Business Law

If you engage in commerce, sooner or later you are almost certain to encounter a situation that you’ll need outside help to resolve. With 60 years of collective experience, attorneys Richard R. Sooy and John K. Schlichting assist businesses through contract review and preparation, pre-lawsuit negotiations, civil cases and alternative dispute resolution opportunities in both state and federal matters.  The attorneys at Sooy & Schlichting have the knowledge and experience to help your business in cases related to:

  • Breach of contract
  • Breach of warranty
  • Business torts
  • Construction law
  • Contract review and preparation
  • Design professional liability
  • Environmental law
  • Insurance coverage
  • Products liability
  • Real estate
  • Toxic tort
  • Partnership and shareholder disputes

Recovery from breach of contract
When a party to a contract fails to perform, damages are caused. This damage often goes beyond the immediate inconvenience of getting less than promised by the contract. The breach can also cost you future profits if you are unable to serve your clients as a result. The skilled attorneys at Sooy & Schlichting can help you achieve the best legal remedy for a breach of contract, such as:

  • Compensatory damages – Reimbursement for immediate monetary loss
  • Consequential and incidental damages –  Compensation for additional foreseeable losses caused by the breach
  • Attorney fees and costs – Amounts available only if the contract expressly states they are recoverable
  • Liquidated damages – Amounts specified in the contract that are payable for particular breaches, such as late or substandard performance
  • Specific performance – Court order requiring the breaching party to fulfill the terms of the contract
  • Punitive damages – Penalty for a party’s objectionable behavior, meant to punish the breaching party and discourage other parties from acting in a similar manner
  • Rescission – Cancellation of the contract, with both sides excused from further performance and payments made under the contract returned
  • Reformation – Change in the terms of the contract when the court believes there was an honest misunderstanding by the parties about what was to be performed

Affordable alternatives to a civil suit
The cost of traditional litigation can easily exceed the amount of the contract. Fortunately there are various means of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation and arbitration, which are often times less costly and quicker than civil lawsuits, but can deliver the same remedies. Our skilled attorneys have successfully represented clients in arbitrations and mediations and have settled lawsuits prior to trial, saving our clients expenses and getting their businesses back on track.