Tampa, Florida
They didn’t hold up their end. Or they read the contract differently than you do.
Contract disputes typically arise where one of the parties fails to live up to their end of the bargain, or the parties disagree over the meaning and implementation of certain terms in the contract. Either type of dispute can cause an individual or business to suffer financial harm. We apply years of negotiation and business litigation experience to help clients resolve disputes favorably.
- ✓Prosecuting breach claims and defending against them
- ✓Experienced trial lawyers who are also skilled arbitration and mediation counsel
- ✓A well-crafted demand letter often resolves the matter before formal proceedings
- ✓Every client communication answered within 24 hours
“There is nothing more rewarding for us than solving someone’s problem. That is what we tell our clients.”
Either someone breached it, or nobody agrees what it says
How we handle your matter depends on which one you have, and on which side of it you are. Both paths start with a close read of the document you signed.
Breach of Contract
In prosecuting a breach of contract case, our attorneys work with economic experts to determine the amount of financial loss (increased costs, lost profits) incurred by our client as a result of the other party’s breach. When defending a client accused of breach, we look for any way to invalidate the contract or any ambiguous or vague clauses which may be unenforceable.
Ambiguous Language
Where the contract contains language that is subject to more than one interpretation, our attorneys apply critical legal analysis to interpret that language based on relevant contract principles and case law. We explain to you how a court will likely interpret the contract and recommend the best course of action in light of your specific circumstances and objectives.
Litigation is only one option
We understand that litigation can exacerbate the financial harm already caused by the dispute itself. Less expensive alternatives such as negotiation, arbitration and mediation are faster and just as effective. In many cases, a well-crafted demand letter can resolve a contract dispute before formal proceedings become necessary.
Have the contract reviewed
Send us the short version. A senior attorney reviews every inquiry, usually the same business day.
The firm that writes these agreements is the firm you want litigating them
Lieser Skaff drafts and negotiates commercial contracts every week: purchase agreements, leases, operating agreements, non-competes. When one of them breaks down, our litigators already know how the document was built and where the pressure points are.
Our attorneys are not only experienced trial lawyers, but also skilled arbitration and mediation lawyers. Our focus is to provide cost-effective solutions, minimize liability and negotiate favorable outcomes.
Three steps from where you are to resolved
No mystery, no runaround. Here is exactly what working with us looks like.
Send us the contract
A senior attorney reads the agreement and the correspondence, tells you candidly whether you have a claim or a defense, and explains what will drive cost and timeline.
Demand letter, negotiation, mediation
Cheaper and faster paths first. Many contract disputes end here, with a demand letter or a negotiated settlement, before anyone files suit.
If they won’t be reasonable, we try it
Arbitration or court, whichever the contract requires: pretrial, trial, appeal, and collection on the judgment if that’s what it takes.
Agreements We Litigate
Our proven strengths and abilities in this area cover:
A Florida Supreme Court certified mediator on your side of the table
As a certified circuit civil mediator, attorney Jeff Lieser brings to every Lieser Skaff case a working knowledge of law and procedure, exceptional negotiation skills, and the ability to spot the opening for resolution before anyone else in the room does.
In a contract dispute that matters, because the fastest route out is usually a settlement both sides can defend. When settlement isn’t possible, a mediator’s attention to detail and strategic thinking make a favorable result in court more likely.
You are hiring a firm you have not met yet. Here is what to insist on.
Most of our clients come from the Tampa Bay area: businesses in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties who found us the same way you did. Whatever you are comparing right now, these are the four things that separate a firm that will handle your dispute well from one that will simply bill you.
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A named senior attorney, not a rotating cast. One of our senior attorneys oversees, if not directly handles, your case. Associates handle what they should, at a lower rate that keeps your costs down.
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Access without the runaround. Phone, email, Zoom, or in person at our Howard Avenue office, whatever is convenient, with a 24-hour response standard.
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Local knowledge you can’t buy from a distance. Hillsborough and Pinellas judges, local rules, opposing counsel, and the Middle District of Florida. We are in these courthouses every week.
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Billing you can audit. Time in 1/10th-hour increments, transparent retainers ($5,000 minimum for litigation, $2,500 non-litigation), and a candid conversation about what drives cost.
Meet the founding attorneys at Lieser Skaff
Jeffrey P. Lieser
A co-founder of Lieser Skaff, Jeff concentrates his practice on complex business and real estate litigation. He also serves as class action counsel and as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, the reason so many of our clients resolve disputes before trial.
From 2017 to 2022 Jeff was named to the Florida Legal Elite roster, a list that includes fewer than 1.5% of active Florida Bar members. He was a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2013 to 2017 and a Super Lawyer from 2021 to 2027, and Florida Trend named him a “Legal Elite, Notable Managing Partner” for 2024, 2025 and 2026. In 2026 he was included in Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, construction litigation, real estate law and real estate.
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve J.A.G. Corps · University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D.
Ghada Skaff
Ghada is the firm’s business and transactions lawyer and managing partner. She structures the contracts, entities and deals that keep disputes from happening, and when litigation does start, she is the one who knows how the underlying agreement was built.
Ghada was named to the Florida Legal Elite roster and selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2015 to 2020. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2022, and Florida Trend named her a “Legal Elite, Notable Woman Leader of Law” from 2023 through 2026 and a “Legal Elite, Notable Managing Partner” in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Leadership Tampa, Class of 2020 · Recognized by Tampa Style Magazine among Tampa’s top women attorneys
Five-star reviews from business owners and other lawyers
The questions contract clients actually ask
Do I have to file a lawsuit to enforce a contract?
What if the contract language is ambiguous?
How do you calculate what the breach cost me?
I have been accused of breaching. What are my defenses?
Is my non-compete enforceable in Florida?
Can you tell me how much my case will cost?
Do you require a retainer?
How do you bill for your services?
How will we communicate with each other?
Reading on contract disputes
New Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Require a More Aggressive Strategy from the Start
Florida’s recent amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure have transformed civil litigation, requiring earlier disclosures, mandatory case management orders, and tighter trial deadlines. Passive strategy is no longer an option.
Read more →
Fighting a Non-Compete Employment Agreement in Florida
Although non-compete agreements are presumed to be valid in Florida, they can be challenged based on material breaches by the employer, overly broad restrictions, unreasonable durations, or geographic scope.
Read more →
Abrogation of Florida’s Economic Loss Rule (ELR) and What It Means
The Economic Loss Rule originally limited claims in contract disputes to breach of contract, barring tort claims for purely economic losses. Florida’s Tiara ruling restricted ELR to product liability cases, opening the door for tort claims in contract disputes.
Read more →
Every day you wait, the other side gets a head start.
Send us the contract and the short version of what happened, and we’ll tell you where you stand. If we’re not the right firm for your dispute, we’ll say that too.
Call now, Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:00pm 813-280-1256
403 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606
Phone 813-280-1256 · Fax 813-251-8715
Tell us about your dispute