Business Litigation Lawyer – Los Angeles
Last updated: September 2026
Kolmogorov Law, P.C. represents companies and business owners in Los Angeles County in contract, ownership, fraud, and trade secret disputes. Based in Irvine, the firm provides litigation strategy, settlement counsel, and representation in court and arbitration, including the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Founder Pavel Kolmogorov (State Bar No. 321018) is admitted in California and in the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California. Contact us to discuss your dispute, your deadlines, and your next steps.
Call (909) 235-6116 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
Business litigation for Los Angeles companies
Business litigation, also called commercial litigation, covers disputes that arise out of business relationships and transactions. Some are internal: conflicts between partners, members, shareholders, officers, or employees. Others are external: disputes with vendors, suppliers, customers, competitors, or other third parties.
These cases tend to involve complex contracts and financial records, overlapping state and federal law, and real exposure for the company and its owners. A lawyer who handles this work regularly in Los Angeles can help you understand your options and manage the risk. The strategy should fit your business objectives, whether that means early resolution or preparing for trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court or federal court.
The Los Angeles courts where your case will likely be heard
Los Angeles County has the largest civil court system in the country. Knowing which venue will hear your case shapes timing, cost, and strategy from the first day.
Most Los Angeles business disputes are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N. Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles, the main civil hub of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Cases designated as complex are assigned to dedicated departments and follow the case-management requirements of California Rules of Court, rule 3.400.
The Spring Street Courthouse at 312 N. Spring Street hears civil matters assigned away from Mosk, including limited and unlimited civil actions.
Federal business disputes in Los Angeles are filed in the Central District of California, Western Division, at the First Street Courthouse, 350 W. 1st Street. Trademark, copyright, RICO, antitrust, and other federal-question cases go there.
Our office is in Irvine. We appear in the Los Angeles courts regularly, and the drive is about an hour, longer in traffic. We schedule hearings, motions, and depositions to keep travel efficient for our clients and the court.
Los Angeles industries and the disputes they produce
Los Angeles is several economies stacked on top of each other, and each one generates its own dispute patterns.
- West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills entertainment and finance corridor: production companies, talent agencies, private equity, and family offices. Common disputes include producer and financier breach claims, profit participation fights, partnership exits in production deals, and breached investor letters of intent.
- Downtown and Arts District technology and creative businesses: software, design studios, fashion brands, and fintech. Common disputes include founder breakups, IP and trade secret theft, SaaS contract enforcement, and brand licensing.
- Long Beach, Wilmington, and South Bay logistics: ports, freight, warehousing, and manufacturing. Common disputes include vendor and supplier breaches, failed joint ventures, shipping and demurrage claims, and worker classification.
- San Fernando Valley professional practices and light manufacturing: medical groups, professional services, and family businesses. Common disputes include succession fights, sibling shareholder disputes, dissolution actions, and real property breaches.
The right strategy for a $50,000 vendor non-payment looks nothing like the right strategy for a $5 million entertainment partnership dissolution. In both, knowing the local rules and the assigned department saves time and money.
Representative California engagements
These are illustrative examples drawn from the firm's California business litigation practice. Some are composites with identifying details changed. We are glad to discuss relevant experience with Los Angeles County matters during a consultation.
- Defended a small business against a $1.2 million vendor breach of contract claim and obtained dismissal before trial.
- Resolved a partnership dispute for a technology company by restructuring ownership without protracted litigation.
- Advised a California business on copyright infringement and secured the client's rights through targeted enforcement.
Full case results are on our Case Results page.
Types of business disputes we handle in Los Angeles
Every dispute is different, but the same core issues come up again and again.
Breach of contract
Contracts sit at the center of almost every business relationship. A breach occurs when a party fails to perform as promised or violates a material term. We handle disputes over vendor and supplier agreements, service and consulting contracts, purchase and sale agreements, operating and partnership agreements, and confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-solicitation provisions. We analyze the contract, the facts, and the available remedies (damages, specific performance, or injunctive relief) and build a strategy around your goals. See our California breach of contract attorney page and the breach of contract FAQ.
Partnership, LLC, and shareholder disputes
Ownership disputes are among the most disruptive a Los Angeles business can face. We represent partners, LLC members, and shareholders in matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, diversion of company assets, deadlock over management and control, profit distribution and compensation fights, and valuation, buyout, and dissolution disputes. The goal is to protect your ownership and financial interests while preserving, where possible, the value of the business. Our guides on partnership buyouts and breach of fiduciary duty explain the options.
