Civil Litigation

Unlike criminal litigation, that involves defending the individual against alleged crimes committed against society, civil litigation focuses on righting wrongs that occur between individuals through the use of lawsuits. At the Law Offices of Dennis E. Cuomo, our attorneys provide effective representation for plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases through alternative dispute resolution such as negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or through trial. After a thorough review and evaluation of your case, we determine what course of action will be most effective in obtaining favorable results in a timely manner.

Our law firm focuses our civil litigation practice in a number of specific categories:

Real Estate

Real estate law covers a broad spectrum of legal areas, and a variety of disputes often arise involving real estate. Some disputes revolve around the use of property, such as disputes over easements, trespassing, encroachments, title and boundaries as well as eminent domain matters. If sales agreements are unclear, or activities of a real estate broker are in question, or perhaps escrow is not handled properly in a real estate closing, an attorney may be needed to resolve the matter through a settlement or courtroom litigation.

Builder disputes that involve disagreements over construction defects or construction liens are other areas in which our attorneys represent clients.

Regardless of the type of dispute, you need legal representation to explain your options, protect your rights and resolve your dispute quickly.

Contracts

A contract is a legally binding agreement between individuals, businesses, organizations or government agencies. The essence of a contract is a promise to deliver a product or service in return for something of value.

Most contract disputes occur because of a poorly written or ambiguous contract, an invalid contract, and a breach of contract or fraud. When a party fails to meet the obligations of a contract, unless there is a legally valid reason for the failure, then the party has breached the contract.

An attorney skilled in contract law can assist you in determining your responsibility regarding a contract, inform you of your rights and protect your interests.

Employment Disputes

The area of employment is subject to both state and federal laws, and under both jurisdictions, employees are granted certain rights and protections. Even so, there are numerous issues regarding employment that may come into dispute, over issues such as wages and hours, termination, workers compensation, unemployment compensation, employer liability, sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

Discrimination alone is a broad area that encompasses many different types of discrimination, such as discrimination based on race, religion, nationality, sex, age, AIDS/HIV and disability, to name a few.

Employees who have reported violations of employment law to the authorities are protected against employer retaliation. As an employee, you may bring suit against the employer and seek relief, such as an injunction against further retaliation, lost wages, job reinstatement or other compensation for related damages.

At the Law Offices of Dennis E. Cuomo, our attorneys will explain your rights under the law, advise the most effective legal action and provide you with competent representation.

Fraud

Civil litigation for fraud is a lawsuit or legal action that is aimed at recovering money and damages as the result of a scheme or deception that was knowingly perpetrated to obtain money or property illegally. There are many types of fraud, and some categories are based on the communication medium that is used in committing the fraud, such as mail, wire, phone or Internet fraud. Other references to fraud relate to the industry involved, such as healthcare, insurance, banking, securities, social security, real estate or credit card fraud.

Contract fraud would be false pretenses drafted into the contract, such as contract terms that are not based in fact, or deception in meeting the obligations of a contract.

The Law Offices of Dennis E. Cuomo offers legal advice and representation in civil suits for a variety of fraud cases.

Conversion Disputes

Conversion involves civil theft and often refers to a situation where an employee, officer or executive of a company steals corporate property, for example, by misappropriating company assets. Disputes can arise as to whether conversion actually occurred. Our attorneys represent both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation to resolve conversion disputes.

Breach of Fiduciary Duty

A fiduciary duty is an obligation to act in the best interests of another party. A trustee has an obligation to act in the interests of beneficiaries. A board member of a corporation has a duty to represent shareholders fairly, and an attorney or CPA is obligated to serve his clients. Two business partners have fiduciary duties to act in favor of their business.

A failure to uphold a fiduciary duty it is referred to as a breach of fiduciary duty.

You deserve to be compensated and to recover damages if you have been the victim of a fiduciary breach of duty. The Law Offices of Dennis E. Cuomo effectively represents clients in cases involving breaches of fiduciary duty in claims against shareholders, estate administrators, trustees, guardians and other professionals.

Throughout the years, we have successfully represented numerous clients in civil litigation cases. If you have concerns regarding a matter involving civil litigation, please phone us at 410-675-7900 or contact us directly online to arrange a consultation.