Lighthouse Point Business Attorney

A business dispute in Lighthouse Point rarely looks like a lawsuit at the start. It looks like a partner who stops answering questions about the books, a lease that no longer works for either side, or a co-owner who wants out while the other wants to stay. The Lighthouse Point business attorney you choose shapes whether that disagreement ends in a negotiated separation or a courtroom. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles business litigation and real estate disputes for owners, investors, and families in Lighthouse Point and across Broward County and Palm Beach County.

Lighthouse Point sits in northeast Broward County, which means most civil disputes arising here belong in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, though a property or partner located in Palm Beach County can move the case into the Fifteenth Circuit. That detail matters more than people expect. Where a case is filed, what kind of court hears it, and which deadlines apply are decisions that get made early, and they are difficult to unwind. Business owners here are often small company founders, real estate investors, and family-held entities, and their disputes tend to turn on a written agreement and a long history of informal dealings between the parties.

Why Choose the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team for Lighthouse Point Business Disputes

The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team is a business and real estate litigation firm serving Lighthouse Point, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and the rest of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Its work centers on business divorce, partnership and LLC member disputes, complex contract litigation, missing-funds cases, partition actions, title disputes, and injunctions, along with transactional work and outside general counsel services for companies that want legal guidance before a dispute begins.

Andrew M. Schwartz, Founder, was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989 and has practiced litigation in Florida ever since. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1989. Sundeep Nath, Senior Counsel, is a Northwestern-trained litigator with years of experience in business and real estate cases in both state and federal courts. That federal experience is useful in South Florida, where the Southern District of Florida sits in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach and some commercial disputes belong there.

The firm practices as a true team, so everyone working on a matter knows the file and can answer when a client calls. There is a strict 24 hour return call policy when an attorney is in court. Recent results reflect the kind of work Lighthouse Point clients bring us: after a five-day bench trial in Broward County Circuit Court, the court issued a 32-page final judgment awarding our client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. The firm is also experienced in mediation and arbitration, and it looks for the resolution that fits a client’s goals and budget rather than prolonging a case. A meaningful share of the practice comes from referrals by other attorneys, including out of state lawyers whose clients have disputes in Florida.

Business and Real Estate Disputes We Handle for Lighthouse Point Owners

• Business Divorce: Co-owners who can no longer work together face deadlocked management, buyout and valuation fights, and claims that one owner is acting in his or her own interest. Outcomes include a negotiated buyout, a sale, a structured wind-down, or court-ordered dissolution.
• LLC and Shareholder Disputes: Breaches of operating agreements and shareholder agreements, minority owner oppression, and breach of fiduciary duty claims, often turning on what the governing documents actually say about voting, distributions, and exit.
• Family Business Disputes: Siblings who inherited a company, parents and children with different plans for it, and in-laws who share ownership. These cases require discretion and a clear focus on the financial interests at stake.
• Complex Contract Litigation: Purchase agreements, commercial leases, loan documents, construction contracts, and operating agreements, where the outcome depends on precise wording and the parties’ course of dealing.
• Missing Funds and Accounting Claims: Unpaid distributions, diverted company money, commingled accounts, and managers who cannot account for funds, with claims for an accounting, breach of fiduciary duty, and recovery.
• Partition Actions and Title Disputes: Former partners, heirs, unmarried couples, and investors who co-own real estate and cannot agree on its future, plus quiet title actions to clear competing ownership claims.
• Injunctions and Emergency Relief: Temporary and permanent injunctions to stop assets from being moved or spent, or to protect property and vital business interests while a dispute is pending.
• Real Estate Transactions and Litigation: Failed closings, purchase and sale contract disputes, and landlord and tenant matters for commercial and residential property.

What a Lighthouse Point Business Owner Should Do When a Dispute Surfaces

The first decision is whether the situation is urgent. If a partner is moving money, locking you out of accounts, or selling an asset, the priority is stopping the loss, and that can mean asking a court for emergency injunctive relief before anything else. A court that can freeze a bank account or block a transfer works faster than a demand letter, but it needs evidence, so start preserving records now: operating or partnership agreements, bank statements, tax returns, capital contribution records, emails and texts with your co-owner, and any amendments or side agreements. Do not delete anything, and do not confront a partner in writing in ways that hand the other side a narrative.

The second decision is how much time you have, because Florida deadlines are firm and differ by claim. A lawsuit on a written contract generally must be filed within five years, while a claim on an oral or implied contract has four years. A fraud claim runs four years from discovery, with an outer limit of 12 years. A claim to rescind a contract has four years. An action for specific performance carries a one-year period, which is the shortest of these and the one most often missed, particularly in real estate deals that fall apart at closing. Negligence-based claims are now limited to two years, and professional malpractice claims also carry a two-year period running from when the claim was or should have been discovered. Waiting to see whether a dispute resolves itself can quietly cost you a claim.

The third decision is the forum. Broward County cases go to the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, and Palm Beach County cases to the Fifteenth. Larger business disputes generally belong in circuit court. Broward also has a complex business division that handles matters such as dissolution of certain business entities and large business and construction litigation, and a case can be filed directly into that division by following the procedure set out in the circuit’s administrative order. Federal court in the Southern District of Florida is an option when jurisdictional requirements are met. The right forum affects speed, cost, and the judge who will hear your case, so it is worth settling before you file anything.

The common mistakes are predictable. Owners sign a buyout term sheet without a valuation, keep funding a company while a partner stonewalls, or assume a handshake arrangement will be honored. Others wait until a landlord or co-owner has already acted. Speak with a Lighthouse Point business litigation attorney before you respond to a demand, sign a separation document, or move company funds yourself.

