Practice Areas

Administrative Law and Government Regulation

Our firm has represented clients before the Department of Revenue, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Education, and all Executive branch state agencies as well as cases before municipal and county governments.

Banking Law

Our firm represents many institutional lenders and commercial borrower/developers for a variety of commercial loans encumbering real property, including construction loans, revolving lines of credit, assignments, consolidations, future advances, and refinances. For lenders, our firm drafts notes, mortgages, assignments, participation agreements, opinion letters, and other loan documents, along with issuing mortgagee title insurance policies.

Business Law and Corporate Law

Our firm serves a wide range of clients for all matters involving businesses. Whether you are looking to form a new business, purchase or sell an existing business, or close a business, a knowledgeable attorney is your ally in accomplishing your goals. Our firm can also advise, review, or draft agreements for or between businesses, including internal employee and non-compete agreements. A successful business almost always requires the assistance of a talented business attorney. Some of the business issues our firm handles include:

  • Entity formation (limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and corporations)
  • Draft by-laws, operating agreements, and partnership agreements
  • Business sales and purchases
  • Employment agreements
  • Internal policies and agreements
  • Complex transactions
  • Non-compete clauses
  • Contract disputes
  • Business litigation

Civil Litigation

From its beginning, our firm has been recognized for its skilled civil litigators. If you are facing any type of civil dispute, as Plaintiff or Defendant, you will need an attorney with the knowledge and experience to protect and enforce your rights. Our firm represents clients in an array of civil matters including:

  • Contract disputes—Breach of contract
  • Employment issues
  • Fraud
  • Fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation
  • Financing disputes
  • Violations of business sales
  • Negligence

Construction Litigation

Legal disputes are unfortunately very common during construction projects. Our firm represents contractors, sub-contractors, owners, and bonding companies in all nature of construction issues, including drafting contracts, resolving conflicts during construction, and handling disputes through trial.

Creditor Bankruptcy

Our firm not only counsels individuals on the decision and procedure of filing bankruptcy, but also assists creditors on the steps to ensure their rights are protected. For a debtor, our firm can help you lesson or possibly avoid a debt. For a creditor, our firm can work to fight to enforce and collect the amount owed.

Criminal Law

When faced with a criminal charge, representation by knowledgeable and competent criminal defense counsel is key to minimizing the impact on your life. Our firm has represented individuals accused of committing a broad range of crimes, including:

  • Alcohol violations
  • Assault & battery
  • Burglary
  • Criminal traffic offenses
  • Domestic violence
  • Drug crimes
  • DUI & DWI
  • Expungement & sealing
  • Felony offenses
  • Financial crimes
  • Gun law violations
  • Injunctions
      • Domestic violence
      • Sexual violence
      • Repeat violence
      • Dating violence
      • Stalking

     

  • Juvenile cases
  • Kidnapping
  • Misdemeanor offenses
  • Murder & Manslaughter
  • Probation violations
  • Robbery
  • Sex offenses
  • Substance & alcohol abuse
  • Suspended license
  • Theft & fraud
  • Student discipline proceedings
  • Warrants
  • White collar crime

Environmental and Land Use

When purchasing or selling agricultural, commercial, and industrial property we can advise you of your environmental rights, liabilities, and rights for the full use and enjoyment of your property. Florida and local governments have increasingly complicated land use regulations and we can help with the management and modification of natural environment into a fully approved site.

Estate and Trust Administration

Whether your loved one has a will or not, his or her estate may need to be administered through the court. Estate administration involves things such as, paying debts, selling real estate, preparation of tax returns, obtaining appraisals, and providing accountings to beneficiaries. Trust administration is a process of administering those assets a person has placed in a trust and can be ongoing during a person’s life and after their death. Our firm not only assists clients as the petitioner/personal representative, but also represents the rights and interests of heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, or other parties interested in an estate or trust, including:

  • Initiating probate proceedings
  • Formal estate administration proceedings
  • Summary estate administration proceedings
  • Estate disposition without administration

Estate and Trust Litigation

During the administration of a will or trust, controversies can result in a need for legal counsel. Our firm represents clients as personal representatives, trustees, beneficiaries, and creditors for a variety of estate and trust litigation issues, including:

