Tampa Business Attorneys
Business Litigation
Are you at risk of or currently fighting business litigation?
Transactional Business Law
Are you looking to set your company up to minimize legal risk?
“There is nothing more rewarding for us than solving someone’s problem. As lawyers, what we often tell clients is essentially, don’t worry, go home and sleep well tonight, we’ve got this.”
Jeff Lieser, Founder, Lieser Skaff
Business Litigation
Although we pursue every possible avenue to help our clients avoid business litigation and stay out of court, situations often arise when it becomes necessary to either defend a position in court or to file a business lawsuit. In those instances, our Tampa business lawsuit and litigation attorneys bring to bear the skill needed to provide corporate clients with aggressive and honorable representation.
We represent Florida’s small and medium-sized businesses in all aspects of pretrial, trial, appellate and post-judgment proceedings in state and federal court as well as in administrative hearings. We are also available to assist in collection.
When you work with a Tampa business attorney at our firm, you will receive the benefit of litigators who have worked at some of Florida’s largest law firms and thus have the experience and skills you might expect from such a legal background. This, coupled with our small-firm emphasis on client satisfaction, results in an ability to provide high-value service to business clients in Tampa, St. Petersburg and elsewhere in the state.
Business litigation may involve a Tampa business lawsuit between an individual and a business or one business entity against another. A common reason for a business lawsuit is the breach of a contract. Contracts are legally binding agreements between the parties involved but are often open to varying interpretations and need to be resolved in court.
We also handle employment litigation and labor law issues. Whatever legal issues are at stake in your business litigation matter, we urge you to consult with a Tampa commercial litigation lawyer at our firm as soon as possible.
Transactional Business Law
Transactional business law addresses the applicable laws, legal rules, and regulations that pertain to the formation and operation of a business. Because our attorneys are also skilled litigators, we understand that the time to prevent future litigation is when a business is formed or at the time a deal is negotiated. Our experienced transactional business law attorneys will ensure that your business is set up for success from its inception, and we will continue to protect your business throughout all future negotiations and transactions.
How Can Our Transactional Business Lawyers Help You?
Our goal is to help your business avoid future disputes that could lead to litigation. With that in mind, our transactional business lawyers can help you with:
Business creation
Whether you are an individual who needs to form a legal entity for your small business or a Fortune 500 corporation looking for assistance with acquisitions, consolidation, or mergers, we can help ensure that the documents necessary to form your business entity are properly drafted and protect your financial interests.
General governance
Regardless of the type of business entity involved, the day-to-day governance of the business will likely require the assistance of an experienced attorney. We can guide and advise you on how best to govern and operate your business.
Federal, state, and local regulatory compliance
Remaining in compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations is crucial for any business. Our skilled transactional law attorneys will make sure you understand all applicable regulations to avoid costly violations or shutdowns.
Contracts negotiations and drafting
In any business, a well-drafted contract is often the key to avoid disputes that can end in litigation. Whether you need a basic employment contract or a complex merger agreement, we can help. Our transactional business lawyers will strategically negotiate contracts to make sure they are favorable to you while simultaneously ensuring that they will hold up to judicial scrutiny if necessary.
Protecting your business from costly and time-consuming litigation begins long before a problem arises. Investing in the initial creation and daily operation of your business by working closely with an experienced transactional business law lawyer is the key to any profitable and successful business venture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my case have to go to trial?
Settling your case without the need for protracted and expensive litigation is always our goal. With that in mind, most cases do settle before reaching the trial stage; however, when an out-of-court settlement becomes impossible, taking your case to trial may become necessary.
Are you able to go to trial if necessary?
While we strive to resolve issues outside the courtroom, we are always preparing to litigate inside the courtroom. Our attorneys are well-equipped to handle your case from beginning to end, including a jury or non-jury trial as well as an appeal if necessary.
How will we communicate with each other?
We make every effort to respond to all client communications within 24 hours. To achieve that goal, we use a variety of methods depending on what is convenient for our clients, including telephone calls, emails, Zoom meetings, and in-person consultations.
What type of clients do you usually work with?
Our client base includes everyone from individuals seeking assistance with a private matter to Fortune 500 companies involved in complex litigation in federal court. In addition, our clients represent a wide variety of industries, including restaurants, construction companies, real estate developers, and general contractors, as well as homeowner and condo associations, commercial landlords, start-ups, and digital media companies.
How many clients have you represented over the years?
Collectively, our attorneys have represented thousands of clients over the decades they have been practicing law.
Where are your clients from?
Most of our clients hale from the Tampa Bay area; however, we represent clients all over the state of Florida. As such, we often travel throughout the state in service to our clients. We also represent clients based outside the State of Florida who have legal or business interests in Florida.
Who will work on my case?
One of our highly skilled and experienced senior attorneys will oversee, if not directly work on, your case. Stephanie Martin is in charge of our real estate practice group while Bo Sellitti supervises our business practice group. If you have a transactional law case, Ghada Skaff will be the senior attorney overseeing your case. Our exceptionally educated and competent associates may also work on your matter which keeps your costs down as they have a lower billable hourly rate.
Do you require a retainer?
Yes. The amount will vary based on the complexity of the matter. We typically require a minimum retainer of $5000 for litigation matters and a minimum retainer of $2500 for non-litigation matters.
How do you bill for your services?
We are very judicious in terms of the time spent and billed. Having been clients ourselves over the years we understand the value of our clients’ hard-earned money, and we will always work with you to ensure that the amount of time you are billed for is reasonable. Our time spent on your matter is billed in increments of 1/10th of an hour. For example, if we spent six minutes drafting an email or communicating via telephone regarding your case, your bill will reflect a 0.1 (1/10th of an hour) charge. This ensures that you will only be charged for the actual time we spent on your case.
Can you help me start a business?
We have assisted numerous startups and entrepreneurs over the years. In fact, we have enjoyed helping entrepreneurial clients grow from a startup working out of a study apartment to employing over 100 workers and eventually working with them to sell their company for millions of dollars to a third party.