Civil & Business Law

Civil and business disputes rarely arrive with the drama of a criminal case, but the stakes are just as real: a contract that falls apart, a partner who walks away, an owner and a tenant at odds over property. Boyadzhyan Legal Shield advises and represents individuals and businesses throughout Encino, the San Fernando Valley, and greater Los Angeles in both transactional matters and civil litigation.

The firm is best known for its criminal-defense and personal-injury work, and that courtroom foundation carries directly into civil practice. Founding attorney Knarik Boyadzhyan is a former Deputy Public Defender who has handled cases at every stage of litigation — an advantage when a business or property dispute is headed toward a courtroom rather than a quick settlement.

This is the firm's top-level civil and business page. Below you will find the three areas we handle — business litigation, business transactions, and real property disputes — along with how civil cases move through the Los Angeles County courts, the deadlines that can quietly end a claim, and where Valley cases are actually heard. Each linked page goes deeper on its subject; this one is the map.

Whether you are structuring a deal, enforcing an agreement, or defending a claim, our approach is the same: understand your position, weigh the realistic paths, and pursue the outcome that serves you — resolving matters efficiently where that is possible and litigating decisively when it is not. Consultations are confidential, and we never promise a result we cannot control.

Civil law covers two broad kinds of work that often overlap. Transactional work is about preventing disputes: forming an entity, negotiating and drafting a contract, or structuring a deal so the terms are clear before anyone disagrees. Litigation is about resolving disputes once they have arisen — enforcing an agreement, recovering a loss, or defending against a claim, in or out of court. A firm that does both can spot the litigation risk hiding in a deal and bring deal-level clarity to a lawsuit.

When a civil dispute does become a lawsuit, it is filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (LASC). A case generally moves through the complaint and answer, a discovery phase in which each side exchanges documents and takes depositions, pretrial motions, and — if it does not settle first — trial. Most civil cases resolve before trial through negotiation or mediation, but the cases that settle well are usually the ones prepared as though they will not.

Where a case is heard within the county depends on the dispute and its size. Civil and property matters arising in the San Fernando Valley are often heard at the Van Nuys Courthouse, while larger or more complex civil cases are frequently assigned to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, the county's central civil hub. Knowing the likely venue — and how cases move through it — is part of building a realistic strategy from the start.

Boyadzhyan Legal Shield works from a single office in Encino on Ventura Boulevard, serving clients throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles — Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Studio City, Northridge, and the surrounding communities.

If your civil or property matter arises in the Valley, it may well be heard at the Van Nuys Courthouse, which handles civil cases for much of the San Fernando Valley; larger civil disputes can be assigned downtown at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Familiarity with the local courts — how cases are scheduled and resolved in this part of Los Angeles County — is an advantage a distant firm cannot offer.

Working from one Encino office keeps the firm close to its clients and the courts they rely on. You work directly with the attorney handling your matter, and you get counsel who treats a business or property dispute with the same preparation the firm brings to the courtroom.