faq

Business Litigation

What types of damages can a business litigation attorney recover?
Business litigation attorneys may be able to collect a variety of damages based on the specifics of each case. Generally speaking, damages are awarded in an effort to compensate (or make “whole”) a plaintiff in the event of a contract breach.

Liquidated damages – Awarded based on the terms of a contract in breach.
Compensatory damages – Assigned to make a plaintiff whole, i.e., return a plaintiff to the same financial situation were the contract not in breach.
Reliance damages – Calculated based on estimates of what a business may have potentially earned or achieved without the detrimental influence of the defendant. There are two types of reliance damages:
Restitution damages – Awarded to the plaintiff based on what the defendant illegally gained monetarily
Punitive damages – Designed to discourage the defendant from future illegal action

Can I rely on free online business litigation advice?
In business law, you get what you pay for. Yes, there are many online legal providers, some of them low or no cost. However, we believe that seeking out personalized, expert legal advice for all of your business law and business litigation matters is the only way to ensure that your interests are thoroughly protected. When it’s your business at stake, saving some money in the short term may end up costing you more in the long run.

Real Estate Disputes

What is a business attorney?Business litigation attorneys handle all types of business law, from business entity formation to employment issues to construction and contracts. Business attorneys use their legal expertise to create company policies and contracts, as well as negotiating or litigating on behalf of a business should a business dispute arise.

Legal issues that a business attorney typically handles include:

  • • Business Formation/Dissolution
  • • Contracts
  • • Employment
  • • Expansion
  • • Construction and Real Estate
  • • Torts
  • • Litigation

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Construction Law

What is a business attorney?Business litigation attorneys handle all types of business law, from business entity formation to employment issues to construction and contracts. Business attorneys use their legal expertise to create company policies and contracts, as well as negotiating or litigating on behalf of a business should a business dispute arise.

Legal issues that a business attorney typically handles include:

  • • Business Formation/Dissolution
  • • Contracts
  • • Employment
  • • Expansion
  • • Construction and Real Estate
  • • Torts
  • • Litigation

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Arbitration/Mediation

What is a business attorney?Business litigation attorneys handle all types of business law, from business entity formation to employment issues to construction and contracts. Business attorneys use their legal expertise to create company policies and contracts, as well as negotiating or litigating on behalf of a business should a business dispute arise.

Legal issues that a business attorney typically handles include:

  • • Business Formation/Dissolution
  • • Contracts
  • • Employment
  • • Expansion
  • • Construction and Real Estate
  • • Torts
  • • Litigation

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Ligitation

Business Litigation Attorney FAQ’s

What is a business attorney?
Business litigation attorneys handle all types of business law, from business entity formation to employment issues to construction and contracts. Business attorneys use their legal expertise to create company policies and contracts, as well as negotiating or litigating on behalf of a business should a business dispute arise.

Legal issues that a business attorney typically handles include:

  • • Business Formation/Dissolution
  • • Contracts
  • • Employment
  • • Expansion
  • • Construction and Real Estate
  • • Torts
  • • Litigation

Do I need a business litigation attorney?
Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset — so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

If your business wants to guard against employee disputes, flawed contracts, confidentiality breaches, and more, you need to consult with a business lawyer.

If your business is already involved in any dispute or litigation, including a class action lawsuit, a fraud or accounting issue, or problems with construction or real estate, finding the right business litigation attorney can mean the difference between saving and losing your business.

When deciding whether to hire a business attorney, consider the following questions:

  1. Am I up to speed on all Los Angeles, California, and federal business regulations and statutes?
  2. Do I understand the protocols and procedures involved in protecting my business and legal rights?
  3. Do I have the time and resources to take on a legal project in addition to running a business?
  4. Will I be missing out on potential damages and possible solutions if I handle my case myself?

What types of damages can a business litigation attorney recover?
Business litigation attorneys may be able to collect a variety of damages based on the specifics of each case. Generally speaking, damages are awarded in an effort to compensate (or make “whole”) a plaintiff in the event of a contract breach.

Three common types of damages awarded during business litigation are:

Liquidated damages – Awarded based on the terms of a contract in breach.
Compensatory damages – Assigned to make a plaintiff whole, i.e., return a plaintiff to the same financial situation were the contract not in breach.
Reliance damages – Calculated based on estimates of what a business may have potentially earned or achieved without the detrimental influence of the defendant. There are two types of reliance damages:
Restitution damages – Awarded to the plaintiff based on what the defendant illegally gained monetarily
Punitive damages – Designed to discourage the defendant from future illegal action

Can I rely on free online business litigation advice?
In business law, you get what you pay for. Yes, there are many online legal providers, some of them low or no cost. However, we believe that seeking out personalized, expert legal advice for all of your business law and business litigation matters is the only way to ensure that your interests are thoroughly protected. When it’s your business at stake, saving some money in the short term may end up costing you more in the long run.

Civil Ligitation

What is a business attorney?
Business litigation attorneys handle all types of business law, from business entity formation to employment issues to construction and contracts. Business attorneys use their legal expertise to create company policies and contracts, as well as negotiating or litigating on behalf of a business should a business dispute arise.

