Commercial Litigation Update

Restrictive covenants entered in connection with the sale of a business occupy a different place than ordinary employment noncompetes. In a sale transaction, the buyer is not simply trying to limit a former employee’s next job. The buyer is paying for goodwill, customer relationships, confidential information, and the seller’s promise not to immediately undermine the value of what was sold.

When a key business relationship shows signs of financial distress, your next move could protect you—or cost you.

Key Takeaways

• Early Action Is Everything: Whether you're owed money or need a supplier to survive, proactive conversations with legal and financial advisors dramatically expand your options before problems become crises.
• Know Your Toolkit: From security interests and guarantees to debtor-in-possession financing and critical vendor programs, knowing which tools apply and when depends entirely on whether a distressed party is pre-bankruptcy or already in a proceeding.
• Legal Strategy Can Only Take You So Far: Deciding whether to keep doing business, renegotiate terms, extend credit, or walk away entirely comes down to business judgment and open communication with your counterparty—no legal strategy can replace either.

In this episode of Speaking of Litigation, Epstein Becker Green attorneys Ryan Cochran, Wendy Marcari, and Bob Mendes discuss strategies healthy companies can implement when they find themselves doing business with a financially distressed or insolvent partner—whether that's a slow-paying customer, a critical supplier, or a struggling tenant.

New episode of our video podcast, Speaking of Litigation: Courtroom dramas make for great entertainment, but how much of what we see on screen reflects the reality of litigation?

In this episode of Speaking of Litigation, we analyze iconic scenes from Succession, The Good Wife, Bridge of Spies, and more to uncover the truths—and myths—about the legal process.

Join Epstein Becker Green attorneys Sierra Hennessy, Aime Dempsey, and Adam Paine as they separate Hollywood fiction from legal reality, offering practical insights for anyone navigating the litigation process.

New episode of our video podcast, Speaking of Litigation: When a merger or acquisition closes, many executives assume the legal work is over.

But as this episode of Speaking of Litigation reveals, signing on the dotted line may be just the beginning.

Avoid post-closing litigation with these issues in focus:

• Earnout Disputes: Learn how a buyer’s actions can intentionally or unintentionally depress earnings, leading to legal battles over unpaid contingent payments.
• Indemnification Risks: Understand why a buyer’s “safety net” can become a legal landmine for sellers, especially when ambiguous deal language is involved.
• Regulatory Surprises: Discover the unforeseen challenges that arise when government investigations begin after a deal closes, forcing buyers and sellers to confront liability for past conduct.

Epstein Becker Green attorneys Jim Flynn, Bob Travisano, and Daniella Lee discuss how to spot the red flags in a deal, the main legal triggers of post-merger disputes, and, most importantly, how to protect your business—whether you’re the buyer or the seller.

New episode of our video podcast, Speaking of Litigation: Early decisions in high-stakes litigation can shape both the courtroom and public narratives, yet critical first-move strategies are underutilized.

Why It Matters

• Setting the Tone Early: Find out how pre-litigation discovery builds compelling, evidence-backed cases.

• Controlling the Narrative: Learn how preemptive filings can influence not only legal outcomes but also public opinion.

• Detailed Insights on Strategy: Gain valuable advice on making critical first moves that can define the trajectory of your case.

Don’t miss Epstein Becker Green attorneys Sierra Hennessy, David Clark, and Alex Barnard as they explore the benefits, risks, and nuances of these advanced legal strategies.

This episode of Speaking of Litigation is packed with actionable insights for general counsel and legal professionals navigating complex litigation and provides real-time examples from high-profile disputes, including Blake Lively’s and Justin Baldoni’s cases.

New episode of our video podcast, Speaking of Litigation: What if the key to navigating your most complex legal challenges lies in the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Join Epstein Becker Green attorneys Alkida Kacani and Christopher Farella as they sit down with Jonathan Murphy, Senior Manager of Forensics at BDO, to examine how AI is revolutionizing the practice of law.

Discover how advanced technologies are refining e-discovery, optimizing predictive analytics, and transforming document review processes. The discussion also takes a deep look into the ethical considerations of integrating AI into legal work, from safeguarding sensitive information to maintaining professional standards in a highly dynamic field.

We are pleased to present Commercial Litigation Update, the newest blog from law firm Epstein Becker Green (EBG), which will offer engaging content about emerging trends and important developments in commercial and business litigation.

Commercial Litigation Update will feature thought leadership from EBG litigation attorneys and provide insightful and practical commentary and analysis on a wide range of timely litigation issues that affect businesses. Areas of interest will include trends and developments in antitrust, contract, defamation and product disparagement ...