Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Merrick & Vane’s litigation group represents businesses, financial institutions, and individuals in high-stakes commercial disputes, from pre-suit negotiation through trial and, where necessary, appeal. The group’s docket spans breach-of-contract and business-tort claims, shareholder and partnership disputes, trade secret and unfair competition litigation, and regulatory investigations, in both state and federal court.

The group’s approach is deliberately trial-first: every matter is staffed and prepared as though it will be tried, which shapes discovery strategy and settlement posture from the outset rather than treating trial readiness as a late-stage scramble. That posture has produced favorable pretrial resolutions in the substantial majority of the group’s matters, and a trial record the firm is prepared to put in front of any client considering counsel.

When litigation does reach trial or appeal, the group draws on decades of combined first-chair experience across bench and jury trials, arbitration panels, and state and federal appellate courts.

“We prepare every matter as though it will be tried — because the cases that settle well are the ones the other side believes we're ready to try.”

What We Handle

Commercial and contract disputes
Shareholder and partnership disputes
Regulatory investigations and enforcement defense
Class action defense
Appellate practice

Who Handles This

Attorneys in this practice group

Margaret Ives Chen

Associate, Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Employment & Labor · Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Charles A. Merrick Jr.

Founding Partner, Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Track Record

Related notable matters

Litigation & Dispute Resolution 2023

Shareholder Dispute Resolution for a Family-Owned Distribution Company

Resolved a multi-year shareholder dispute among the principals of a family-owned distribution company through mediated buyout, avoiding a trial that risked the company's operations.

Intellectual Property 2023

Trade Secret Litigation Defense for a Consumer Products Manufacturer

Defended a consumer products manufacturer against trade secret misappropriation claims brought by a former supplier, obtaining summary judgment before trial.

How We Help

Litigation & Dispute Resolution across every industry we serve

Technology

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Real Estate & Hospitality

Financial Services

Nonprofit & Education

Family-Owned Business

Litigation

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How a practice area applies to an industry

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Full Practice Area by Industry Reference

Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Technology: Defends and pursues technology companies in trade-secret, licensing, and platform-liability disputes, from pre-suit negotiation through trial and appeal.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Healthcare: Represents hospital systems and physician groups in payer disputes, credentialing challenges, and regulatory enforcement actions.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Manufacturing: Handles product-liability, supply-chain breach, and warranty disputes for manufacturers, including multidistrict and class-action defense.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Real Estate & Hospitality: Litigates lease disputes, construction-defect claims, and easement and boundary disputes for developers, owners, and hospitality operators.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Financial Services: Defends banks, lenders, and asset managers in regulatory examinations, consumer-finance class actions, and lender-liability claims.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Nonprofit & Education: Represents universities and nonprofit boards in governance disputes, Title IX proceedings, and donor-intent litigation.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution × Family-Owned Business: Resolves shareholder and partnership disputes, buy-sell disagreements, and succession conflicts before they fracture a family enterprise.