Monte A. Vines

My practice focuses on the resolution of disputes, primarily disputes over commercial transactions, business entities, real estate, estates and trusts, and legal professional services. I also work with clients and their adversaries to resolve a wide variety of other civil disputes.

Examples of disputes I have handled involving commercial transactions, business entities and real estate include: breach of contract, ownership disputes, dissolution of business entity issues, lender liability, personal guaranties, commercial real estate foreclosures and enforcement of other security instruments, and business torts, such as fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, interference with contract, and fraudulent transfers of assets.

Estate and trust disputes I have dealt with include: will contest issues, undue influence, fiduciary fee disputes, and claims of executor and trustee wrongdoing.

My work in the defense of legal professional liability claims covers a wide range of legal practice areas. I also assist clients in matters involving legal ethics.

I can also serve as a mediator to assist disputing parties find an agreed resolution.

I consider the hallmarks of my legal practice to be:

INTEGRITY – Whether dealing with clients, their adversaries, opposing lawyers, the court, or others, doing so honestly and in good faith is a foundation for working through a dispute to a good resolution.

PROFESSIONAL SKILL – The law is complicated. I’ve studied the law and worked with it for over 30 years, developing the skills to help clients resolve their legal disputes well – in or out of court.

DILIGENCE – Each legal dispute requires a willingness to invest time and effort to understand the facts and the issues to effectively and efficiently work toward a good resolution.

RESOLUTION-ORIENTED – I recognize that my client’s goal is almost always to achieve a good resolution, and to achieve it in a timely and cost-effective manner. Whether one of the parties has filed a lawsuit to obtain a resolution or my client is trying to avoid the need for a lawsuit, I seek to find and use the most effective means to achieving a good, timely and cost-effective resolution. My general approach to achieving a resolution like that is found in my article published in the February, 2015 issue of the Kansas Bar Association Journal, at this link: A Problem-Solving Approach to Legal Disputes. I have used this approach to achieve good resolutions of a wide variety of legal disputes, from fairly simple matters to complex and substantial disputes.

• Defend manufacturer on dispute over termination of supply contract.
• Pursue collection of disputed accounts for international trade finance company.
• Defend building supplies trader on claims of fraud and misrepresentation.
• Defend lessee on dispute over termination of long-term commercial lease.
• Represent commercial lender on priority dispute with mechanic's lien claimants.
• Represent primary lender on borrower’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Defend trustees on claim of improprieties in handling family trust.
• Defend co-owners of hotel business against claims of breach of contract and misappropriation by other co-owners.
• Foreclose on commercial real estate securing loans with complex history.
• Defend real estate developers on claim for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Pursue enforcement of first option to purchase leased commercial real estate.
• Defend real estate broker and agent on claim of negligence in handling sale of real estate.

• General Business
• Real Estate
• Real Estate Brokers
• Banking/Finance
• Trusts/Estates
• Legal