Legal issues that a business attorney typically handles include:

  • • Business Formation/Dissolution
  • • Contracts
  • • Employment
  • • Expansion
  • • Construction and Real Estate
  • • Torts
  • • Litigation

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Do I need a business litigation attorney?Our decades of experience have taught us that it’s better to build legal protection into every business decision from the beginning than to face litigation later. No matter the size or type of your business, consulting with a business litigation expert like Alex Gilanians helps ensure that your rights and interests are protected from the outset – so that your business can avoid future legal trouble.

Business Formation/Dissolution

Business Formation FAQs

How do I register a new business in California?
Starting a business in Los Angeles (and all of California) is a multi-step process, including:

Selecting the Best Entity – Choosing the best type of legal entity for your business is the first step in forming a California business. We’ll help you choose between a corporation, a partnership, an LLC, or any other business structure.

Registration – Once you’ve selected your legal entity, we’ll help you file and register with the California Secretary of State.

Documentation – Each type of California legal entity requires certain types of legal documents. We will help prepare and review these documents with you.

What documents does a new business need?
Our Los Angeles business formation lawyers will help your business prepare the following types of documents:

  • • Articles of Incorporation or Organization
  • • Bylaws
  • • Shareholder or partnership agreements
  • • Employment contracts and policies
  • • Operating agreements

Each type of business entity requires its own set of documents, and experienced business formation attorney Alex Gilanians is familiar with each. Below is a sampling of what your business may require depending on the type of entity you elect.

Corporations

  • • Articles of Incorporation
  • • Bylaws • Opening Minutes
  • • EIN number (the identity of the corporation for tax purposes)
  • • First Organizational Meeting
  • • Explanations for stockholders
  • • Employee contracts and policies
  • • Business license registration with local city or county
  • • Statement of Information filed with the Secretary of State

LLC

  • • Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) to create an LLC in California
  • • Application to Register (Form LLC-5) for non-California LLCs
  • • Statement of Information within 90 days after filing Form LLC-1 or 5
  • • Certificate of Amendment (Form LLC-2) to make changes to the LLC-1
  • • Certificate of Correction (Form LLC-11) to make corrections to the LLC-1
  • • Business license registration with local city or county (if conducting business with the public)

Partnerships

  • • A Partnership Agreement
  • • Filing a fictitious business name with the county clerk
  • • Obtaining business licenses, permits, and zoning clearance (for property development)
  • • Obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for paying federal taxes; and
  • • The option to file a “Statement of Partnership Authority” (Form GP-1), or “Application to Register a Limited
  • • Partnership” (Form LLP-1) with the Secretary of State

Joint Ventures

  • • Memorandum of Understanding
  • • Joint Venture Agreement
  • • Ancillary agreements
  • • Obtaining regulatory approval (if required)

Sole Proprietorship

  • • File a fictitious business name with the county clerk (if using one)
  • • Business license registration with local city or county
  • • Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
  • • Obtain necessary zoning clearance, licenses, and permits
  • • Publish an announcement of your new business entity in a generally circulated publication (if using a fictitious name)
Quiet Title

Quiet Title Attorney FAQ’s

When do you need a quiet title attorney?
In California, quiet title attorneys handle a variety of real estate title situations, including:

  • • When a property has been vacant for extended periods
  • • After the death of a title owner
  • • Adverse possession (aka “Squatter’s Rights”)
  • • Mortgage lender disputes

What other types of title issues are common in Los Angeles, California?
Besides quiet title issues, our real estate attorney team commonly handles a variety of complex title situations, including:

  • • Fraudulent liens
  • • Mechanic’s liens
  • • Tax deeds
  • • Land use licenses
  • • Set-offs
  • • Clouded titles

What is a clouded title?
A cloud on a title is any issue or encumbrance that raises questions about that title’s validity. Clouded titles are generally discovered during the initial title search. Issues that may cloud a title include and document, claim or unreleased lien on the property.

In Los Angeles, clouds on the title are resolved by issuing a California quitclaim deed, which states that the party transferring the property makes no claim of ownership or clear title to that property.

Landlord/Tenant Law

Landlord attorney FAQ’s

Do I need an attorney to evict my tenant?
In Los Angeles, it is not mandatory to use an attorney during the eviction process. However, the eviction process is a very detailed statutory scheme that requires the landlords to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s inorder to be able to proceed with an eviction until they regain possession of their property. An experienced real estate attorney like Alex Gilanians stays up to date on the ever-changing California and local Los Angeles laws and ordinances, to make sure landlords’ rights remain secure. Our team will protect your interests in the following ways:

  • • Dispute resolution: our team specializes in finding landlords a favorable solution before eviction becomes necessary.
  • • Eviction education: we will walk you through every step of the eviction process, to make sure landlords are not vulnerable to legal action by their tenants.
  • • Eviction execution: many busy landlords prefer that our firm handle the entire eviction process for them — knowing that Alex Gilanians is following proper eviction procedures and safeguarding landlords’ rights at all times.

If you are a landlord involved in a dispute with your tenant, contact real estate attorney Alex Gilanians today for a consultation.