Davie General Counsel Services for Business Owners

The most useful lawyer for a company is often the one it calls before anything has gone wrong. A business that has a litigator reviewing its contracts, entity documents, and leases tends to avoid the lawsuits that a business without one ends up funding. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team provides Davie general counsel services to business owners, investors, and family companies, working from the viewpoint of lawyers who spend their days in Broward County and Palm Beach County courtrooms and who know how disputes actually get decided.

Davie sits in Broward County, so a company here that ends up in a contested case will almost always be in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Broward County. Federal claims and certain out-of-state disputes can land in the Southern District of Florida, which holds court in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Our outside general counsel program is designed with that reality in mind: the documents we help you sign today are the same documents a judge in Broward will read if a disagreement arises later.

Our program covers the contract, compliance, and day-to-day operational questions that come up while running a company, and the firm can serve as your company’s registered agent. Because the lawyers advising you also litigate business and real estate cases for a living, the advice is shaped by what holds up under challenge and what does not.

What Outside General Counsel Looks Like for a Davie Company

Outside general counsel is a standing relationship, not a one-off engagement. Instead of hiring a new lawyer every time a question arises and explaining your business from scratch, you have a team that already knows your ownership structure, your major agreements, and your plans. That matters most at the moments when speed matters: a landlord sends a default notice, a vendor claims you breached, a co-owner stops answering emails, or a buyer wants a signature by Friday.

For many small and mid-sized companies, this arrangement replaces the cost of an in-house attorney while delivering something close to the same access. Questions get answered by lawyers who have the file in front of them. The firm operates as a true legal team, so everyone working on a matter knows the file and can respond when you call, and we hold ourselves to a strict 24 hour return call policy when we are in court or otherwise unavailable.

The practical value is preventive. Many of the disputes we later litigate, partnership breakups, fights over operating agreements, claims over missing money, began as gaps in a document that nobody had reviewed with a litigator’s eye. Having that review done early costs far less than fixing the problem in court.

Why Choose the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team as Your Business Counsel

The Andrew M. We represent business owners, investors, and families, along with clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who hold business or real estate interests here. Founder Andrew M. Schwartz was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989, has spent 37 years in litigation, and earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1989. His career has centered on complex contract disputes, business divorces, and conflicts among partners, LLC members, and shareholders.

Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator, brings years of experience in business and real estate cases in both state and federal courts. That depth matters for a general counsel relationship, because a company’s problems do not stay in one forum or one practice area. A lease question can become a title dispute, and a contract question can become a federal filing.

Our results show what careful contract work and trial preparation can produce. After a five-day bench trial, a Broward County circuit judge issued a 32-page final judgment awarding our client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. A win like that is built on the precise wording of an agreement and the history of the parties’ dealings, which is exactly the level of detail we bring when we help you draft and review contracts before any dispute exists. A significant part of our practice also comes from referrals by other attorneys, who trust us with clients they cannot serve themselves.

Clients tell us they want a lawyer who acts as the situation requires and uses finesse when finesse will do, and who keeps fees in proportion to what is at stake. We are experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as courtroom litigation, and we look for the resolution that fits your goals and budget rather than prolonging a case for its own sake.

Areas a Davie General Counsel Relationship Typically Covers

• Operating Agreements and Shareholder Agreements: Drafting and reviewing the documents that control who decides what, how profits are split, and what happens when an owner wants out. Florida’s LLC statute lets a court dissolve a company over deadlock, misappropriated assets, or when operating under the agreement is no longer reasonably practicable, so the agreement itself is your first line of defense.
• Deadlock and Buyout Provisions: Building in a mechanism for resolving stalemates between equal owners. Under Florida’s LLC and corporate statutes, a properly drafted deadlock sale provision that is initiated before a court finds grounds can take the place of judicial dissolution, which is why we draft these clauses with litigation in mind.
• Commercial Leases: Reviewing lease terms, default and cure provisions, personal guaranties, and renewal rights for Davie and Broward retail, office, and warehouse space before you sign, and advising when a landlord or tenant dispute begins.
• Vendor, Customer, and Construction Contracts: Reviewing the agreements that run your revenue and costs, with attention to payment terms, termination rights, indemnity, and dispute resolution clauses.
• Registered Agent Services: Receiving service of process and official notices on the company’s behalf so a lawsuit or government notice never sits unopened on someone’s desk.
• Real Estate Held Through Entities: Advising on purchase and sale contracts, co-ownership arrangements, title questions, and what happens when co-owners disagree about a property.
• Family Business Governance: Documenting roles, compensation, and succession among siblings, spouses, parents, and children who share ownership, so that family relationships and company decisions do not collide.
• Dispute Triage: Evaluating a demand letter, a threatened claim, or a falling-out with a partner early, including whether mediation or arbitration makes more sense than a lawsuit.

What to Do When a Business Problem Lands on Your Desk

If you already have a problem rather than a planning question, start by gathering the documents that control it: the signed contract or lease, the operating or shareholder agreement, bank statements if money is involved, and the emails or messages that show how the parties actually behaved. Disputes frequently turn on the wording of the agreement and the course of dealing between the parties, so do not delete anything and do not alter any document. Avoid sending angry written responses before a lawyer has seen them; a hasty email can become an exhibit.

Deadlines drive many decisions. A claim on a written contract generally must be filed within five years, while a claim on an oral or implied contract has four years. Fraud claims run four years from discovery, subject to an outer limit of twelve years. An action for specific performance carries a one-year period, which surprises many owners in failed real estate deals. Negligence claims are now subject to a two-year limit, and professional malpractice claims, whether framed in contract or tort, also run two years from when the claim was or should have been discovered. Because these periods differ and can be argued, waiting to see whether things improve can cost you the claim.