Intellectual property and trade secret disputes
For many Los Angeles companies the most valuable assets are intangible. We handle misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, misuse of confidential data by former employees or partners, disputes over IP ownership between co-founders, contractors, or collaborators, and trademark and copyright claims connected to business operations. These matters often need fast action, including temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. See our California trade secret attorney page.
Business fraud
Fraud claims arise when a party is induced into a deal by false statements or concealment: misrepresented financials in the sale of a business, hidden liabilities, or diverted funds. We pursue and defend claims for intentional and negligent misrepresentation, concealment, and computer fraud under Penal Code section 502. See our California business fraud attorney page.
Employment-related business disputes
Employment conflicts often overlap with larger business concerns. We represent employers in disputes with key employees and executives, including claims of breached employment or compensation agreements and commission and bonus fights with significant business impact. We also enforce and defend non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions where California law permits it.
Vendor, supplier, and customer disputes
Disputes with vendors, suppliers, and customers threaten cash flow and long-standing relationships. Typical issues are non-payment, defective or non-conforming goods, disagreements over scope of work or performance standards, and warranty, return, or chargeback disputes. We work to resolve these matters efficiently with both the legal rights and the business relationship in view.
If your business has been served in Los Angeles County
A defendant served with a summons and complaint in California generally has 30 days to respond. Missing that deadline can lead to a default. If your company has been served, send us the summons, the complaint, and the proof of service, note the date and method of service, and preserve all related documents and email. We will confirm the response deadline, evaluate the claims, and tell you whether a demurrer, a motion, or an answer is the right first step. Our first 30 days guide walks through the process, and the court date calculator computes deadlines under California's court-day rules.
Reducing the risk of a dispute
Litigation is sometimes unavoidable, but many disputes can be contained with early advice. Call early if you receive a demand letter or a threat of suit, notice warning signs in a partnership, vendor, or customer relationship, or plan to end or restructure a key relationship. An early consultation helps you preserve evidence and avoid missteps that weaken your position.
Our practice is litigation. For clients we represent, we review the contracts at issue, identify ambiguous provisions and risk areas, and recommend revisions after a dispute so the same problem does not recur. Outside litigation, we advise California startups on formation, founder agreements, and early-stage commercial contracts. We do not handle transactional M&A, securities offerings, or routine contract drafting.
Documentation matters too. Companies that keep contracts, amendments, and key correspondence organized, record important decisions, and track performance and payments are in a far stronger position when a disagreement becomes a lawsuit. For matters already in court, our California Discovery Toolkit and Civil Litigation Deadlines Quick Guide outline the discovery tools and deadlines that apply in Los Angeles County and throughout California.
How business disputes are resolved in California
Not every business dispute ends in trial. Most are resolved through some combination of negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and, when necessary, litigation in state or federal court. In Los Angeles we typically start with structured negotiation, then consider mediation or contract-required arbitration where appropriate. If a lawsuit is filed, we guide you through pleadings, discovery, motion practice, and trial preparation while continuing to look for a business-sensible resolution.
Mediation is confidential, allows flexible solutions, and is often required by courts or contracts before trial. Arbitration puts one or more private arbitrators in the role of judge, usually with streamlined procedure and limited appeal rights; we advise on whether an arbitration clause applies and represent clients through the process. Litigation in court involves filing or responding to a complaint, written discovery and depositions, motions, ongoing settlement discussion, and trial if the case does not resolve earlier. For a fuller overview, see our California business litigation page and our comparison of arbitration and litigation.
Your attorney
Pavel Kolmogorov founded Kolmogorov Law, P.C. and handles the firm's Los Angeles matters personally. He earned his LL.M. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2017, where he externed for the Honorable Laurel Beeler of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He is licensed in California and the District of Columbia and admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California. Chambers and Partners recognized him in its 2026 Spotlight Guide for Litigation: General Commercial in Orange County. His practice is concentrated in breach of contract, business fraud, unfair competition under Business and Professions Code section 17200, Penal Code section 502 computer fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and partnership and shareholder disputes. He appears in the Superior Courts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties and in California federal court.
