Hardly anyone chooses to become embroiled in litigation – especially a nonprofit organization and its employees whose time is best spent focused on their mission. Lawsuits are often time-consuming, costly, and stressful. Yet sometimes they are unavoidable and necessary to protect important rights and interests of your nonprofit. And it is in those times that informed, diligent and thoughtful legal guidance is crucial.
Our law firm has been vigorously representing nonprofit corporations in a wide range of litigation since 1988. We strive to achieve successful and efficient outcomes by aggressively pursuing our clients’ claims and zealously defending them against the claims of others. We understand the unique legal environment in which nonprofits operate. The legal issues that may confront your nonprofit with the decision to file a lawsuit – or require it to defend one — are varied and frequently complex, and may include:
- Corporate governance issues
- Regulatory enforcement by state or local authorities
- Disputes with vendors regarding their goods and services
- Breach of contract situations
- Financial management disputes
- Zoning and real estate concerns
- Employment disputes
- Discrimination and ADA issues
- Breach of fiduciary duty claims
- Insurance claims
- Personal injury lawsuits
- Intellectual property issues
- Third-party or government agency subpoenas
- Officer and Director liability claims
- Trade secrets and restrictive covenants litigation
- False advertising and other marketing claims
- Class Action litigation
- Defamation claims
- Consumer fraud claims
- Franchise litigation
Our litigation attorneys work closely with our nonprofit clients to determine promptly whether litigation is truly necessary, or whether there are other, more favorable options for resolving their disputes. If a lawsuit is appropriate, we immediately analyze when it must be filed in order to safely comply with any statute of limitation or other deadline that may be applicable. We comprehensively assess all of the facts and legal issues unique to each case, and work with each client to understand all of their specific objectives. We continually evaluate the best way to manage and deploy our clients’ resources and our own. And we stay focused on pursuing a cost-effective strategy geared towards attaining a successful outcome.
We have extensive experience in various forums — state and federal court, arbitration, mediation, and government agencies – and with a wide range of proceedings, including emergent applications, actions seeking injunctive relief, as well as traditional litigation. While we always strive to achieve a prompt settlement that successfully accomplishes our clients’ goals, our litigators will be prepared to argue their case at trial if an earlier resolution is not possible.
If your nonprofit organization has been sued or threatened with a lawsuit or other adverse proceeding – or if it is considering whether to pursue any legal claims of its own – we invite you to email Mary Wynn Seiter (mwseiter@lawnj.com), John Middleton (jmiddleton@lawnj.com) or Cheryl Siegel (csiegel@lawnj.com) or phone us at 201-612-5200 to discuss how BFC may assist you.