The big news in North Carolina is the John Edwards trial. Edwards, the former NC Senator and two-time presidential hopeful, was charged with six counts of violating federal election laws by taking donations used to hide his pregnant mistress. Small and medium businesses can learn a few things about litigation from Edwards’ ordeal.

1. Yes, you can be sued. Edwards, an attorney, maintained from the beginning that he did not violate campaign finance laws. Yet, he was charged with six criminal counts. The jury found him not guilty of one count, and could not agree there was enough evidence to convict on the others. Similarly, in a civil context, we can never guarantee our clients will not be sued. We try to write contracts that are fair, and address issues as they arise, but we cannot stop other parties from feeling wronged and seeking their day in court (even when they are mistaken, dead wrong or have no real cause of action). This is what our legal system is for.