Shareholder & Business Owner Disputes
When a business relationship breaks down between owners, the stakes are rarely just financial — your livelihood, your reputation, and years of work are on the line. The Pickering Law Firm represents shareholders, minority owners, and closely-held businesses throughout the Kansas City metro in disputes that threaten the value and control of a business they built.
With over thirty years handling business and corporate disputes, we understand that no two ownership conflicts look alike. Whether you’re a minority shareholder being frozen out, a majority owner defending a management decision, or a business owner facing a deadlock with a partner, we build a strategy around your specific ownership structure, governing documents, and goals — not a standard playbook.
Areas We Handle
Minority Shareholder Oppression — Representing minority owners who are being denied information, excluded from decisions, or diluted out of the value they’re entitled to.
Corporate Freeze-Outs & Squeeze-Outs — Protecting owners being forced out of a business through improper votes, restructurings, or withheld distributions.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty — Pursuing or defending claims where an officer, director, or controlling shareholder has put personal interests ahead of the company’s or other owners’.
Shareholder Derivative Actions — Bringing or defending claims filed on behalf of the corporation against those who manage it.
Buy-Sell Agreement & Valuation Disputes — Resolving disagreements over buyout terms, triggering events, and the value of an ownership stake.
LLC & Partnership Member Disputes — Handling the same categories of conflict for member-managed and manager-managed LLCs and partnerships, not just traditional corporations.
Ownership Deadlock — Breaking gridlock between equal owners who can no longer agree on the direction of the business.
A Strategy Built Around Your Business
Every dispute starts with a close read of your governing documents — bylaws, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and buy-sell provisions — because those documents usually decide what leverage each side actually has. From there, we lay out every available path: negotiated resolution, mediation, or litigation, and are equally prepared to pursue any of them depending on what best protects your position.
Licensed Across the Kansas City Metro
Ownership disputes don’t stop at the state line, and neither do we. Based in Johnson County, Kansas, and licensed in both Kansas and Missouri, we represent business owners throughout the entire Kansas City metro area.
If you’re facing a dispute with a fellow shareholder, member, or partner, the earlier you get advice, the more options you have. Contact us to discuss your situation.