Business Litigation That Makes Business Sense.
A lawsuit should solve a business problem—not become another one. The Skeen Firm represents businesses and business owners in serious commercial disputes across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. For qualifying plaintiff-side matters, our success-fee model combines predictable early-stage fees with compensation tied to the recovery.
Business Litigation Lawyers Focused on the Result, Not the Billable Hour
When a contract is breached, a business partner turns against you, a customer refuses to pay, an acquisition goes sideways, or someone causes significant financial harm to your company, you need more than a lawyer who knows how to file a lawsuit. You need a strategy that makes economic sense.
The Skeen Firm represents businesses, entrepreneurs, shareholders, members, partners and owners in commercial litigation throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. We evaluate the legal claims, available evidence, amount at stake, collectability, litigation costs, business disruption and settlement leverage before determining the best path forward.
Sometimes that path is an aggressive lawsuit. Sometimes it is a demand, negotiated settlement, mediation, buyout or carefully structured exit. Litigation is a tool. The objective is solving the underlying business problem.
Get the contract, timeline and key documents together. Then start with a discovery call.
Commercial Litigation for Businesses and Business Owners
Business disputes can arise from contracts, ownership relationships, acquisitions, financial transactions and competitive conduct. Matters we evaluate include:
Breach of Contract
Claims involving nonpayment, failed performance, termination, guarantees, warranties, delivery obligations, purchase agreements and other contractual duties.
Partnership & LLC Disputes
Conflicts involving management, ownership, distributions, access to records, business control, member rights and breakdowns between co-owners.
Shareholder Litigation
Disputes involving closely held businesses, minority shareholder rights, control, financial information, distributions and alleged misconduct.
Fiduciary Duty Claims
Claims involving self-dealing, diversion of opportunities, misuse of company assets, conflicts of interest and other alleged breaches of duties.
Business Fraud
Misrepresentation, concealed information, fraudulent transactions, financial misconduct and other deceptive conduct causing business losses.
Business Acquisition Disputes
Post-closing disputes involving seller representations, hidden liabilities, earn-outs, purchase-price adjustments, restrictive covenants and purchase agreements.
Unpaid Business Obligations
Significant unpaid invoices, commercial receivables and contractual payment obligations where ordinary collection efforts have failed.
Unfair Competition
Commercial disputes involving competitive misconduct, misuse of confidential information and interference with important business relationships.
Complex Commercial Claims
Significant disputes that do not fit neatly into one category but involve substantial economic harm, competing business interests and high-stakes litigation.
Litigation Should Serve the Business Strategy
The goal is not to generate motions, depositions and legal bills. The goal is to determine what outcome matters to the business and develop the strategy most likely to get there.
Understand the Problem
What happened? What does the contract actually say? What evidence exists? What does the other side claim? What deadlines matter?
Put a Number on It
How much is realistically at stake? What can be collected? What will the dispute cost in fees, management time, interruption and lost opportunities?
Define Winning
Winning may mean collecting money. It may mean protecting ownership, ending misconduct, enforcing a deal, negotiating an exit or resolving the dispute quickly.
A Fee Structure Designed Around Recovery
Traditional hourly litigation can make the legal bill itself part of the business risk. For qualifying plaintiff-side commercial litigation, we offer a hybrid structure designed to provide more visibility into early-stage costs while tying a significant portion of the fee to the amount actually recovered.
This structure is available only for qualifying matters and is subject to the terms of the written engagement agreement. Case expenses and advanced costs may be separate. Nothing on this page guarantees a particular outcome or recovery.
Business Litigation Success Fee Calculator
Enter a potential recovery, your initial flat fee and anticipated case costs. The calculator automatically estimates the tiered success fee, credits and potential net recovery.
Enter Your Numbers
Estimated Results
Have a significant potential recovery? The next step is evaluating whether the case qualifies.
Book a Discovery CallWhen Should You Call a Business Litigation Lawyer?
Not every disagreement requires litigation. But there is a difference between avoiding unnecessary legal fees and waiting until the business has lost valuable options.
Money Is Being Withheld
A customer, buyer, partner or other party owes a substantial amount and ordinary business efforts are no longer working.
A Business Relationship Is Breaking Down
Communications have changed, access to records is being restricted, owners are no longer cooperating or important decisions are being made without you.
Someone Has Threatened Litigation
Formal demands are arriving, lawyers are involved, records are being requested or ordinary communications have taken on a distinctly legal tone.
Evidence Needs to Be Preserved
Emails, texts, accounting records, contracts, surveillance footage, project files or other evidence may become important if the dispute escalates.
Ownership or Control Is at Risk
A partnership, LLC or shareholder conflict is affecting control, distributions, access to information or the future of the company.
The Economic Stakes Are Significant
The amount at issue, potential future losses or strategic consequences justify evaluating the claim before making the next move.
