Not all business partners stay together. Remember Mark Zuckerberg’s messy separation from his Facebook Inc. co-founder? A part of The Beatles’ breakup included business conflicts related to the company they founded, Apple Corps. And eBay Inc. spun off PayPal into its own company. What these examples illustrate is that marriages of business interests sometimes do not last. As problem-solvers, it’s the job of business divorce attorneys to help our clients plan for this possibility.

What?! You, as a member of our distinguished profession, are not familiar with a “business divorce” practice? You’re likely not alone. After all, the American Bar Association formed the Business Divorce Subcommittee of the ABA business law section’s Business and Corporate Litigation Committee only in 2013. In fact, we often introduce ourselves to fellow attorneys as lawyers who address issues related to corporate governance, business divestiture, officer and director, and post-acquisition earn-out disputes. Try that as your elevator speech with those who are unfamiliar with our profession.