NJ & NY Business Litigation Attorneys
Representing New Jersey and New York businesses
We serve New York and New Jersey businesses facing a variety of legal issues. Our business litigation attorneys have all previously practiced at large, prestigious law firms in New York and New Jersey before joining The Salvo Law Firm, P.C. We are, therefore, able to provide you with highly effective legal services, without the huge price tag.
The firm’s founding partner, Cindy D. Salvo, has a masters’ degree in psychology in addition to her law degree. This has made her a strong negotiator — skilled at resolving disputes in favor of her clients. Ms. Salvo was also a business owner for many years before becoming an attorney. She, therefore, has a unique understanding of the needs and problems of running a small to mid-sized business.
We handle a variety of business litigation matters, including contract disputes, business torts, employment litigation, non-compete agreements, unfair competition, intellectual property/trademark litigation, professional malpractice, and appellate matters.
Contract Disputes
If you are a small to mid-sized company faced with a contract dispute, you are likely concerned with how this legal issue will impact your time and your company’s bottom line. The attorneys at the Salvo Law Firm are highly experienced and creative. We will work directly with businesses to explore all possible options for resolving contract disputes. If litigation proves necessary, we will aggressively represent your interests. If you are a company that needs to enforce a contract against another party, or if you were sued for allegedly breaching a contract, contact us to help.
Business Torts
Businesses can suffer losses due to the action or inaction of others. You may need an experienced attorney to litigate on your company’s behalf to right the wrongs done to your business. Other times, a company may need vigorous defense when faced with a lawsuit. Common business tort disputes include unfair competition, false advertising, shareholder disputes, tortious interference with your company’s business relationships, breach of employee non-disclosure agreements, breach of non-competition agreements, and breach of restrictive covenants. If you are a company that faces a lawsuit or needs to aggressively enforce your rights, contact The Salvo Law Firm, P.C.
Employment Litigation
We represent both employers and employees who are faced with legal disputes in the workplace.
Non-Compete Agreements
Employers in competitive areas of business will often draft non-compete agreements in order to protect the progress and success they have worked so hard to achieve. When employers face previous employees who breach non-compete agreements, their whole business is at risk. A covenant to not compete is often contained in an employee’s employment agreement and describes what the employee can and cannot do once he or she leaves the job or terminated. Whether or not a restrictive covenant is enforceable depends on many factors, including:
- The covenant must be designed to protect the “legitimate business interests” of the employer. Protecting the time and money invested in building the business is a “legitimate” interest. Therefore, the employee ordinarily may not take his/her employer’s customer lists and trade secrets to start a competing business.
- The covenant must be “reasonable” – both geographically and time-wise. That is, a covenant that would restrict a former employee from ever starting a competing business would likely not be enforceable. Similarly, a covenant that prohibits the former employee from starting a competing business anywhere in the state would probably not be enforceable. However, a covenant which said the former employee could not start a competing business for two years and anywhere within 10 miles of his/her former employer is a covenant that a court most likely would find reasonable and enforceable.
- Interests of the public – a court will look at a restrictive covenant to see if it will impose a hardship on the community if it is enforced. For example, if the former employee provides specific medical services, the court will look and see if a restrictive covenant would leave a community without those particular services or with a critical shortage of those services.
Unfair Competition
Some companies try to gain an advantage over their competitors by engaging in unfair business practices. These unlawful practices include false advertising, the selling of counterfeit goods, and the misappropriation of trade secrets. If another business tries to sabotage your success through what you believe are unfair and unlawful means, you may be able to hold them accountable for their actions. We can seek an immediate injunction to stop these unfair business practices and bring litigation to recover any damages your business may have suffered. In appropriate circumstances, we can seek punitive damages as well. If you are a company that needs to stop another from usurping your hard-earned competitive advantages or if you have been falsely accused of doing this to another business, contact The Salvo Law Firm, P.C. today.
Intellectual Property/Trademark Litigation
Much of our intellectual property practice involves the prosecution or defense of trademark or copyright infringement claims. Your intellectual property or trademark can be integral to your success and when another business steals your ideas, it puts your business at risk. We have represented a variety of clients from musicians to your local pizza parlor. If you have a trademark or service mark that you believe is being infringed upon or need to defend your trademark against cancellation, contact The Salvo Law Firm, P.C.
Professional Malpractice
When an attorney acts with negligence when handling your case and you are damaged as a result, you may have a claim against the firm for legal malpractice. If you feel your lawyer did not properly represent you in your case, resulting in damages, contact The Salvo Law Firm, P.C. to represent you and hold the negligent firm accountable for their actions.
Appellate Practice
When a judge hears your case and makes an ultimate disposition, you have two choices. Either you accept the judgment or you may be able to appeal it to a higher court. Appellate practice requires finesse and strategy. Not all cases are appropriate for appeal. At The Salvo Law Firm, our attorneys have appeared in state and federal appellate courts in a wide variety of cases and have achieved terrific results for our clients. If you are unhappy with the results of your case and are contemplating appealing the judgment, contact The Salvo Law Firm, P.C. Remember, you must act quickly due to a quickly expiring statues of limitations!