Practical Guidance for Business Owners Facing Litigation
A strong litigation strategy often begins before anyone files a complaint. Explore our articles on recognizing disputes early, preserving leverage, avoiding preventable litigation and dealing with complex commercial claims.
A Business Dispute Is Getting Serious. What Should You Do Next?
What to do when a commercial disagreement begins moving toward litigation, including contracts, evidence, communications, insurance and defining the business objective.
Read the Article →The Warning Signs Most Businesses Ignore Before a Lawsuit
Learn how recurring problems, documentation failures and communication breakdowns can signal that an ordinary operational issue is becoming a legal one.
Read the Article →10 Common Disputes After Buying a Small Business
Seller fraud, hidden liabilities, earn-outs, restrictive covenants, purchase agreements and other claims that commonly arise after an acquisition closes.
Read the Article →15 Ways to Prevent Business Acquisition Litigation
Practical steps buyers can take before and after closing to reduce litigation risk and protect the value of the business they bought.
Read the Article →When Business Fraud Becomes a Civil RICO Claim
Not every commercial fraud claim is civil RICO. Learn when repeated misconduct, coordinated activity and direct financial harm can raise more complex federal issues.
Read the Article →More Business Litigation Insights
Explore the complete Business Litigation article collection for additional guidance on commercial disputes, litigation risk, business acquisitions and dispute strategy.
Explore All Articles →Business Litigation Attorneys Serving Pennsylvania, West Virginia & Ohio
The Skeen Firm represents businesses, owners, members, shareholders, entrepreneurs and closely held companies in serious commercial disputes across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
Pennsylvania Business Litigation
We represent Pennsylvania businesses in breach of contract claims, ownership disputes, shareholder and partnership litigation, business fraud, fiduciary duty claims, acquisition disputes and other significant commercial matters.
Explore Pennsylvania Litigation Services →West Virginia Business Litigation
We advise and represent West Virginia companies and business owners facing contract disputes, ownership conflicts, fiduciary duty claims, business fraud, acquisition litigation and other commercial disputes.
Explore West Virginia Litigation Services →Ohio Business Litigation
We represent qualifying Ohio businesses and owners in disputes involving contracts, transactions, ownership rights, commercial obligations and significant financial losses.
Explore Ohio Litigation Services →Start with the business problem, the amount at stake and the outcome you need. We can determine the next step from there.
Clear Strategy. Transparent Economics. Focus on the Business.
Transparent Fee Options
You should understand how the economics work before committing to litigation. Our success-fee calculator is designed to make the structure easier to evaluate.
Solutions Driven
The question is not simply whether a lawsuit can be filed. The question is what strategy is most likely to solve the client's underlying business problem.
Practical Communication
Business owners need clear answers about risk, options, economics and next steps—not unnecessary legal jargon.
Litigation With an Objective
Every significant decision should connect back to the outcome the business actually needs, whether that is recovery, leverage, protection, exit or resolution.
Business Litigation FAQs
What does a business litigation lawyer do?
A business litigation lawyer represents businesses and business owners in commercial disputes involving contracts, payments, ownership, shareholders, partners, fiduciary duties, transactions, fraud and other business relationships.
Does The Skeen Firm take business litigation cases on contingency?
For qualifying plaintiff-side commercial disputes, The Skeen Firm offers a hybrid success-fee structure. It combines an initial flat fee with a tiered fee tied to the amount recovered. Not every matter qualifies.
How does the business litigation success fee work?
A qualifying matter begins with an initial flat fee between $5,000 and $15,000. If the matter reaches discovery, a fixed $10,000 discovery fee applies. If a recovery is obtained, a tiered success fee is calculated and qualifying flat fees are credited against it.
What are the current success-fee percentages?
The calculator uses 25% on the first $250,000 recovered, 20% on the portion from $250,000 through $1 million, and 15% on amounts above $1 million. The written engagement agreement controls the actual fee terms.
Is there a separate trial fee?
Under the qualifying success-fee model described on this page, there is no separate standalone trial fee merely because the case reaches trial. The written engagement agreement controls.
What business disputes does The Skeen Firm handle?
Matters we evaluate include breach of contract claims, partnership and LLC disputes, shareholder litigation, fiduciary duty claims, business fraud, acquisition disputes, unpaid commercial obligations, unfair competition and other significant commercial claims.
When should a business contact a litigation lawyer?
Consider speaking with counsel when substantial money is at risk, litigation has been threatened, a major contract has been breached, ownership or control is disputed, important evidence needs to be preserved or delay may affect the company's legal or business options.
Do you represent businesses in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio?
The Skeen Firm provides business and litigation services across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, subject to the jurisdiction, facts and nature of the specific matter.
Your Business Has a Problem. Let's Focus on Solving It.
If you are dealing with a serious contract dispute, ownership conflict, unpaid obligation, acquisition claim, business fraud or other commercial litigation matter, start by determining the objective, the economics and your options.
Everyday Legal Advice®. Practical Counsel for Growing Businesses.