Vendor Disputes
When vendor breakdowns, contract breaches, tariff or other regulatory issues threaten your business operations, Benesch moves fast to secure emergency relief, resolve the dispute and protect your bottom line. Whether it’s enforcing contract rights, defending against claims or navigating complex regulatory scrutiny, our trial-tested team delivers solutions that keep your business moving forward.
Inside Knowledge. Real-World Experience.
Our team has extensive hands-on business experience managing vendor performance, logistics, supply chain and trade issues, and compliance matters. We know the law, the regulatory framework and the operational realities that drive your business—and we know how to win in court.
Our Areas of Focus
Our cross-disciplinary trial-ready team has achieved winning results in court, in arbitrations and before regulators, resolving high-stakes disputes involving clients across industries—from public corporations to privately held enterprises—in every type of vendor and regulatory dispute, including:
- Breach or termination of vendor supply, procurement and transportation contracts
- Pricing, rate and overcharge disputes
- Customs inquiries, tariff classifications and trade enforcement actions
Import/export control violations and cross-border trade conflicts and treaty matters - Product quality, warranty, recall and risk allocation issues
- Negligence and tortious interference claims
- Delays, delivery failures and damage in transit
- Cargo loss, theft and fraud
- Force majeure events
- Disputes related to freight intermediaries, carriers and warehouse operators
Government contracts matters and regulatory enforcement by the CBP, OFAC, BIS, FDA and others
Why Benesch
- Tenacious. Talented. Trial-Proven in state, federal and international forums
- Swift. Strategic. Effective. Poised to act when every second counts
- Industry insiders with real-world experience
- Cross-border strength and global reach
When vendor, supply chain, tariff or other regulatory disputes threaten your business, Benesch is ready to respond decisively, strategically and successfully.
Our Work in Action – Representative Examples
- Represented Fortune 100 technology company in ten figure dispute with Fortune 100 company supplier where supplier repeatedly breached supply agreements and wrongfully threatened to withhold products unless company paid millions more than what was required under the agreements. Successfully convinced arbitrators that majority of claims were arbitrable and to pause company’s obligation to purchase hundreds of millions of dollars of products it did not want or need. Obtained highly favorable settlement during discovery.
- Represented Fortune 100 technology company in nine figure dispute with Fortune 100 company concerning the termination of the parties’ services letter agreement. Obtained favorable business resolution on the eve of trial after successfully barring opposing party’s key expert and limiting testimony of key fact witnesses.
- Represent one of the nation’s largest retailers in connection with certain trade compliance issues arising from tariffs imposed by the federal government.
- Represented a global supplier of personal-care products in a dispute with a vendor relating to high-profile product recall. Successfully negotiated resolution with the vendor and helped client resolve PR and regulatory issues relating to the recall.
- Represented a technology company in tort claims seeking nine-figure damages from a supplier due to product defects. Secured a confidential settlement after defeating three successive motions to dismiss.
- Successfully defended numerous cases throughout the country involving claims against carriers and transportation intermediaries arising from damaged, lost or delayed freight.
- Represented leading consumer products company in eight figure breach of contract matter with supplier that presented issues of first impression concerning the enforceability of “take or pay provisions” in supply agreement during COVID-19 pandemic.
