Commercial Litigation in Michigan

Litigation involving business affairs is a complex and serious matter. Commercial litigation has the potential to bankrupt a business and even open the door to the possibility of criminal charges. When legal matters involving business issues require court appearances, it is vital that businesses enlist quality legal counsel to advocate diligently and aggressively on their behalf.

At Kelly & Kelly, P.C., we have extensive experience in commercial litigation and successfully representing individuals and businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a landowner filing a lawsuit to evict a non-paying tenant, or a corporate enterprise defending a complicated breach-of-contract claim, our highly skilled attorneys will stand by you. Our attorneys help clients successfully negotiate the laws; we fight to protect your rights and claims to the full extent of the law; and we are aggressive about defending you in meritless claims.

Legal Matters We Handle

Contractual Disputes – These arise when one party does not comply with the terms of a legally binding contract or agreement, or fails to live up their obligations laid out under the contract. It also can occur in situations where the terms of the contract are disputed between the parties, requiring negotiations, mediation or in some cases court involvement. These disputes often happen during the course of joint business ventures, or business to business transactions involving things such as construction projects, purchasing contracts with suppliers and service agreements.

Torts – This is when individuals violate civil law, and action is brought against them in civil court. While there is the possibility that the action may also involve criminal matters, torts only handle civil matters. These typically include things such as accidents, failure to provide adequate warning, etc but they also can include compensation for emotional damages.

Business Planning – In order to ensure a business is protected properly, a proper business plan must be formulated. This usually involves significant legal considerations, especially regarding liability as well as any pending or future commercial litigation related to the business.

Fraud Claims – This can include a broad range of situations, from a victim seeking a resolution for fraudulent activities committed against them, or from an individual or company requiring legal defense against fraud accusations.

Defamation Claims – These occur when an individual or business has false or exaggerated statements made against them that seek to tarnish their reputation. These claims are especially significant when the defamation results in financial loss or negatively impacts the business.

Employment Contracts / Severance Matters – These can be quite involved situations where the analysis and legal guidance of a business litigation attorney is critical. While contracts for employment and severance packages or settlements should be pretty straightforward, when disputes arise there is often a grey area that must be properly navigated in order to have the right outcome.

Landlord / Tenant Matters – Issues involving housing are another complex area of commercial and business litigation where an attorney is vital. Because of the fact that this involves one of the most intimate parts of an individual’s life – their home and dwelling – working with an attorney will ensure that the situation stays objective and unclouded by emotion. An attorney can be useful for both sides of a landlord and tenant dispute, especially when one party is not being cooperative.

Partition Matters – When a business property is co-owned by two or more parties, it is considered to be partitioned. Sometimes disputes arise between these parties which must be settled through mediation or even the court system. This is especially true when business partners separate ways and are not able to agree to mutual terms for splitting a piece of real estate.

Partnership / Business Dissolution – When a legal business entity owned by more than one party is split or dissolved, sorting out the legal aspects of asset ownership and responsibility for any debts and liabilities can be a messy ordeal. Oftentimes this turns into a serious legal dispute involving commercial litigation attorneys representing the involved parties.

Causes For Commercial Litigation

Partnership disputes – When two individuals are involved in a business relationship, disputes are bound to arise at some point. Sometimes these disputes are not able to be resolved between parties themselves and require outside involvement. When this occurs, working with an attorney is vital to ensure each partner’s business interests are protected.


Injury in the workplace – Unfortunately, in a business environment safety is not something that generates revenue. This can lead to shortcuts being taken when it comes to things such as providing adequate warning for danger zones, skipping equipment safety checks to save time and not giving personeel proper training to ensure they are able to perform their jobs safely.

Where We Serve Clients

The offices of Kelly & Kelly, P.C. is located in Northville, Michigan and serves the entire Detroit Metropolitan Area including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, in addition to other areas within the State of Michigan. Because of our wide geographic coverage, we have extensive experience and rapport with the various court systems across the state – which helps when arguing your case in front of a judge and ensuring you get the best outcome possible.