There is a version of every business dispute in which the parties are right to fight. The other side is wrong. The contract is clear. The facts are unambiguous. Legal counsel is confident. The case should go to trial.
And sometimes it does. And sometimes the right party wins.
But after nearly three decades of watching business disputes move through the system — first as a transactional attorney and now as a mediator — what I know is this: the cost of being right is often higher than anyone budgeted for. And the cost of the dispute dragging on is almost always higher than anyone anticipated.
The Visible Costs
Most business owners know the visible costs of commercial litigation. Attorney fees. Expert witnesses. Depositions. Court filing fees. The time their own people spend being deposed, gathering documents, and sitting in meetings with counsel.
Those numbers are significant. A straightforward commercial dispute in Texas that goes to trial can cost each side $250,000 to $600,000 or more in direct legal fees over a two-to-four-year timeline. Complex matters — partnership dissolutions, business valuations, multi-party commercial real estate disputes — can run considerably higher.
85% of commercial cases that enter mediation resolve without proceeding to trial — typically in a single day, at a fraction of the cost of continued litigation.
But those are the costs that show up on invoices. The costs that are harder to quantify are often
Mediation inquiries are welcomed by phone or email. Sessions are available in-person in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and virtually.
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