CIVIL LAW

Civil disputes can affect finances, property, businesses, reputations, and long-term relationships. THE LAW DAWC represents clients in a range of civil matters, from early dispute resolution and demand letters through discovery, mediation, hearings, and trial when necessary. Our goal is to identify the legal and practical issues early, protect the client’s position, and pursue a strategy tailored to the dispute.

Bad Faith:

Bad-faith litigation can arise when a party with a legal or contractual duty acts unreasonably, dishonestly, or without a proper basis in handling an obligation. In Oklahoma, one of the most recognized forms of bad-faith litigation involves an insurer's duty to deal fairly and act in good faith toward its insured. We evaluate the facts, the governing contract or policy, the communications between the parties, and the damages caused by the alleged misconduct.

· Insurance bad-faith claims involving an insurer’s handling, investigation, delay, denial, or payment of a covered claim

· Analysis of the underlying insurance policy, coverage issues, exclusions, and claim history

· Review of claim files, correspondence, adjuster communications, expert reports, and supporting documentation

· Claims involving unreasonable delay, inadequate investigation, or an allegedly unsupported denial of benefits

· Disputes concerning valuation, payment, settlement practices, or the handling of an insured’s claim

· Damages analysis, including contractual losses and other damages potentially available under applicable law

· Pre-suit investigation, demand preparation, negotiation, mediation, and litigation

· Defense of bad-faith allegations when representing businesses or other parties accused of improper conduct

· Coordination of bad-faith claims with related breach-of-contract or coverage disputes

Breach of Contract:

Contracts create enforceable obligations between individuals and businesses. When one party fails to perform, refuses to pay, violates a material term, or otherwise fails to honor the agreement, litigation may be necessary to protect the other party’s rights. We represent clients in both prosecuting and defending contract claims.

· Failure to pay for goods, services, labor, or completed work

· Failure to perform contractual obligations

· Disputes over the meaning, scope, or enforceability of contract terms

· Written and oral agreement disputes when legally enforceable

· Business, service, vendor, contractor, and commercial contract disputes

· Claims involving termination, cancellation, default, or nonperformance

· Damages arising from an alleged breach

· Contract defenses, counterclaims, and affirmative defenses

· Pre-suit demands, settlement negotiations, mediation, and trial preparation

Business Disputes:

Business disputes can threaten revenue, ownership interests, customer relationships, and day-to-day operations. We represent companies, owners, members, partners, and other parties in civil disputes involving business relationships and commercial obligations.

· Disputes between business owners, members, shareholders, or partners

· Ownership, management, voting, and control disputes

· Breach of fiduciary duty and duty-of-loyalty allegations where applicable

· Contract and payment disputes between businesses

· Vendor, supplier, customer, and service-provider disputes

· Disputes involving business assets, equipment, money, or company property

· Claims involving representations, financial obligations, or failed business transactions

· Buyout, separation, dissolution, and winding-up disputes

· Pre-litigation strategy, negotiation, mediation, discovery, hearings, and trial

Property & Land Disputes:

Property disputes often involve valuable assets, long-standing ownership questions, boundary concerns, access rights, or competing claims to land. We assist clients in evaluating title documents, deeds, surveys, agreements, and the factual history surrounding the property.

· Boundary-line and survey disputes

· Ownership and title disputes

· Quiet-title actions and competing claims to real property

· Easement, access, and right-of-way disputes

· Encroachment and use-of-property disputes

· Property damage and interference claims

· Disputes involving deeds, transfers, leases, or ownership interests

· Neighbor and adjoining-landowner disputes involving legal rights to property

· Pre-suit investigation, settlement negotiations, mediation, and litigation

Construction & Contractor Disputes:

Construction disputes can involve homeowners, contractors, subcontractors, developers, suppliers, and property owners. These cases often require careful review of contracts, payment records, change orders, project communications, workmanship allegations, and applicable lien rights.

· Construction-contract and contractor disputes

· Nonpayment and payment disputes

· Defective-workmanship and incomplete-work claims

· Delay, abandonment, and project-completion disputes

· Change-order and scope-of-work disagreements

· Contractor, subcontractor, supplier, and property-owner claims

· Mechanic’s and materialman’s lien issues when applicable

· Disputes involving estimates, invoices, warranties, and project documentation

· Pre-suit demands, negotiations, mediation, discovery, and trial

Cease & Desist / Demand Letters:

Not every civil dispute needs to begin with a lawsuit. A carefully prepared cease-and-desist or demand letter can define the problem, preserve a client’s position, request specific action, and create a record of efforts to resolve the matter before litigation.

· Cease-and-desist letters addressing ongoing conduct or interference

· Payment and breach-of-contract demands

· Demands for return of property, records, funds, or other assets

· Business-dispute and ownership-dispute demands

· Property, construction, and contractor-related demands

· Requests to cure contractual defaults or stop alleged violations

· Responses to cease-and-desist or demand letters received from another party

· Negotiation of resolutions before a lawsuit is filed

· Preservation of claims, defenses, documentation, and communications for potential litigation

When a civil dispute develops, the decisions made before a lawsuit is filed can be just as important as the arguments made in court. Early legal analysis can help preserve evidence, clarify contractual rights, prevent avoidable mistakes, and create leverage for resolution. When litigation is necessary, we are prepared to move the case forward with a focused strategy.

Don’t See Your Case Type Listed?

Not every legal matter fits neatly into one category—and you should not have to figure out where to turn on your own.

If your legal issue is not listed among our primary practice areas, we still encourage you to contact The Law Dawc. Our firm works with a network of collaborating attorneys in additional areas of law, allowing us to help connect clients with trusted legal professionals when a matter falls outside our core practice.

When appropriate, we may consult with or refer your matter to an attorney whose experience is better suited to your specific legal needs. Our goal is simple: help you find the right legal path forward—even when that path involves another trusted attorney.

If we can help, we will. If your matter requires a different area of legal experience, we will do our best to help connect you with someone who can.

You don’t have to know exactly what type of attorney you need. Start with us.

~ Team Law Dawc

Website Disclaimer:

 Information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The existence, scope, and availability of any civil claim or defense depend on the specific facts and applicable law. Viewing this website or contacting the firm does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship.