 542.45, Florida Statutes, may apply instead, with its own requirements. Each of those is a fact question decided from the documents.
03 • Companies in Commercial Disputes Does a commercial dispute have to go to court?
No. Many resolve by demand letter, negotiation, or mediation, and many commercial contracts require arbitration. Whether to file, and where, is decided with the client once the facts are known.
04 • Companies in Commercial Disputes My company has been served. What now?
The time to respond starts when the papers are served, and it is short. Send them to counsel when they arrive. A missed response date can lead to a default judgment.
Companies on either side of a commercial dispute. Call (202) 860-1210 or describe the dispute briefly through the form, and the firm will ask for the governing document after its conflict check. Free consultation. Every matter is reviewed on its own facts.
This page provides general information about commercial litigation and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Industria Business Lawyers. Florida statutes cited: sections 26.012, 34.01, 44.102, 57.105, 95.11, 501.204, 501.211, 501.2105, 542.335, 542.41 to 542.45, 688.007, 726.105, and 768.79, Florida Statutes (2026), read on the Florida Legislature’s site on October 9, 2026.