Below you can build a free demand letter yourself. Before you send anything, find out whether your claim is worth sending at all: tell my AI Legal Analyst what happened, and it maps your claim, your deadlines, and your leverage, reviewed against how I actually run these disputes.
Sergei Tokmakov, California attorney, CA Bar #279869, licensed since 2011.
LLC and corporate inspection rights under California and Delaware law.
Minority shareholders and LLC members have statutory rights to inspect company books and records. A well-drafted demand letter is often the first step before filing a formal petition--and frequently resolves the issue without court involvement.
Shareholders may inspect and copy accounting books, records, minutes of shareholder meetings, and the shareholder ledger. The request must be for a purpose reasonably related to the shareholder's interest.
Directors have absolute, unconditional rights to inspect the entire accounting books and records of the corporation.
Members may inspect and copy the LLC's records, tax returns, and financial statements during regular business hours for purposes reasonably related to the member's interest.
Requires written demand under oath stating a proper purpose. Inspection is limited to books and records essential to that purpose.
| Purpose | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Investigate mismanagement/self-dealing | Courts routinely recognize this as proper; show specific concerns. |
| Value your ownership interest | Needed for buy-sell decisions, estate planning, or exit discussions. |
| Communicate with other owners | Shareholder lists can be inspected to solicit proxies or rally support. |
| Prepare for derivative litigation | Books and records provide facts needed for a well-pled complaint. |
Proof of ownership (subscription agreements, stock certificates)
Operating or shareholder agreements outlining inspection rights
Prior requests or emails showing denial of access
Financial statements or tax returns previously provided (establish baseline)
Evidence of suspected misconduct (related-party contracts, unusual expenses)
Timeline of events leading to the demand
I draft books and records demand letters and handle inspection disputes for minority shareholders and LLC members throughout California.
Email: owner@terms.law
Books and records inspection disputes can often be resolved with a well-crafted demand letter, but some situations require professional legal representation to protect your shareholder rights.
Use our free assessment tool to evaluate your books and records situation and get a personalized recommendation based on your ownership stake, the company's response, and your goals.
Generate a professional demand letter, CA court complaint, or arbitration demand
You now have a letter I have never read. A form builder cannot know whether your contract or your course of dealing controls, whether the right entity is on the letter, or what number belongs in the demand. If real money is at stake, the $1,200 Demand & Filing-Readiness Package is me screening the claim, drafting the demand on my letterhead with the chronology, damages calculation, and exhibits, sending it certified mail, and reviewing the first response, with a draft complaint where that is the strategically appropriate next step, expressly marked DRAFT - NOT FILED. Claims over roughly $30,000 start at $3,000.
I accept demand matters only after a conflict, jurisdiction, and preliminary merits review. For accepted matters with claims up to about $30,000: the attorney demand on my letterhead with the chronology, damages calculation, and exhibits, certified mail plus email delivery, the appropriate draft complaint or arbitration demand where that is the legally and strategically appropriate next step (expressly marked DRAFT - NOT FILED), review of the first substantive response, and one deadline follow-up.
Request this packageFor claims of roughly $30,000 to $75,000, or disputes with material factual, contractual, or procedural complexity, the same filing-readiness scope starts at $3,000. The starting fee reflects the deeper record, damages, and forum work these disputes need; I confirm the final fixed scope in writing before any work begins.
Request this packageNot sure yet? Send your question, a short factual summary, and the key documents; you get a written attorney response identifying the main legal issues, risks, leverage points, and practical next steps. Not a full redline, demand letter, memo, or filing unless separately agreed.
Request the consultationFees are minimums or starting fees, subject to conflict, jurisdiction, merits, and written scope review. Multi-round negotiation is the separately scoped $1,500 Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase; filing or appearing as counsel requires separate client authorization and a separate written engagement.
Informational only, not legal advice; no attorney-client relationship until a conflict check and written scope confirmation. Generated letters are unreviewed starting drafts. Sergei Tokmakov, licensed in California, CA Bar #279869 · owner@terms.law