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Business & Commercial Litigation Lawyers in Austin

Aggressive, Relentless, Smart Representation for Small & Large Businesses

Many businesses and business people are scared of or don’t trust juries. Our experience will show you that juries want to protect businesses and business people that have been wronged. You need a team of real trial attorneys that know how to unlock and free that power in a jury and know how to leverage that power for full and fair protection and results for your business.

Howry Breen & Herman is that team of real trial attorneys for businesses and business people. Our business and commercial litigation experience and results prove you can count on the trial attorneys of Howry Breen & Herman to fight and protect your business health, from isolated issues such as contract or intellectual property disputes to bet the company litigation.

Put our reputation and recognitions by The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Bet-the-Company Litigation (Randy Howry, since 2009) and Commercial Litigation (Randy Howry since 2006) (by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC) and as American’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators (Randy Howry 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and Sean Breen 2017-2021 by America’s Top 100 Attorneys®) in your business corner.

Running a business of any size typically involves a number of legal matters, from drafting and negotiating contracts to navigating shareholder agreements to handling mergers and acquisitions.

Often, business owners find themselves facing legal disputes. In such instances, it is crucial to have the experience and skill of a proven and feared business litigator on your side.

At Howry Breen & Herman, our Austin business litigation lawyers have decades of jury trial experience. We have tried almost a thousand cases before judges and juries, including all types of business law matters and disputes. Our team can help you navigate the legal process and work toward the best possible outcome.

We regularly handle business litigation related to the following and more:

We have assisted businesses of all sizes across every industry, including local small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. No matter how difficult or complex your case may be, we are here to help.

Contact us online or by phone at (512) 430-4844 to find out how we can help you and your business. We offer free, confidential consultations.

Handling All Types of Contract Disputes

Contracts are the heart of any business. These legally binding documents or handshake agreements are crucial for everything from vendor agreements and budgeting to distributor arrangements to partnerships and client agreements.

Sound contracts are often the key to a business owner’s success. But contract disputes often can and do arise. It is not uncommon for a business owner to not see eye-to-eye with a vendor, distributor, customer, or another party. When this is the case, you have a contract dispute on your hands.

At Howry Breen & Herman, we handle all types of contract disputes and related matters, including but not limited to:

  • Breach of contract
  • Business to business disagreements
  • Non-compete agreements
  • Non-disclosure agreements
  • Sales contract disputes
  • Operating agreement disputes
  • Warranty disputes
  • Partnership and shareholder claims and disputes

We also assist businesses with contractual issues involving commercial real estate leases, as well as land use, property rights, and environmental law. We have litigated on behalf of numerous businesses in the area and have successfully resolved countless contract disputes.

Our Austin contract dispute attorneys are prepared to aggressively advocate for you, both in and out of the courtroom.

Understanding Business Torts

A business tort involves unlawful actions committed against businesses that result in financial loss. Though they are sometimes caused by negligence, these actions are often intentional in nature. Individuals and other businesses seeking to intentionally inflict financial harm, or those who negligently cause such harm, can often be held liable for the loss.

Our firm handles a broad range of business torts, including:

  • Tortious Interference: Wrongful interference by one party with a business contract or relationship of another party
  • Restraint of Trade: Any illegal act that reduces another party’s ability to conduct normal business (e.g. monopolies, tortious interference, etc.)
  • Fraudulent Misrepresentation: The intentional misrepresentation of another party in the context of a business transaction.
  • Trade Libel: When one business entity publishes untrue and harmful statements about another business entity; considered a form of defamation; also referred to as commercial disparagement
  • Trade Secret Theft: Discussing proprietary information that is usually protected in order to provide another entity with a competitive advantage

These are just some examples of the most common types of business torts. No matter your situation, our Austin business tort lawyers can help you navigate the legal process. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation.

Business Partner & Shareholder Disputes

It is not uncommon for business partners and/or shareholders to face certain disputes in the course of a business. Such situations could involve several partners/shareholders attempting to exclude another from various aspects of the business, or they could involve “deadlocks,” or insurmountable disagreements, between partners who share equal control of the business.

These and other business partner and shareholder disputes can be resolved under the Texas Business Organizations Code, as well as the specific partnership agreements that apply. Both state law and your partnership/shareholder agreement will outline your rights and responsibilities, as well as the rights and obligations of the other involved party.

