Breach of Contract Lawyer in Los Angeles

Last updated: November 2026

A breach of contract lawyer in Los Angeles represents businesses when a customer, supplier, licensee, landlord, or buyer fails to perform a written or oral agreement, and defends businesses accused of the same. Kolmogorov Law, P.C. is a California business litigation firm that handles contract cases in Los Angeles Superior Court at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and in the Central District of California downtown. Written contract claims generally carry a four-year filing deadline under California law; oral contract claims carry two.

Call (909) 235-6116 or contact us online to discuss a contract dispute in Los Angeles.

Contract litigation services in Los Angeles

Los Angeles produces a particular mix of contract disputes. Production and post-production services agreements. Apparel and consumer goods supply contracts with factories overseas. Licensing deals for music, designs, and software. Commercial leases for warehouses near the ports and storefronts on the Westside. Buy-sell agreements for restaurants and medical practices. We litigate all of them, for the party who was not paid and for the party being sued.

The service is the same whichever side you are on. We read the agreement and the correspondence, assess the claim in writing, send or answer the demand, and file or defend the lawsuit. Discovery, motions, mediation, and trial follow as the case requires. Our breach of contract hub covers the law. This page covers how a contract case runs in Los Angeles.

Three Los Angeles contract disputes, by way of example

A Culver City production company hires a post-production vendor under a statement of work with milestone payments. The vendor misses the delivery date for the final cut, the distributor cancels, and the production company withholds the last two milestones. The vendor sues for the balance. The production company cross-complains for the lost distribution deal. Which party breached first decides the case.

A downtown apparel wholesaler buys fabric from an overseas mill through a Los Angeles agent. The goods fail inspection, the wholesaler refuses to pay, and the mill assigns the receivable to a collection firm that files in Los Angeles. The case turns on the inspection and rejection terms, and on whether the agent had authority to bind the mill.

A Pasadena software licensee stops paying royalties and claims the licensor never delivered the promised updates. The licensor terminates and sues for the unpaid royalties and continued use after termination. That is a contract case with a copyright question riding alongside it.

Where Los Angeles contract cases are heard

Unlimited civil cases for Los Angeles businesses are usually filed in Los Angeles Superior Court at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, downtown. Its civil departments carry heavy calendars, which affects how quickly motions are heard and how far out trial dates are set. Complex cases are handled in a dedicated complex civil program at the Spring Street Courthouse nearby.

Contract cases with a federal question, or between citizens of different states above the jurisdictional amount, go to the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, at the First Street Courthouse, 350 West First Street. Federal cases move on a tighter schedule, with firm trial dates and early disclosure obligations.

Our office is in Irvine, and I appear in Los Angeles regularly. Many hearings in the Los Angeles civil courts are now conducted remotely, which keeps the cost of a Los Angeles case lower than it was a few years ago.

Forum, venue, and the clause that decides where you sue

Before anyone files, we check three things in the contract. The forum selection clause, which may send the case to another county, state, or country. The arbitration clause, which may take the case out of court altogether. And the choice-of-law clause, which may change the rules even if the case stays in Los Angeles. Our page on forum selection clauses explains how California courts treat them.

Absent such a clause, venue in a contract case is usually proper where the defendant resides or where the contract was to be performed. A Los Angeles business suing an Orange County customer may have a choice.

For companies dealing with counterparties abroad, service of process and enforceability abroad come up early. We handle service abroad and the enforceability questions as part of the case plan.

The Los Angeles businesses we represent

The firm's Los Angeles clients are closely held companies and their owners: apparel and consumer goods importers, production and entertainment services vendors, software and digital agencies, restaurant groups, logistics and trucking companies serving the ports, and real estate investors.

We take plaintiff and defense work in similar proportion, and we take cases where the amount in dispute justifies the cost of pursuing it. When it does not, we say so and suggest a cheaper path. A demand letter, a payment plan, or small claims court is often the better route for a modest receivable.

How the firm works on a Los Angeles contract case

One attorney handles the matter. I read the contract, I write the pleadings, and I argue the motions.

We work in stages, with a written assessment at the start and a budget for each stage. We use the tools the Code of Civil Procedure gives a party to control cost. An early statutory offer to compromise shifts costs if the other side refuses it and then does worse at trial. Targeted discovery rather than everything at once. Mediation when the file is ready for it. Our CCP 998 page explains the offer mechanism.

Chambers and Partners ranks the firm in its USA Spotlight 2026 guide for general commercial litigation in Orange County. The firm is a BBB Accredited Business, rated A.

What to bring to the first meeting

The signed agreement with every exhibit and amendment. The statements of work, purchase orders, or invoices that document performance. The emails and messages around the breach, including the ones that are unhelpful. Any demand letter or complaint you have received, with the date it arrived. If the counterparty is a company, its exact legal name and the state where it is organized, which affects where and how it can be sued.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a breach of contract lawsuit take in Los Angeles?

Longer than in most California counties, because of the size of the Los Angeles Superior Court's calendar. A case that settles after initial discovery might take nine months to a year. A case that goes to trial often takes two years or more. Our realistic timeline page breaks the stages down.

Should I file in Los Angeles Superior Court or federal court?

You usually do not get to choose. Federal court requires a federal claim, or parties from different states and an amount in controversy above the statutory threshold. If both are available, we weigh speed, the judge's control over the schedule, and the jury pool. A defendant sued in state court on a diversity case can sometimes remove it to federal court.

Can I recover lost profits in a Los Angeles breach of contract case?

Sometimes. Lost profits are recoverable when they were foreseeable at the time of contracting and can be proved with reasonable certainty, which usually means financial records and often an expert. Speculative profits from a new venture are harder. Our contract damages page covers the categories and the limits.

Do I need a breach of contract attorney in Los Angeles if my contract has an arbitration clause?

Yes, though the forum changes. Arbitration is still an adversarial proceeding with pleadings, discovery, and a hearing, and the award can be confirmed as a judgment. Some clauses are unenforceable, and some claims fall outside them. A lawyer should read the clause before you agree to arbitrate or refuse to.

What is the first thing I should do when a customer refuses to pay?

Preserve the file, stop performing anything you are not obligated to perform, and send a short written notice of the breach that gives the customer a chance to cure if the contract requires one. Then have the contract reviewed before the next conversation.

Talk to a Los Angeles breach of contract attorney

Call (909) 235-6116 or contact us online to discuss a contract dispute in Los Angeles County. Kolmogorov Law, P.C. is located at 327 Magnet, Irvine, CA 92618, and appears in the Los Angeles Superior Court and the Central District of California.

This page provides general information about California law and is not legal advice. Outcomes depend on the agreement, the evidence, and the court.