Business Torts & Fraud Litigation

Starrs Mihm LLP represents clients in complex business disputes with an emphasis on business tort and fraud litigation. While we also handle routine business litigation and contract disputes, our particular interest, expertise and experience is in pursuing those persons and their accomplices who engage in theft, fraud, equity stripping schemes, and breaches of fiduciary duty.

Business Tort and Fraud Litigation

We represent clients in business cases involving fraud, deception, theft, and minority owner oppression, business tort litigation practice includes the following types of cases:

  • Fraud and misrepresentation in the purchase, sale, or merger of businesses;
  • Theft and embezzlement;
  • Equity stripping schemes;
  • Breach of fiduciary duty and self-dealing by officers and directors, managers, and majority owners;
  • Aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty by lawyers, accountants, and others;
  • Minority owner squeeze-outs and freeze-outs;
  • Fraudulent transfers of corporate or debtor assets;
  • Theft of company trade secrets or other intellectual property by employees or others;
  • Lender liability; and
  • Unfair competition.

Click here to see examples of some of the commercial and business fraud cases that we have handled.

Contract Disputes

We routinely represent clients in a wide variety of breach of contract and other commercial disputes between businesses.

Corporate Governance Disputes

We represent individuals and businesses in disputes involving control of closely-held companies, including corporations and limited liability companies. Our corporate litigation practice includes the following types of cases:

  • Rights of minority shareholders of corporations;
  • Rights of minority members of limited liability companies;
  • Disputes concerning control of closely-held corporations and limited liability companies;
  • Oppression of minority owners of businesses by the majority owners, including "squeeze-out" or "freeze-out" of minority owners, and self-dealing and breaches of fiduciary duty by the majority owners;
  • Derivative claims and matters related to Special Litigation Committees; and
  • Family disputes.

Trade Secrets

We represent companies and individuals in disputes involving trade secrets and other confidential intellectual property issues.

Non-compete and non-disclosure agreements.

We represent businesses and individuals in disputes concerning non-compete or non-disclosure provisions in employment agreements.

Internal Investigations.

We represent companies and government agencies in confidential internal investigations involving issues such as contracting irregularities, financial improprieties, employee discrimination and harassment claims, illegal kickbacks, and other potential white-collar criminal matters.

Legal Malpractice.

We represent individuals and businesses in legal malpractice cases involving business matters. We are one of the few law firms that focuses on representing plaintiffs in legal malpractice lawsuits. 

We are among the most experienced legal malpractice lawyers in Colorado.  Both Elizabeth Starrs and Michael Mihm are listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of legal malpractice law.  U.S. News & World Report recently designated us as a Tier 1 firm in the fields of Legal Malpractice Law-Plaintiff and Legal Malpractice Law-Defendant; we are the only Colorado law firm to receive such a dual designation.  Click here for more information about our legal malpractice litigation practice.

Our Related Professional Activities.

Our lawyers are very active in bar associations related to commercial and business torts litigation. Michael Mihm and Elizabeth Hyatt are leaders within the Business Torts Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation. Mr. Mihm is formerly the Committee's program chair, Ms. Hyatt currently edits the Committee's website, and both have organized or participated as speakers in Committee programs.

Mr. Mihm is also a member of the Business Torts Litigation Committee of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Our Professional Support

We work with a select group of highly-qualified forensic accountants and fraud investigators to determine what happened and where the money went. We are often brought into on-going litigation to pursue lawyers or other professionals who may have facilitated the wrongdoing.

Contact us now for a confidential consultation about your business tort or fraud claim and how we can help you.