Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“Hi. Today we’re sitting with Michael Campbell, an attorney in Tacoma, Washington. And we’re going to talk about business disputes. It’s a niche area within the practice of law. However, for small businesses, medium sized businesses and the consumers that do business with, those that do business with those businesses, it is an important concept of law to resolve any issues that may arise in the operation of that business.
So, Michael, let’s get right into it. So, in our discussion, prior to our conversation here, you mentioned that you represent businesses, of course… of defending against the public, and you also represent the public as in the litigation against a business. So, that’s a completely different approach. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about how that differs for you and your approach to their cases?”
Michael Campbell – Business Dispute Attorney – Pierce County, WA
“Now, what usually differs is that they come up differently. Sometimes the disputes are over things that are not necessarily monetary…property lines and things like that. But more often, more often, the disputes, more often, the disputes are monetary, and they’re businesses trying to collect a bill, or they’re…in fact, that’s the common way that these disputes come up. I’m on one side or the other of the bill collectors. But I’m not usually collecting the bills.
Usually when I’m involved in a dispute, representing a business, I’m involved with other businesses, I’m involved with, talking between two businesses. Usually, mediation is the way to go. Because once you’ve discovered what all the facts are, and that’s the first problem, finding out what just what the facts really are in the case, then the question is, are there any contractual relationships between the parties? Usually there are.
And so, it becomes… becomes a contractual resolution. But sometimes they’re not. And so, then you go to the law. Well, what does the law say? And if one party or another is violating the law, you need to make sure that that party knows it and is willing to settle within the bounds of the law.
Ahh…Very few cases ever really come to trial. Most of them settle. Some of them after a lawsuit has been filed, but many of them long before a lawsuit has even been filed. When I’m representing consumers, it’s usually of trying to settle bills, it’s usually a business saying, you owe me money. And the consumer says, no, I don’t owe you the money. Or yeah, I owe you the money, but I can’t pay it.”
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