Dallas Partnership Dispute Lawyers

Partnership disputes often arise from disagreements over control, profit sharing, roles, or long-term business direction—issues that can quickly escalate and jeopardize the future of the company. Whether it’s a breach of a partnership agreement, a breakdown in trust, or a deadlock in decision-making, these conflicts demand swift, strategic legal intervention.

Roquemore Skierski’s Dallas-based partnership dispute lawyers represent business owners and partners across Texas in resolving internal conflicts and protecting ownership interests. Our clients are hands-on entrepreneurs and professionals who’ve built something worth preserving—and who need legal advice that’s practical, focused, and grounded in real-world experience.

When we take on a dispute, we bring clarity and structure. Whether through litigation or dispute mediation, we help clients find a resolution that safeguards the business and protects their role in it. We understand what’s at stake—your investment, your reputation, and your ability to move forward—and we fight to secure it.

Parntership Disputes Threaten More Than Profits In Dallas

A dispute between co-owners can stall vendor contracts, unsettle lenders, and send skilled employees looking elsewhere. Dallas businesses feel the impact quickly because local supply chains and professional networks move fast; hesitation signals weakness. Once disagreement takes hold, profit distributions slow and expansion plans sit on the shelf. Texas courts recognize this commercial risk and allow a partner to request an accounting or seek injunctive relief before irreparable harm occurs.

Texas Statutes Turn Disagreement into Negotiating Power

Partners who understand the Business Organizations Code hold a decisive edge. A breach-of-agreement or fiduciary-duty claim generally carries a four-year limitations period (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), while fraud and conversion claims may expire after two years (§ 16.003).

If the partnership lacks a written agreement, default rules in Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 152.202 assign equal voting rights and profit shares, regardless of each partner’s contribution. Courts rely on these provisions to issue temporary restraining orders, appoint receivers, or compel the production of books and records. Knowing which section applies, and filing before the deadline, transforms statutory rights into bargaining chips at mediation or trial.

Early Legal Guidance Secures Evidence and Leverage

Texas courts take spoliation seriously. Under Brookshire Bros., Ltd. v. Aldridge, (Tex. 2014), judges may instruct a jury to presume missing evidence was unfavorable once a duty to preserve attaches. Issuing a written preservation notice triggers that duty, barring any withheld document from later use unless good cause is shown. With records secured, counsel can seek a temporary injunction that blocks further transfers and maintains the status quo while the dispute proceeds. Solid, court-enforceable documentation replaces guesswork, converting potential allegations into provable claims we can prosecute and resolve.

our dallas partnership dispute lawyers

Kelvin Roquemore

Founding Partner

Kelvin Roquemore is a Founding Partner of Roquemore Skierski, specializing in business and commercial litigation, with experience in business transactions, M&A, and commercial real estate. With over 25 years of in-house counsel and business litigation experience, he brings a strategic approach to supporting owner-operated small and medium-sized enterprises.

Doug Skierski

Founding Partner

Doug Skierski is a Founding Partner of Roquemore Skierski, and is an A/V-rated attorney with over 20 years of experience in bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, receiverships, and commercial litigation. He holds a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law and has a strong background in complex commercial litigation and arbitration.

Shawn Stevens

Senior Associate

Dennis Shawn Stevens is a member of Roquemore Skierski with over 20 years of experience representing clients in business litigation, commercial disputes, and insurance-related claims. He holds a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and advises businesses on matters involving breach of contract, construction conflicts, and complex commercial torts.

Mark Ivanyo

Attorney

Mark Ivanyo has experience in complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes, product liability, and premises-related claims. He has experience representing businesses in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and administration. Mark holds a J.D. from South Texas College of Law and holds a B.B.A. in Management from Texas State University.

Alyssa Grissom

Paralegal

Alysa S. Grissom is a paralegal at Roquemore Skierski and is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization—an achievement held by fewer than 400 paralegals statewide. She holds an A.A. in Government, an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Austin Community College, and a B.A. in Business, magna cum laude, from Concordia University Texas.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ's

What is a partnership dispute?

Any conflict between co-owners of an LP, LLP, general partnership, or LLC, typically over profits, management control, fiduciary breaches, or exit terms.

Does Texas law require a written partnership agreement?

No, but without one your company will default to the Texas Business Organizations Code, which may split profits and voting power equally even if contributions differed.

Can I force a partner buyout?

A buyout may be forced only if your agreement has a buy-sell clause or a court orders a receivership/dissolution; otherwise, you’ll need a negotiated redemption or asset sale.

What is the statute of limitations for partnership-dispute claims?

In Texas, you generally have four years to sue for breach of a partnership agreement or breach of fiduciary duty under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004. Claims for conversion or fraud are tighter, with limitations ranging from two to four years depending on the facts and when the wrongdoing was discovered.

What remedies can a Texas court grant?

Courts may order accounting of profits, damages for lost income, disgorgement of wrongful gains, injunctions, forced buyout, or judicial dissolution with a receiver appointed.

Can we force mediation or arbitration first?

Yes, if the partnership or operating agreement mandates AAA/JAMS arbitration or a mediation step. That power rests on the partners’ broad contractual freedom under the Texas Business Organizations Code (§ 152.002 for partnerships and § 101.052 for LLCs), which lets the agreement dictate dispute-resolution procedures, and on the Texas Arbitration Act, which enforces clear arbitration clauses.

What is a “receivership” and when is it used?

In receivership, a court-appointed neutral takes temporary control of the business to preserve assets, resolve deadlock, or wind up operations when owners can’t cooperate.

Can one partner lock the other out of bank accounts?

Banks often require dual signatures, but a managing partner with authority can act unilaterally; the aggrieved partner should seek an injunction and accounting.

Will litigation hurt our company’s reputation?

Court filings are public, but early mediation or confidential arbitration can minimize exposure. Injunctions may also protect trade secrets during the dispute.

When should I hire a partnership-dispute lawyer?

You should never wait to hire an attorney. The best time to hire an attorney is as soon as mistrust arises, and especially before records disappear, money moves, or deadlines lapse. Early legal strategy preserves leverage and may prevent a costly dissolution.