Where a case is filed depends on the amount at stake and the subject. In Broward County, circuit court hears disputes above the county court ceiling, and county court handles the smaller range, with small claims below that. Broward’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit also maintains complex business divisions that handle matters such as dissolution of certain business entities and large business litigation, and a qualifying case can be filed directly into those divisions using a designated form. If a partner is moving money out of the company, we can ask a court for emergency injunctive relief to freeze assets while the case proceeds. Where the dispute involves a lease with a Davie tenant or landlord, the notice rules matter: for unpaid rent in a residential tenancy, the landlord must give a three-day written demand excluding weekends and court-observed holidays, and accepting partial rent does not by itself waive the right to terminate. Commercial leases are governed first by their own terms, so the signed document comes first.

Disputes General Counsel Can Help You Avoid

The cheapest business divorce is the one structured on paper before the marriage sours. When co-owners cannot agree, Florida law gives a court several tools: in an LLC, a judge may dissolve the company on grounds such as deadlock with irreparable injury, misappropriation or waste of assets, or illegal conduct by those in control, and may appoint a receiver or custodian after a hearing, or order a buyout of the petitioning member. In a corporation, a shareholder petition for dissolution can trigger the company’s or other shareholders’ right to elect to purchase the petitioner’s shares at fair value, and if the parties agree on value and terms within 60 days of the first election, the court enters an order directing the purchase. Those outcomes are real, but they are slow and expensive compared with a clean buy-sell clause written in advance.

Real estate shared among owners has its own exit route. When co-owners cannot agree, a partition action in Florida circuit court lets the court divide the property or, if division would prejudice the owners, order it sold at public auction and split the proceeds in proportion to ownership. Family-held property may fall under the heirs property statute, which adds protections before a forced sale. Quiet title actions, filed in any county where part of the land lies, resolve competing claims and cloud on title, and the plaintiff generally must trace title back at least seven years. Counsel who understands these remedies can structure ownership so that an exit does not require a lawsuit.

Questions Davie Business Owners Ask About General Counsel

What does outside general counsel do that a regular business lawyer does not?

The difference is continuity. An outside general counsel knows your company, reviews contracts and decisions as they come up, and is available for quick questions, rather than being hired only when a crisis occurs. The relationship is built around prevention as much as response.

Is outside general counsel worth it for a small business?

Often it is more affordable than an in-house hire and cheaper than repeatedly retaining new counsel. Having a litigator review agreements before they are signed frequently keeps a disagreement from becoming a lawsuit, which is where the real expense lies.

Can your firm act as my company’s registered agent?

Yes. Through our general counsel program the firm serves as the company’s registered agent, so legal papers and official notices reach attorneys who know how to respond to them quickly.

How long do I have to sue over a breached written contract in Florida?

Five years under the written-instrument statute of limitations. An oral or implied contract has four years, and a claim for specific performance has one year, so the type of agreement and the remedy sought change the deadline.

My business partner and I disagree and neither can outvote the other. What happens?

Your operating or shareholder agreement controls first, and many contain buyout or deadlock sale provisions. If it does not, a court may dissolve the entity or order a purchase when the statutory grounds, such as deadlock with irreparable injury, are shown. We can review your documents and explain which options you have.

Do I need a lawyer to review a commercial lease in Davie?

It is strongly worth it. Commercial leases are governed mainly by their own terms, and provisions on default, cure periods, guaranties, and renewal can be costly if overlooked. Review before signing is far cheaper than a dispute afterward.

Can a general counsel relationship help if a partner is diverting money?

Yes. Having counsel already familiar with your books and governing documents speeds the response. Claims can include an accounting, breach of fiduciary duty, and recovery of funds, and a court can issue injunctive relief to stop assets from being moved or spent while the case is pending.

Which court would hear a significant business dispute from a Davie company?

Typically the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Broward County, with its complex business divisions available for qualifying large matters. Some cases belong in the Southern District of Florida, and a few involve Palm Beach County depending on where the other side or the property is located.

I own a Davie business but live in New York. Can you still serve as my counsel?

Yes. We regularly represent clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with South Florida interests. We handle the local court appearances and keep you informed so you do not have to travel for every hearing.

Does having general counsel mean I will end up in court more often?

The opposite is usually true. We are experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as litigation, and we aim for the resolution that serves your goals and budget. Early advice often resolves disagreements before anyone files a case.

What if my dispute is with family members who co-own the company?

Family business disputes carry added weight because relationships are at stake alongside the company. We handle them with discretion while still protecting your financial interests, and we often help families put governance and buyout terms in writing before tension escalates.

Will you work with my existing attorney?

Yes. A significant part of our work comes through referrals from other lawyers, including out-of-state counsel and Florida attorneys who do not handle business litigation. We communicate with referring counsel throughout and respect their relationship with the client.

Serving Davie and Broward County Businesses Across South Florida

Our general counsel work begins in Davie and extends across Broward County, from Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Sunrise, and Weston to Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, and Hollywood. We also serve companies in Coral Springs, Parkland, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Lauderhill, Tamarac, and Margate. Because many Broward businesses have partners, property, or customers to the north, we represent clients throughout Palm Beach County as well, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens.

Whether your company is a family-run operation, a partnership of investors, or a growing business with real estate holdings, the same principle applies: counsel who knows your documents and your people can act quickly. We also work with owners who live in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and hold business or property interests in South Florida, handling the local proceedings on their behalf.

Talk With a Davie Business Attorney Before Problems Start

If you want counsel who will review your agreements, answer questions as they arise, and be ready if a dispute develops, speak with the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team about Davie general counsel services built around how your company actually operates. Call us to schedule a consultation and learn how a standing relationship with a Davie business attorney who also litigates can keep disagreements from becoming lawsuits.