Business litigation is defined as business law, or commercial law that governs the rights, relations, and conduct of persons and businesses engaged in commerce, merchandising, trade, and sales. Business law is considered a branch of civil law that deals with issues of both private and public law.

Civil litigation describes a dispute between two parties that is not based on criminal sanctions. Typically, civil litigation cases have one party (the plaintiff) that is seeking money or some other kind of remedy (damages) from another party, whom we call the defendant.

Criminal law concerns the system of legal rules that define what conduct is classified as a crime and how the government may prosecute individuals that commit crimes. Individuals who violate federal, state, and local laws may face fines, probation, or incarceration.