Can a company sue me in small claims, or send a non-lawyer to defend?
Answered for: New York
§ 1809. Procedures relating to corporations, associations, insurers and assignees. 1. No corporation, except a municipal corporation, public benefit corporation, school district or school district public library wholly or partially within the municipal corporate limit, no partnership, or association and no assignee of any small claim shall institute an action or proceeding under this article, nor shall this article apply to any claim or cause of action brought by an insurer in its own name or in the name of its insured whether before or after payment to the insured on the policy. 2. A corporation may appear in the defense of any small claim action brought pursuant to this article by an attorney as well as by any authorized officer, director or employee of the corporation provided that the appearance by a non-lawyer on behalf of a corporation shall be deemed to constitute the requisite authority to bind the corporation in a settlement or trial. The court or arbitrator may make reasonable inquiry to determine the authority of any person who appears for the corporation in defense of a small claims court case.
In New York City small claims, corporations (apart from the listed public ones), partnerships, associations, assignees of a claim and insurers cannot start the case. A corporation being sued may defend either through a lawyer or through an authorized officer, director or employee, whose appearance binds the corporation in a settlement or trial.
This answer is true in New York and nowhere else on this site. Another jurisdiction is another answer, or an honest gap: see what has been read for New York.