Nashville Business Litigation Attorney

Tennessee Litigation Lawyers

At Thompson Burton, our commercial and business litigation attorneys have broad experience in dispute resolution. We represent clients among all industries and are dedicated to keeping their best interest top-of-mind. Whether you’re a small business owner or CEO, we are available to represent you and help move your company forward.

Commercial Litigation Services

Our litigation lawyers at Thompson Burton are passionate about representing Tennessee professionals. If you need legal support to resolve a business-related issue, contact us. Our dedicated team has years of experience in commercial and business litigation regarding a variety of matters, such as:

Breach of contract cases
Real estate litigation
Construction litigation
Employment disputes
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) litigation
Business partnership issues
Fraudulent activity
Business malpractice

No matter how stable your business is, commercial disputes can severely disrupt your operations while costing you a lot of money. If you’re experiencing an issue, it is imperative that you take legal action as soon as possible to avoid risking a negative potential outcome

Contact Our Law Firm of Business Litigation

Have you been faced with a business dispute? If so, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will efficiently review your case and swiftly move the litigation process along.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Eviction Ban: What it Means for Tennessee Landlords

By Sarah Ferraro, August 31 2021

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The Supreme Court of the United States has struck down the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) ban on residential evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The eviction ban (sometimes called a “moratorium”) started back in March of 2020 when Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Congress voted to extend the moratorium once in January of 2021, but then let it expire by its own terms. The executive branch then took matters into its own hands. The CDC issued its own eviction ban, which it continued to extend well into 2021. The CDC’s ban applied to all residential tenancies, unlike the ban passed by Congress which was narrower because it only applied to properties that were supported by government funds (i.e. had a loan backed by Housing and Urban Development, or “HUD”). The CDC also imposed criminal penalties on landlords who violated its moratorium. According to documents filed […]

Coronavirus and Commercial Contracts

By Cole Dowsley, March 23 2020

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented amount of uncertainty in every business sector and industry around the world. Chances are that your business has contracts that have been or may be affected by the pandemic. Many questions from our clients concern whether the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a force majeure event and excuses performance under a contract. What is force majeure? Force Majeure – An Act of God. Force majeure, French for greater force, describes any event that is unexpected by all parties, not caused by any party, and affects the relationship between them, limits the ability of either to perform a duty, or requires one to intrude on a privilege of the other. Bouvier Law Dictionary Tennessee courts have defined an “Act of God” as follows: Any misadventure or casualty is said to be caused by “Act of God” when it happens by the direct, immediate and exclusive […]

Tennessee Court Strikes Down Non-Compete Agreement

By Cole Dowsley, August 31 2015

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In a recent decision, Julian Hinson d/b/a Trivia Time v. Thom O’Rourke, the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a trial court’s determination that a post-employment non-compete agreement was unenforceable. Defendant Thom O’Rourke was an independent contractor for plaintiff Trivia Time, an entertainment business providing live trivia games at bars and restaurants in Nashville. Defendant worked for plaintiff for approximately two years. As part of his employment, defendant signed a noncompetition agreement, independent contractor agreement and confidentiality agreement. The noncompete agreement prohibited defendant from “directly or indirectly conducting activity that is competitive with any of the activities [defendant] conducted for Trivia Time” for a period of three years from the date of termination. Upon terminating his association with plaintiff, defendant opened a competing business and provided services to prior clients of plaintiff. Plaintiff sent a cease and desist letter to defendant; however, defendant refused to stop competing with plaintiff. Plaintiff then filed suit for breach of contract and violation […]

Enforceability of Physician Non-Compete Agreements

By Cole Dowsley, April 1 2015

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I have previously written about the enforceability of non-compete agreements with respect to health care professionals. Non-compete agreements for these professionals implicate certain public policy concerns absent in other industries. Non-compete agreements for physicians and other health care providers pose the unique issue of balancing the interests of patients against a physician’s ability to practice medicine. In a recent case, Amsurg New Port Richey FL, Inc. v. Vangara, No. 2D14-2117, 2015 WL 894322 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App., Mar. 4, 2015), a Florida appellate court examined Tennessee law with respect to the enforceability of a physician non-compete agreement. In this case, Dr. Vangara entered into a joint venture agreement with AmSurg to own and operate a ambulatory surgery center. As part of the agreement, Dr. Vangara agreed to not have any ownership or financial interest in any other ambulatory surgery center or competing business. The agreement was governed by Tennessee law. AmSurg later learned that Dr. Vangara began operating his own competing ambulatory […]

Tennessee Creates Business Court in Nashville

By Cole Dowsley, March 16 2015

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Tennessee joins a growing number of states that have developed specialized courts exclusively for business related disputes. Tennessee has created a new Business Court in Nashville for complex business litigation. The new Business Court was created by the Tennessee Supreme Court as pilot program “to meet the litigation needs of existing and future businesses” in Tennessee. A copy of the Order establishing the Business Court can be found here. Cases eligible for the Business Court must involve at least $50,000 in controversy, or seek injunctive or declaratory relief, and: relate to the internal affairs of businesses (i.e., corporations, limited liability companies, general partnerships, limited liability partnerships, sole proprietorships, professional associations, real estate investment trusts, and joint ventures), including the rights or obligations between or among shareholders, partners, and members, or the liability or indemnity of officers, directors, managers, trustees or partners; involve claims of breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty or […]