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Experienced Tulsa Business Litigation Team Working for You

Protecting businesses throughout Oklahoma

Since 1979, the Tulsa business attorneys at Eller & Detrich have demonstrated the highest level of professional skills in litigation and have consistently produced positive results for their clients. When partnerships sour, agreements are breached, your business transactions fail or government regulations interfere with your legal rights, we have developed the level of skill necessary to produce positive results for our clients. For our business clients, we have litigated issues such as:

  • Breach of contract
  • Construction defects
  • Employment law disputes
  • Insurance coverage and bad faith claims
  • Theft of trade secrets
  • Eminent domain matters

Our legal team at Eller & Detrich also seeks to provide our individual clients with the best possible results. We do this by providing skillful advocacy at trial and by advancing our clients’ interests in negotiations and appeals.

Firm pursues appropriate remedies in breach of contract cases

Business and commercial disputes are inevitable, but lawsuits can often be averted through effective advocacy. At Eller & Detrich, our business litigation attorneys work diligently to cure contract problems before they threaten your deal and your relationship with the other party. Often, a fresh look at a contract can uncover problems in the drafting that led to the current impasse. We can then provide creative solutions, such as renegotiation and reformation to update a contract, clarifying expectations of performance, and remove obstacles to performance.

When a damaging breach has occurred, we vigorously assert our clients’ rights under the terms of the agreement, pressing for appropriate remedies that can include:

  • Actual damages
  • Liquidated damages
  • Loss of profit
  • Injunctive relief
  • Restitution

In rare cases where a breaching party’s conduct has been willful and malicious, punitive damages might also be available.  If you have been accused of breaching a contract, we examine the agreement and the pertinent facts closely to minimize or eliminate your potential liability.

Attorneys work to resolve complaints over construction defects

Our litigation attorneys regularly handle complaints arising from alleged construction defects, which generally fall into two categories:

  • Breach of contract — If the defect is discovered before anyone is hurt, a property owner can assert a breach of contract claim against a contractor or subcontractor for substandard performance, asking for economic damages or specific performance to cure the breach.
  • Products liability — If a construction defect causes injury to a person, such as when a deck collapses, the injured parties can sue for the harm they have suffered. These types of construction defect cases are subject to Oklahoma’s construction statute of repose, which sets a time limit of 10 years from the date the project was substantially completed to the date of the injury event.

Our legal team provides robust litigation services for plaintiffs and defendants in a full range of construction defect cases.

Advocates litigate insurance coverage and bad faith claims

An insurance company has a contractual obligation to act in good faith when processing claims from policyholders. Still, good faith disagreements can arise over the issue of coverage under the terms of the policy and the facts of the claim. We represent insurers and policyholders in coverage disputes involving professional liability insurance, property insurance, workers’ compensation, products liability insurance, vehicle insurance and business interruption insurance.

Bad faith occurs when an insurer refuses to evaluate a legitimate claim in an honest, forthright, and timely manner. Under Oklahoma insurance law, refusing to deal fairly with a policyholder opens the insurer up to liability for compensatory damages, such as financial losses, embarrassment and loss of reputation, and emotional distress. We represent insurers and policyholders in bad faith litigation throughout Oklahoma.

Protecting your rights and reputation in trade secret theft cases

The misappropriation of trade secrets can devastate a business, and today’s technology makes that type of malfeasance easier than ever.  Whether the trade secret theft can be traced to a disgruntled former employee, a failed business merger, or some other factor, our firm can take decisive action on your behalf. Since damage can be swift and irreparable, companies must move quickly to secure legal protection in the form of injunctions or other types of relief against the use of pilfered trade secrets and proprietary intellectual property. We also seek appropriate damages under the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 and Oklahoma state law.

Conversely, some employees believe that overly restrictive nondisclosure agreements prevent them from using their personal knowledge and experience to earn a living. We also represent such employees who seek to protect their reputations and their freedom to work at their chosen profession.

Arbitration, mediation and alternatives to business litigation

In many cases, contract language will require the use of a specific alternative dispute resolution method instead of litigation. Our firm prepares for arbitration and mediation with the same determination we bring to the courtroom. Our attorneys can also serve as mediators or settlement facilitators for business or personal disputes, whether or not a lawsuit has been filed.

Class action lawsuits

Our business litigation team has the resources, knowledge and experience to handle class action lawsuits for you as a claimant or to vigorously defend your company against a class action lawsuit.

Lawyers handle workplace claims involving private and public employers

We represent municipalities and private businesses as well as their employees in a wide variety of cases pertaining to alleged workplace misconduct. Our lawyers handle cases involving city and police department liability, civil rights, race discrimination, religious discrimination, Section 1983 claims, sex discrimination, harassment, workers’ compensation retaliation, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Open Meetings Act, Open Records Act, wrongful garnishment, wrongful repossession, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Oklahoma oil and gas litigation

Our litigation team also represents oil and gas companies and landowners in such disputes relating to:

  • Surface and environmental damage
  • Royalty accounting
  • Easements and rights-of-way
  • Oil and gas leases
  • Contract interpretation
  • Breach of contract
  • Condemnation

Drawing on substantial experience with oil and gas rights litigation, we work diligently to deliver the best results possible for our clients.

Firm uses computer forensics and e-discovery to improve efficiency

Computers often contain significant evidence that can bolster your position in a civil lawsuit. We have found persuasive proof for our clients through diligent electronic discovery and forensic computer work. Our firm utilizes current technology and e-discovery practices to increase our ability to serve clients effectively.

Contact our reliable Tulsa business litigation team now for assistance

Learn more about winning strategies in Oklahoma civil, insurance, employment, real estate, class action, business and general litigation. Call Eller & Detrich at 918.747.8900 or toll free at 866.547.8900, or contact us online.

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