What Is the Difference Between Business Litigation and Civil Litigation?

When facing a legal dispute, you quickly find that there is a lot to learn about relevant laws and how cases are handled throughout the different stages of the legal process, often resulting in litigation in court. This begs the question: what even is litigation? What’s more is that you can face these types of legal issues whether you’re a business or just a normal person. So, what is the difference between business litigation and civil litigation?

To put it simply, litigation refers to the process of going to court to resolve a legal dispute. It is one of many avenues you may be able to use if you’re involved in a case. Business litigation is simply a type of civil litigation focusing specifically on legal disputes between businesses and their consumers, employees, operators, partners, and shareholders.

What Is Civil Litigation?

Civil litigation encompasses legal disputes that arise between businesses, individuals, and organizations. It’s important to note that civil law covers all non-criminal disputes and usually involves one party seeking monetary damages and other remedies from another party. Common examples of cases that can result in civil litigation include:

• Breaches of contract
• Landlord/tenant issues
• Personal injury claims
• Property disputes
• White collar crimes
• Wrongful deaths

Examples of Business Litigation

Since business litigation is a subcategory of civil litigation, these types of cases can involve many of the same issues. The main difference is that the crime takes place between businesses or between businesses and the people with whom they associate.

For this reason, the legal procedures for these types of cases are similar to a standard civil case, but they often involve more complicated discovery periods and more motion practice to delay trials. It can be highly beneficial to hire a business litigation attorney to help keep things on track in these more complicated cases.

Common examples of business litigation cases include:

• Antitrust actions
• Breaches of contract
• Breaches of fiduciary duty
• Business torts
• Class actions
• Construction cases
• Fraud cases
• Product liability claims
• Shareholder disputes
• Trade secret crimes

Regardless of the details of your case, it can be invaluable to have a litigation attorney on your side. While you can hire a regular civil litigation attorney to handle a business legal dispute, it’s wise to seek out legal professionals with business litigation experience. That way, you can be sure you’re working with someone who has proven success in this area.

When you choose Engels-Janzen as your legal representation, you can have peace of mind knowing you’re working with a skilled team that has decades of combined experience in civil defense, litigation, and the rest of the legal process. We’re ready to put our skills to work for you.

FAQs

What Types of Cases Are Handled Through Civil Litigation?

Civil litigation can be a legal avenue to resolve non-criminal cases involving individuals and organizations alike. Common types of cases that can be handled through civil litigation include breaches of contract, equitable claims, family law cases, landlord and tenant issues, personal injury cases, torts, white collar crimes, and wrongful death cases.

Is Litigation the Only Solution for Non-Criminal Disputes?

Litigation is the process of going to court to settle a legal dispute. Civil disputes can be resolved through litigation, but it’s not the only avenue you can try. Non-criminal cases can also be resolved through negotiations with the other party. Your attorney can help you try to reach an agreement. You can also try arbitration or mediation, which brings a neutral third party into the mix to help make a decision.

Is a Litigator the Same as an Attorney?

Litigators and attorneys have similar jobs, but they are not exactly the same. A litigator deals specifically with litigation. Litigation is the process of taking a legal case to court. Before that step, it’s possible to settle civil cases through arbitration, mediation, and negotiations.

Any practicing attorney, including a litigator, can help with that part of the process. A litigator also has trial experience to see a case all the way through to the end if it goes to court.

Do I Need to Hire a Business Litigation Attorney?

You’re not required to work with a litigator or even a basic attorney while navigating a civil dispute. That said, it can be very challenging to represent yourself in these types of cases, especially if you end up going to court. A business litigation attorney can help you navigate through every stage of the process and represent you if the case goes to trial.

Consult With a California Litigation Attorney to Discuss Your Case in More Detail

Navigating litigation for any matter can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to do everything on your own. The good news is that’s not your only option. In fact, it’s recommended to consult with a business litigation attorney, so you can rest assured you’re doing everything correctly. Our team at Engels-Janzen has years of experience handling all types of non-criminal disputes.

Attorney Christopher Engels grew up in Orange County and has decades of experience navigating complex cases. He was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2022 and has earned the trust of countless California residents over his years of service.

Attorney Sean Janzen is an experienced civil litigator with experience working in the California State Superior Court and the United States Federal Central District Court of California. With experience in civil defense, he understands both sides of the civil legal process and can use that knowledge to help you build a strong case.

Attorney Don Bushell is based in Washington but obtained his license to practice law in California and Arizona, too. He’s licensed to work in the California State Superior Court and the United States Federal Central District Court of California.

Now that you know a bit more about our team, we’d like to know more about you and your situation. If you’re ready to discuss your case with a litigation attorney, contact us to set up an appointment right away.