The chances are good that you’ve heard the story of Bernie Madoff. The once-storied investment manager enjoyed a illustrious career on Wall Street, serving as the chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange for a time before his arrest in December 2008 for operating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Collectively, Madoff’s victims lost nearly $20 million and he is serving a 150-year prison term.
Stories like Madoff’s are on the extreme end of the spectrum, but it’s illustrates the need for good representation in court, particularly when it comes to companies, regulation and complex commercial litigation.
In the 2014 fiscal year, the SEC filed a record 755 enforcement actions covering a wide range of misconduct and obtained orders totaling $4.16 billion in disgorgement and penalties, according to preliminary figures.
In the 2013 fiscal year, the SEC filed 686 enforcement actions and obtained orders totaling $3.4 billion in disgorgement and penalties. In 2012, the SEC filed 734 actions and obtained orders totaling $3.1 billion in disgorgement and penalties.
As time goes on, it seems more and more companies are drawing the ire of the SEC for bad business practices or shady finances. In 2014, there were 1,639 securities and commodities fraud cases pending and 633 corporate fraud cases pending.
With so much at stake, hiring the right litigation attorneys to help protect your business in court. Here are four ways litigation attorneys can help:
- Putting you at ease: Hiring a litigation attorney assures you that you’ve got some knowledgeable and experienced in your corner. Having the right litigation attorneys can put you at ease and put you in a better spot for your case to be successful, especially in cases of complex commercial litigation. The last thing you want is to leave court wondering why you didn’t hire an attorney.
- Saving money: Hiring an attorney or lawyer costs money, whether you’re looking for personal injury lawyers, a securities fraud attorney or an estate planning attorney. Most of them don’t come cheap, but hiring the right litigation attorneys could ultimately save money by doing the job the right away. By not hiring an attorney you run the risk of bigger fines or penalty fees.
- Bettering the odds: The whole point of a lawsuit is to win. If you feel you’re been wronged and you take a case to court, you want to win. With the right litigation lawyer, your odds of winning are better. Litigation attorneys can expertly navigate paper work, dealing with court officials and they know what needs to be done if problems arise.
- Figuring It All Out: Approximately 90 percent of all Chapter 11 debtors have less than $10 million in assets or liabilities, less than $10 million in annual revenues and 50 or fewer employees. In addition, the percentage of civil cases that actually reach trial in federal courts is estimated to be about one percent. If your company is having financial troubles or is facing a lawsuit and wants to avoid a lengthy legal battle that may result, attorneys can help with any complex commercial litigation.
If you’re searching for litigation attorneys or need help with complex commercial litigation, Avvo and Super Lawyers can help you find the right person or people to help. Litigation attorneys can assist in real estate disputes, personal injury litigation, contract disputes and commercial disputes.