However, sometimes these rights and responsibilities can also become the subject of disagreement.

In any case, it is always wise to work with an experienced business litigation lawyer in order to ensure that your rights and best interests are protected. Our firm understands the law and how it applies to your unique situation, and our attorneys can walk you through the process of resolving the dispute while simultaneously advocating for you every step of the way.

We assist individuals in partnership and shareholder disputes involving general and limited partners, expense conflicts, contraction/expansion disagreements, dissolution of partnerships, and more.

Breach of Fiduciary Duty & Shareholder Claims & Disputes

Howry Breen & Herman can also assist you with shareholder claims and disputes. We handle a wide range of shareholder dispute matters, including those involving breach of fiduciary duty, disputes between minority and majority shareholders, disagreements regarding operation guidelines, and more.

Whether you are dealing with a seemingly minor disagreement or facing a major dispute, it is invaluable to have the assistance of an experienced shareholder claims and disputes attorney in Austin.

Our team has nearly 25 years of experience with fiduciary and shareholder issues and other business litigation matters. We utilize our extensive legal knowledge, vast resources, and cutting-edge trial techniques to aggressively advocate for you and your business.

Get in touch with us at (512) 430-4844 to learn more or to schedule your free case evaluation in Austin, Georgetown, or the nearby areas.

Image representing the concept of business litigation.

