Summary judgment asks the court to decide a claim without trial because there is no genuine dispute of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
Two words do the work. Genuine — a dispute supported by evidence a reasonable factfinder could accept, not merely asserted. Material — a fact that would change the outcome under the governing law; disputes about irrelevant details do not defeat the motion.
It comes after discovery, so unlike a motion to dismiss it is decided on evidence: deposition testimony, documents, declarations. The party opposing cannot rest on its pleadings — it must point to specific evidence creating a dispute.
This is the stage at which most commercial cases are resolved, either by ruling or by the settlement that follows one. It is also the stage at which the quality of the documentary record decides everything, which is why what was written during the events matters far more than what witnesses recall about them.