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The Law Office of Stephen Nault

Articles

Notes from the practice.

Short, practical writing on commercial leasing, TREC matters, real estate disputes, and the industry issues that sit underneath them.

Featured · Brokerage Risk

When a Broker Complaint Turns Into a Records Problem

In Tennessee broker complaints, the dispute often stops being just about the allegation and starts becoming about what the transaction file, disclosures, communications, and money records can actually prove.

April 2026·9 min read

Brokerage Risk

Commission Disputes That Carry More Than Money Risk

Some Tennessee commission disputes are purely about compensation, but others sit inside larger fights over agency documents, disclosure, authority, communications, and transaction conduct.

April 2026·8 min read

Brokerage Risk

When a Transaction Complaint May Also Create Civil Exposure

In Tennessee real-estate transaction disputes involving licensed conduct, the same facts can create both regulatory questions and private civil exposure, but those paths are different and do not always move together.

April 2026·9 min read

Owner Disputes

Deadlock in a Closely Held Business: Decision Points Before Escalation

In Tennessee LLC disputes, real deadlock usually shows up before open collapse through stalled approvals, bank and records control fights, conflicting authority, and pressure on day-to-day operations.

March 2026·8 min read

Owner Disputes

When the Operating Agreement No Longer Matches Reality

Many Tennessee LLC disputes begin when the operating agreement says one thing but the business has drifted into something else. That mismatch often becomes a control, proof, and records problem before anyone files anything formal.

March 2026·8 min read

Owner Disputes

Books, Records, and Account Access: Early Control Red Flags

In Tennessee LLC disputes, books-and-records problems are often treated as bookkeeping issues when they are really early control issues about status, authority, and who gets to define the company record.

March 2026·8 min read

Brokerage Risk

Early Mistakes That Make a Brokerage Complaint Worse

A brokerage complaint can be weakened before anyone reaches the merits if the filing starts with poor documentation, unrealistic expectations, or a misunderstanding of what the regulatory process actually does.

February 2026·8 min read

Commercial Leasing

What to Do When a Commercial Lease Default Notice Arrives

A commercial lease default notice can change cure rights, termination risk, guaranty exposure, possession posture, and later damages arguments. The first real question is what the lease actually says.

February 2026·7 min read

Commercial Leasing

Five Commercial Lease Terms Worth Slowing Down For

Some lease fights start because the business team moved too quickly past the exact provisions that later control leverage.

January 2026·6 min read

Brokerage Risk

What to Do First After a TREC Complaint Arrives

The first mistake in a licensing complaint is often responding before the record, timeline, and business risk have been organized.

January 2026·6 min read

Brokerage Risk

What the Tennessee Real Estate Commission Can and Cannot Do

A TREC complaint is not the same thing as a private lawsuit. Understanding what the Commission can and cannot do helps people classify the issue more accurately.

December 2025·8 min read

Owner Disputes

Owner Dispute Warning Signs Before the Business Stalls

Owner disputes usually give warning signs before they become full business shutdown events. The challenge is noticing them early enough to act intelligently.

December 2025·6 min read

Strategic Case Assessment

What Investigate and Advise Looks Like Before Suit

Not every serious dispute should move straight to a demand letter or lawsuit. Sometimes the most valuable work comes first: figure out what actually matters, who is involved, and what the next move should accomplish.

November 2025·7 min read