Hiring a lawyer isn't magically going to make your problems go away, and it might not even be that useful, and it will definitely be painfully expensive, but th

Hiring a lawyer isn't magically going to make your problems go away, and it might not even be that useful, and it will definitely be painfully expensive, but the fact remains that (as you just concluded) it's still the right decision in situations like there. OP is facing a situation that could potentially end his business, he needs to hire a lawyer.