Northern VA Business Litigation Attorneys - General Counsel Law

Business Litigation Attorneys at General Counsel serve clients throughout Northern Virginia including Fairfax, Arlington & Loudon providing comprehensive legal services including arbitration, mediation, and dispute resolution as well as disputes involving employment, government contracting, intellectual property, defamation, and much more.

What is business litigation?

Litigation refers to the legal proceedings between opposing parties to enforce or defend a legal right. Parties often settle litigation by coming to an agreement out of court, but the parties may also go to court and have the case heard and a resolution determined by a jury or judge. Litigation starts well before the parties actually get to court, generally starting when one party chooses to hire an attorney to enforce or defend his rights. There are often many “pre-court” litigation services needed, such as writing a “demand” letter, demanding another party to do something or stop doing something. Then, there is often negotiation between the parties to attempt to come to an agreement outside of court to avoid the cost and time of a formal lawsuit.

Some parties may choose to avoid a formal trial altogether and attempt to handle the matter through some type of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation or arbitration. These processes are less formal than traditional court proceedings and are often cheaper and faster than traditional litigation.

If the pre-lawsuit negotiation and alternative dispute resolution don’t result in an agreement between the parties, a formal lawsuit will likely follow. A lawsuit begins when a plaintiff files a formal Complaint in court and serves a copy to the defendant to give notice of the lawsuit, and the defendant responds by filing an Answer. After this, the parties will begin Discovery, which is the period of investigation of the facts alleged and involves the exchange of evidence and information between parties. After these steps, a case moves forward to trial, and the parties take turns presenting their cases to the jury or judge. After both parties have presented their cases, the jury or judge, deliberates and returns a verdict deciding the case. Litigation continues after a verdict is rendered if one party is unhappy and chooses to appeal and also to complete the steps necessary to otherwise properly close a case.

While the above summary does not cover every aspect of a trial, or litigation in general, it is a good overview of the process. Litigation is an ongoing process and involves a lot of complex issues. It is important to choose an experienced litigation lawyer to ensure you are competently represented. Our litigation attorneys have extensive state, federal and appellate court litigation experience and work to pursue strong advocacy on behalf of our clients.