How do I choose a business litigation attorney in California?

Verify the license in the State Bar of California's public records, then test fit: has the attorney handled disputes of your size and subject in the likely forum — superior court, a complex-litigation department, or arbitration — and will you get an early case assessment with a phase-by-phase budget in a written agreement under Business and Professions Code section 6148?

After confirming an active license and clean discipline record with the State Bar of California, evaluate fit against the dispute you actually have — a two-member LLC falling-out, a supply contract breach, and a trade secret case are different crafts. Ask for an early case assessment: the realistic claims and defenses, a candid damages range, and the projected cost of getting there, phase by phase, with decision points where you can reassess. Probe forum fluency — county superior court, complex-litigation departments, and AAA or JAMS arbitration run differently — and ask who staffs the work at what rates. Since most commercial cases settle, ask how the attorney approaches mediation and when. Confirm there is no conflict with the opposing parties, and get the engagement in writing: Business and Professions Code section 6148 requires a written agreement stating rates and billing practices for most matters over $1,000. An attorney who quantifies risk in the first meeting is showing you the analysis you are buying.

Authority: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6148