Whitmore Harlow LLP

Practice Area

Economic Disputes

When partners, investors, or businesses disagree over valuation, profits, or financial terms, resolution takes both legal and forensic expertise. We work with forensic accountants to quantify damages and resolve disputes through litigation or negotiation.

Disputes over valuation, profit distribution, and financial terms sit at the intersection of law and accounting; resolving them requires both a sound legal theory and a defensible, well-documented damages analysis. Whitmore Harlow LLP represents businesses, partners, and investors in economic disputes, working with forensic accountants to quantify what's actually owed.

Quantifying the Dispute Before Positions Harden

Many economic disputes escalate unnecessarily because the parties are working from different, often informal, assumptions about what's owed. We prioritize an early, rigorous damages analysis, whether the dispute involves a contested valuation, a profit-allocation disagreement among partners, or a broader claim of financial harm. A documented, defensible position tends to change the negotiating dynamic considerably.

Our work regularly involves partnership and shareholder disputes, valuation disagreements arising from a business sale or buyout, and disputes over financial terms in commercial agreements. Because these matters often involve an ongoing business relationship, resolution through negotiation or mediation is frequently preferable to public litigation where the facts support it.

Litigating When Negotiation Isn't Possible

Not every economic dispute can be resolved privately. When negotiation stalls or the opposing party isn't acting in good faith, we proceed to litigation, backed by the same rigorous damages analysis developed at the outset.

How We Approach Economic Disputes

Our Process

1

STEP ONE

Quantify the Damages

We work with forensic accountants to establish what's actually owed before positions harden.

2

STEP TWO

Negotiate from Strength

We present a documented, defensible damages position to drive resolution without unnecessary litigation cost.

3

STEP THREE

Litigate When Necessary

When negotiation stalls, we proceed to litigation backed by the same damages analysis.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of economic disputes do you handle?
We handle disputes involving business valuation disagreements, profit and distribution disputes among partners or shareholders, and other financial disagreements between businesses or investors where the underlying facts require both legal and financial analysis.
How are damages quantified in a financial dispute?
Quantification typically depends on the nature of the dispute — lost profits, diminished valuation, or improperly withheld distributions each require a different analytical approach. We work with forensic accountants to build a damages position grounded in the specific financial facts of the matter.
Do you work with forensic accountants and experts?
Yes. Financial disputes often turn on details that require specialized accounting or valuation expertise, and we regularly work with forensic accountants and other financial experts to establish and support a client's position.
Can a partnership or shareholder dispute be resolved privately?
Many partnership and shareholder disputes resolve through negotiation or mediation, particularly where an ongoing business relationship or reputational considerations make a public court proceeding undesirable. We pursue private resolution where appropriate, while preparing the matter for litigation if the other side isn't willing to negotiate in good faith.

Discuss Your Economic Disputes Matter

Contact our attorneys for a confidential evaluation of your case. No obligation. All inquiries protected by attorney-client privilege.

Request a Free Consultation(212) 555-0100