How to choose a business litigation lawyer in Los Angeles
Many owners search for the best business lawyer in Los Angeles. In practice, the best lawyer for your situation is the one whose experience, approach, and communication style fit your case. When you evaluate a business litigator, look at the following.
- Subject-matter depth. California business litigation is a specialty. Look for a practice concentrated in breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, partnership disputes, trade secrets, and the procedural tools that go with them.
- Familiarity with the local court. The judges, departments, and local rules in the Los Angeles Superior Court differ from other California courts. Regular appearances there carry practical knowledge a generalist does not have.
- Direct attorney access. A boutique firm gives you the senior attorney who handles your matter, not a rotating team.
- Clear explanation of risk and strategy, in plain language, at the start and at every stage.
- A fee structure you can plan around.
Questions worth asking at the first meeting: Have you handled cases like mine on my side of the dispute? Who will do the work day to day? What are the strongest and weakest points of my position? Should the first step be a demand letter, mediation, arbitration, or a lawsuit? What damages are realistic? What does my contract say about attorney's fees, venue, arbitration, and governing law? What is the hourly rate, the initial retainer, and a rough budget through the next milestone? We answer each of these in the consultation so you can decide whether the firm is the right fit.
Who we represent in Los Angeles
We represent entertainment, media, marketing, and creative services companies, professional practices and consulting firms, and owners and investors in real estate, hospitality, and retail. We also represent startups and growth-stage companies in technology, e-commerce, and online platforms, and executives, consultants, and entrepreneurs in complex compensation or equity arrangements. Our clients have business interests in Downtown Los Angeles, West LA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Long Beach, Torrance, and other communities across Los Angeles County.
Frequently asked questions about business litigation in Los Angeles
When should I contact a business litigation lawyer?
Speak with a lawyer if you receive a demand letter or lawsuit, are in a significant contract or partnership dispute, or suspect misconduct by a partner or employee. The same applies before a decision that could trigger a dispute. Early advice helps you avoid mistakes and preserve your options.
My company was served in Los Angeles. How long do I have to respond?
Generally 30 days from service of the summons and complaint. The exact deadline depends on how you were served, so send us the papers as soon as you receive them and we will confirm the date.
Will my business dispute have to go to court?
Not always. Many disputes resolve through negotiation, mediation, or arbitration, and most filed cases settle before trial. We explain the options available in your situation and work with you to choose the approach that best serves the business.
How long does business litigation take?
It depends on the complexity of the case, the number of parties, the court's calendar, and whether the matter settles early or proceeds to trial. Some disputes resolve within a few months; others take a year or more. We discuss expected timelines with you and keep you updated as the case moves.
What does a business litigation lawyer in Los Angeles cost?
California business litigators typically charge $400 to $750 per hour, and some firms offer alternative fee arrangements on the right case. Our guide to the cost of business litigation breaks down what drives the number.
Do you handle non-litigation business matters?
Our practice is California business litigation. We review and revise contracts for clients we represent in a dispute, and we advise California startups on formation, founder agreements, and early-stage commercial contracts. We do not handle transactional M&A, securities offerings, or routine contract drafting outside those engagements.
Can a Los Angeles business lawyer represent me elsewhere in California?
Yes. California attorneys are licensed statewide. We appear in the Superior Courts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties and in the federal districts of California.
What business disputes do you handle most often?
Breach of contract, business fraud, unfair competition under Business and Professions Code section 17200, Penal Code section 502 computer fraud, partnership and shareholder disputes, trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference, and insurance coverage disputes. See our full California business litigation practice.
Do you offer a free consultation for Los Angeles business owners?
We offer an initial consultation. Call (909) 235-6116 or use our contact page.
Serving businesses across California
This page focuses on Los Angeles County. Kolmogorov Law also represents businesses as an Orange County business litigation lawyer, an Irvine business litigation lawyer, a San Diego business litigation lawyer, a San Francisco business litigation lawyer, and a San Jose business litigation lawyer. For a statewide overview, visit our California business litigation page.
Contact a Los Angeles business litigation lawyer
If your business is facing a dispute, or you want to reduce the risk of one, speak with Kolmogorov Law. Call (909) 235-6116 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation. We represent clients with business interests in Los Angeles County and throughout California.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Viewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is formed only after Kolmogorov Law agrees to represent you in writing.