  • Will contests
  • Objections to estate accountings, inventories, etc.
  • Trust contests
  • Contested creditor’s claims
  • Fiduciary responsibility disputes
  • Breaches of fiduciary duties

Estate Planning

The estate planning process helps you plan for life’s emergencies—serious illness, disability, and death—by providing you with the legal documents you need. It also helps high net worth individuals transmit their estates to their beneficiaries with a minimum of tax consequences. Our firm has the experience and expertise to assist clients with all types of estate planning, including:

  • Last Will & Testament
  • Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts
  • Power of Attorney
  • Designation of Health Care Surrogate
  • Living Will
  • Do not Resuscitate
  • Medical authorization for minors
  • Pre-need Guardian designations

Family Law

Anyone facing the end of a marriage relationship needs to have a talented attorney who can both advise and protect his/her interests. Our firm is widely regarded as one of the most successful firms in dealing with family law matters, including:

  • Divorce
  • Annulment
  • Prenuptial agreements
  • Property settlements
  • Child custody and visitation
  • Marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships
  • Paternity testing and paternity fraud
  • Distribution of assets and liabilities
  • Child abuse and child abduction
  • Adoption and surrogacy
  • Juvenile adjudication
  • Child support
  • Time-sharing
  • Alimony

Landlord-Tenant (Commercial & Residential)

Both protecting your rights as a tenant and enforcing your rights as a landlord involve complex legal issues requiring a skilled attorney’s assistance. Our firm represents both landlords and tenants. You need to know the details regarding your rights and duties. Some of these items include:

  • Failure to pay rent
  • Lease violations
  • Evictions

Land Title & Survey Cures

Whether you need assistance with a boundary line dispute, physical access to a parcel of land, or have unresolved or outstanding interests in your property, our firm handles a variety of issues involving land titles, surveys, access to property, easements, and subsurface mineral and oil rights. If necessary, our firm is experienced in claiming or defending your rights in court for your property.

Local Government Law

Our firm has also represented the interests of individuals and businesses before local municipal and county governments, including the Gainesville City Commission, the City of Alachua, the Alachua County Development Review Committee, and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners. Our services for clients includes representation at simple meetings with government staff committees to complex negotiations and disputes with municipal and county governments.

Mediation Services

The mediation process can attempt to settle a legal dispute through active participation of a third party (mediator) who works to find points of agreement and help those in conflict agree on a fair result. Mediation has become very common in trying to resolve domestic relations disputes (divorce, parental responsibility, time sharing, financial matters) and is almost always ordered by the judge in such cases.

Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation Agreements & Litigation

Employers sometimes need to protect themselves from an employee entering into or starting a similar profession or trade, which results in competition. Similarly, a Non-Solicitation agreement is where an employee agrees not to solicit a company’s clients after leaving that company. Our firm can assist both employers and employees in drafting or reviewing Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation agreements.

Planning and Zoning

Our firm represents developers in the government approval process from initial conversations and planning meetings to representation in quasi-judicial hearings.

Real Estate- Litigation

Most real estate transactions are executed without major conflicts. However, there are times when you might encounter a transaction issue, zoning problem, get entangled in a boundary dispute, notice a title error or suspect fraud or misrepresentation. Our firm represents buyers, sellers, and real estate agents in all forms of real estate litigation.

Real Estate- Transactional Commercial & Residential

Our firm has a long-standing reputation for ensuring each real estate transaction is done professionally and courteously. Whether you are involved in a residential, commercial, timber, or vacant land property sale, our real estate attorneys draft, conduct, and/or review every aspect the transaction, including:

  • Drafting and reviewing sales contracts
  • Conducting and reviewing title searches and public records
  • Issuing title insurance policies
  • Resolving title defects
  • Advising on inspections and appraisals
  • Working with realtors and lenders
  • Drafting deeds
  • Drafting purchase money mortgages
  • Drafting settlement statements
  • Reviewing and overseeing execution of sales documents
  • Drafting easements between neighbors
  • Drafting conservation easements

Trade Secrets Litigation

Our firm assists businesses with the protection of proprietary information against unauthorized commercial use by others.

Trial Practice

When it becomes necessary to litigate a legal dispute in court, our trial practice attorneys are prepared to present your case to a judge and jury. Our firm represents both Plaintiffs and Defendants in all forms of non-jury and jury trials, including complex litigation.