LITIGATION

lit ‧ i ‧ ga ‧ tion /ˌlɪtəˈɡeɪʃ ə n, ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]

law the process of taking claims to a court of law:

The threat of litigation can be a deciding factor in some business decisions.