How Florida Law Handles Dissolution, Buyouts, and Co-Owned Property

When owners are stuck, Florida gives courts real tools, but each has specific grounds. For an LLC, a manager or member can seek judicial dissolution when it is not reasonably practicable to carry on the business under the articles and operating agreement, when controlling members have acted or are expected to act illegally or fraudulently, when company assets are being misappropriated or wasted and causing injury, or when members are deadlocked and irreparable injury to the company is threatened or occurring. If the operating agreement contains a deadlock sale provision that is initiated before the court finds deadlock grounds, that provision controls instead of a dissolution order, so the exact words of your agreement can decide the whole case. In these proceedings a court may appoint a receiver or custodian after a hearing, or order a purchase of the petitioning member’s interest.

Corporations follow a parallel path. A shareholder can petition for dissolution on statutory grounds, including when the corporation has abandoned its business and failed to liquidate within a reasonable time. Once such a proceeding begins, the corporation must notify the other shareholders within 30 days that they can avoid dissolution by electing to buy the petitioner’s shares at fair value. If the parties agree on value and terms within 60 days after the first election is filed, the court enters an order directing the purchase on those terms, and an election to purchase is irrevocable unless the court finds it equitable to set it aside or modify it. During the case, a court can issue injunctions, appoint a receiver or custodian, and take steps to preserve company assets.

Real estate co-ownership has its own mechanism. Partition actions are brought in chancery under Chapter 64 of the Florida Statutes. The complaint must describe the land, identify the owners and where they live, and state what share each holds. If the court orders partition, it appoints three commissioners, chosen by the court unless the parties agree. When the commissioners conclude the land cannot be divided without prejudice to the owners, the court may order a sale at public auction with proceeds divided according to each owner’s interest. Property inherited by relatives can qualify as heirs property, which brings added protections under the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, including limits on when a court may order a sale. For title problems, a quiet title action asks a circuit court to cancel a conveyance or other evidence of title and remove a cloud on ownership; the plaintiff generally must trace title back at least seven years, and the suit may be filed in any county where part of the land lies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lighthouse Point Business Litigation

What does a business litigation attorney do for a small company?

A business litigation attorney handles disputes between owners, between a company and its customers or vendors, and over contracts, leases, and property. The work includes enforcing or defending agreements, pursuing missing funds, seeking emergency court orders, and negotiating separations between co-owners.

How long do I have to sue over a breach of contract in Florida?

A claim on a written contract generally must be filed within five years, and an oral or implied contract claim has four years. A suit to rescind a contract also has four years. Specific performance actions have only one year, so deals that collapse at closing need quick attention.

Can I force a partner out of my LLC?

It depends on your operating agreement and the partner’s conduct. Many agreements include buyout, expulsion, or dissociation provisions, and Florida law provides remedies when a member’s misconduct or a deadlock makes the company unworkable. Reviewing the agreement is the starting point.

What can I do if my partner is taking money from the business?

You may have claims for an accounting, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, and recovery of the funds. If assets are at risk of disappearing, a court can issue injunctive relief to stop transfers while the case is pending.

Does every business dispute end up in court?

No. Many are resolved through negotiation, mediation, or arbitration, and the firm’s attorneys have experience in all of them. The right path depends on your goals, your agreement, and how the other side behaves.

How is a business dispute heard in Broward County?

Larger disputes are filed in the circuit court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Broward County. The circuit has complex business divisions for large commercial matters, and direct filing into them follows the circuit’s administrative order. Smaller claims may belong in county court or small claims.

Can I fight a dissolution petition by buying out my partner?

In many shareholder disputes, yes. Florida’s corporate statute lets the corporation or the remaining shareholders elect to buy the petitioning shareholder’s shares at fair value, which can avoid dissolution. LLCs have a related court-ordered purchase mechanism, and a deadlock sale provision in your agreement may control instead.

My co-owner and I inherited a property and we disagree. What are my options?

You can negotiate a buyout or sale, or ask a court for partition. If the property qualifies as heirs property, Florida’s special rules apply and limit forced sales. A court weighs factors before ordering partition in kind or by sale.

I live in New York or New Jersey. Can you handle a Florida dispute for me?

Yes. The firm regularly represents clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who own businesses or property in South Florida. We handle local court appearances and keep you informed so you do not have to travel for every hearing.

Will I need to prove the other side acted in bad faith to win a contract case?

Not necessarily. Many contract cases turn on what the agreement says and whether it was performed, not on intent. Fiduciary duty and fraud claims do involve different showings, which is why identifying the right claims early matters.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer before a dispute becomes a lawsuit?

Often, yes. Early guidance on agreements, buyout terms, or a partner’s behavior can prevent the disagreement from escalating, and the firm’s outside general counsel program is built for companies that want that access.

Serving Business Litigation Clients From Lighthouse Point Across South Florida

The firm represents clients in Lighthouse Point and throughout Broward County, including neighboring Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Coconut Creek, and Plantation. Disputes in these communities often involve waterfront and commercial property, family-held companies, and investment partnerships. Our attorneys also serve Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Wellington, where many owners hold interests that tie back to a Broward business or property.

Clients in the tri-state area with business partners or co-owned real estate in South Florida also come to us, and referring attorneys from outside Florida rely on the firm to handle matters in both the Seventeenth and Fifteenth Judicial Circuits as well as federal court in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

Talk With a Lighthouse Point Business Litigation Attorney Today

If a partner, co-owner, tenant, or counterparty has put your company or property at risk, speak with a Lighthouse Point business attorney before deadlines or assets slip away. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team can review your agreements, explain your options, and recommend whether negotiation, mediation, or a court filing makes the most sense. Call to schedule a consultation and get a clear picture of where you stand.