San Francisco Business Litigation AttorneyTrial, Arbitration, and Negotiation for Bay Area Businesses
When a business dispute threatens your company, the attorney you choose determines how much time, money, and leverage you keep. Dracup & Patterson represents San Francisco and Bay Area businesses in high-stakes commercial disputes, drawing on more than 40 years of trial, arbitration, and negotiation experience across all 58 California counties.
We focus on complex, high-value matters — the kind where the outcome materially affects the business — and we structure representation on an hourly or retainer basis so you always know how your case is being handled.
Business litigation matters we handle
Our San Francisco business litigation practice covers the disputes that most often put a company's revenue, contracts, or ownership at risk.
Breach of Contract
Enforcement, defense, and recovery of damages on commercial agreements.
Partnership, Shareholder & LLC Disputes
Deadlock, buyouts, breach of fiduciary duty, and dissolution.
Business Fraud & Misrepresentation
Including concealment and fraudulent inducement.
Commercial Lease & Real Property Disputes
Disputes between businesses and landlords over commercial space.
Unfair Competition & Interference
Interference with contracts or business relationships, and unfair competition claims.
Trade Secret & Confidentiality Disputes
Protecting confidential information and enforcing confidentiality obligations.
If your issue isn't listed, it's worth a conversation — most commercial disputes fall within our experience even when they don't fit a neat label.
Why Bay Area businesses choose Dracup & Patterson
Business litigation rewards preparation and judgment, not volume. Two things set our approach apart.
We litigate to resolve, not to bill
Every case gets a strategy aimed at the fastest defensible outcome — whether that's an early settlement, arbitration, or trial — and we tell you plainly when a fight is worth it and when it isn't.
Equally comfortable in court and in arbitration
Many commercial contracts require disputes to go to arbitration, and we handle JAMS and AAA proceedings as readily as superior court trials, so an arbitration clause never forces you into unfamiliar territory. Learn more about our commercial arbitration and mediation work.
How a business litigation case typically moves
- 1
Case assessment
We review your contracts, correspondence, and exposure to identify leverage and risk before you spend on litigation.
- 2
Strategy and demand
Most disputes resolve fastest when the other side understands you are prepared to try the case.
- 3
Litigation or arbitration
If the matter doesn't settle, we pursue it through the appropriate forum.
- 4
Resolution and enforcement
Securing, collecting, or defending against the judgment or award.
Serving San Francisco and the greater Bay Area
We represent clients throughout San Francisco, Oakland, San Mateo, Silicon Valley, and the North Bay, and appear in courts and arbitrations across California. Distance is rarely an obstacle — much of the early work in a business dispute happens through document review and strategy, not the courtroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between business litigation and commercial litigation?
The terms are used interchangeably. Both describe disputes between businesses — or between a business and an individual — over contracts, ownership, money, or conduct. Some firms use "commercial litigation" for larger corporate matters, but the underlying work is the same.
Do I have to go to court, or can my dispute be arbitrated?
It depends on your contracts. Many commercial agreements contain arbitration clauses that require disputes to go to JAMS or AAA rather than court. We handle both and can tell you which applies to your situation.
How much does business litigation cost in the Bay Area?
Cost depends on complexity, the forum, and how aggressively the other side litigates. We represent clients on an hourly or retainer basis and give a realistic assessment of likely cost and exposure at the outset, before you commit.
Our Business Litigation Team
Senior attorneys with extensive experience in complex Bay Area business disputes and arbitration representation
Talk to a San Francisco business litigation attorney
If your company is facing a dispute — or wants to avoid one — a confidential case review is the fastest way to understand your options. See the full range of business disputes we handle, or contact us to speak with an attorney directly.
Client Success Stories
Hear from satisfied clients who trusted us with their high-stakes legal matters and achieved exceptional results.
"Dracup & Patterson resolved our $1.2M partnership dispute efficiently and effectively. Their strategic counsel and aggressive litigation approach was worth every penny."
Tech Company CEO
San Diego
Ready to Discuss Your Case?
If your California commercial or business dispute exceeds $300,000, request a confidential case review with our senior legal team. Representation is offered on an hourly or retainer basis by attorneys with at least 20 years' experience.
Call 24/7
(833) 221-2990
Serving
All 58 California Counties
Response Time
Immediately during business hours
After hours: still pretty quickly.
Is Your Matter a Fit?
We represent businesses, owners, and high-net-worth clients on an hourly or retainer basis in California commercial and business disputes. Senior attorneys will review your matter in a confidential 20-minute case review.
Case Requirements:
- • Dispute value of $300,000 or more
- • Dispute based in California
Case reviews are confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege.
California disputes only