Business & Commercial Litigation
  • Best Lawyers Best Law Firms US News 2023
    Howry, Breen & Herman is proud to have been named a Tier 1, 2 and 3 Austin “Best Law Firm” in 9 practice areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® (“U.S. News” and BL Rankings, LLC). Law firms are selected for inclusion in this prestigious ranking based on a series of quantitative and qualitative criteria. Our specialty and tiers are listed here: https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/howry-breen-herman-llp/overview/36628
  • Texas Lawyer Austin Best of 2020: Personal Injury Firm
    Howry Breen & Herman, LLP was selected the Top Personal Injury Law Firm in Austin by Texas Lawyer, “Best of 2020”. The annual special supplement contains the results of Texas Lawyer readers’ poll, wherein readers cast their votes for the best providers of services and goods to the legal profession.
  • Attorney Sean Breen and Attorney Chris Lavorato placed in California’s Top 100 Settlements for 2019, as tracked by The Recorder and VerdictSearch.
  • Our law firm is proud to have been recognized in the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame. Texas Lawyer in conjunction with VerdictSearch, recognize attorneys and law firms for their verdicts of $10 million or more. In 2011 Sean Breen was a Hall of Fame Award Recipient for the #1 Premises Liability Top Texas Verdict, awarded by Texas Lawyer, for the jury verdict award in the case VanDusen v. Aspen Square Management. In 2016 Sean Breen was inducted into the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame, awarded by Texas Lawyer, for an outstanding verdict in Nester v. Textron.
  • America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys 2021
    Selection to America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® is by invitation only and is reserved to identity the nation’s most exceptional litigators for high-value personal injury, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, and medical malpractice matters. HBH is proud that Sean Breen has been selected for this award. Less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community. (2017-2022)
  • Best Lawyers Best Law Firms US News 2016
    Howry, Breen & Herman is proud to have been named a Tier 1, 2 and 3 Austin “Best Law Firm” in 7 practice areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® (“U.S. News” and BL Rankings, LLC). Law firms are selected for inclusion in this prestigious ranking based on a series of quantitative and qualitative criteria. Our specialty and tiers are listed here: https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/howry-breen-herman-llp/overview/36628
  • Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year | Litigation - Trusts & Estates (by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
  • Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year | Personal Injury - Plaintiffs (by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
  • Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional attorneys whose accomplishments and impact on the legal profession merit a Lifetime Achievement award. Selection is not achieved based on a single accomplishment or a single great year of success, but rather on a lifetime of hard work, ethical standards, and community enriching accomplishments that are inspiring among the legal profession. Both Sean Breen (2017) and Randy Howry (2018) are honored to receive this award.
  • America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters. To be considered for selection, an attorney must have litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. These minimum qualifications are required for initial consideration. Thereafter, candidates are carefully screened through comprehensive Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, litigation experience, significant case results, representative high stakes matters, peer reputation, and community impact in order to rank the candidates throughout the state. HBH is privileged to honor Partners Sean Breen (2017- 2021) and Randy Howry 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 for selection of this award.
  • Expertise- Best Real Estate Lawyers in Austin 2020
    Expertise - Howry Breen & Herman was recognized and featured in an article by expertisecommunity.com as one of the Best Real Estate Lawyers in Austin. 2020
  • America’s Premier High-Stakes Trial Lawyers®” – 7 Figure Litigators®, 8 Figure Litigators®, is meant to recognize the nation’s most respected and preeminent high-stakes trial lawyers based on their verifiable verdicts and/or settlements. It is a tremendous honor for Sean Breen (2019) and Randy Howry (2020) to be recognized among this elite group.
  • America’s Premier High-Stakes Trial Lawyers®” – 7 Figure Litigators®, 8 Figure Litigators®, is meant to recognize the nation’s most respected and preeminent high-stakes trial lawyers based on their verifiable verdicts and/or settlements. It is a tremendous honor for Sean Breen (2019) and Randy Howry (2020) to be recognized among this elite group.
  • The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100, a highly respected legal organization that limits its members to premier trial attorneys who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile measured by strict qualification requirements. Sean Breen Top 100 Civil Plaintiff, 2009 – 2020.
  • Top 10 Business Tort Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers. Randy Howry 2012-2013; Sean Breen since 2016.
  • Best Lawyers in America
    The Best Lawyers in America® recognizes the top 5% of the most skilled attorneys in the nation. The robust selection process requires attorneys to nominate and review fellow lawyers based on their ethics, skill, knowledge, and ability to obtain results for their clients. The Best Lawyers in America® list is a way for plaintiffs to identify the leading attorneys in their region, known for their ability to get results with honesty, strength, and skill. Tim Herman, Sean Breen & Randy Howry have been featured by The Best Lawyers in America® (2006-2020) running alongside some of the most qualified firms in the nation. More info here.
  • Texas Monthly Top Attorneys - Sean E. Breen
    Top Attorneys As Published In Texas Monthly
  • Top 50 US Verdicts All Practice Areas Texas 2017
    Sean Breen was honored by TopVerdict.com for recovering one of the Top 50 Verdicts in Texas in 2017. This is an honorable distinction, reserved for those attorneys that achieve the highest settlements and verdicts in the state.
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
    Sean Breen is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a renowned legal organization whose membership is restricted to trial attorneys who have achieved seven-figured settlements and/or jury verdicts. 2011.
  • Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum
    We are proud to have Sean Breen who is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In order to become a member, an attorney must demonstrate that he or she has successfully achieved at least one six-figure settlement or jury verdict. 2011.
  • AV Preeminent
    Martindale-Hubbell® is widely regarded as one of the most renowned peer-review rating organizations in the legal field. Randy Howry (2018), Sean Breen (2001), Tim Herman (1998), Glen Wilkerson (2014) and Chris Lavorato (2014) at Howry, Breen & Herman have achieved the organization’s highest distinction of AV Preeminent®.
  • Super Lawyers
    Each year, Super Lawyers® magazine publishes its list of peer-nominated/evaluated and independently reviewed attorneys. We are proud to have attorneys who have been selected for inclusion in the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers® List, by Thomas Reuters since 2003, running through 2020.
  • Top American Lawyers
    Membership in Top American Lawyers is limited to only 1% of all attorneys in the United States. Randy Howry is proud to be honored with a Lifetime Charter Membership in this exclusive organization (2017).
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  • "They gave me hope and then delivered!"

    - M.A.

  • "We are so grateful they believed in us and partnered with us to handle this case!"

    - J.K.

  • "We were always one step ahead!"

    - T.B.

  • "They were so fierce and tough with the other side while being so caring towards my family."

    - L.P.

  • "I greatly admired their advocacy and professionalism!"

    - S.O.

  • "It was like having true friends as my attorneys!"

    - C.B.

  • "They are true trial attorneys!"

    - G.N.

  • "I always felt confident in Howry Breen & Herman and knew I could trust them."

    - J.M.

  • "Definitely recommend, they are the best."

    - J.R.

  • "Thank you for helping my father through his case!"

    - B.M.

  • "I could have not found more caring people!"

    - M.A.

  • "Sean and his team were the breath of fresh air that we needed. Still thanking you guys, 9 years later!"

    - A.L.

  • "Thank you for taking our case."

    - L.M.

  • "They exceeded all expectations."

    - T.R.

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