A contract lawyer in Florida handles the contract law side of the agreements a business runs on, from the first draft to a dispute. That means drafting a new agreement so the terms start in your favor, reviewing one the other side wrote, negotiating the points that matter, explaining what a document actually commits you to, and acting for you when the other party does not perform. A contract attorney in Florida may do any of these for a single agreement, or stay on as the lawyer a business calls whenever a new deal arrives.
Legal Counsel, P.A. serves business owners throughout the state from offices in Winter Garden, Orlando and Seminole. Our business contract attorneys write contracts with enforcement in mind, because the same firm that drafts the agreement can also be the one that defends it. If you are not sure what a document in front of you says, send it over and we will tell you plainly what it commits you to.
Contract work sits inside our broader business law practice, which also covers forming companies, buying and selling businesses and trademarks.
Having a lawyer handle contracts before signing is the least expensive point at which to catch a problem. Most business owners sign contracts constantly: with vendors, customers, landlords, employees, contractors, lenders and partners. Some of that paper was written by the other side’s lawyer to favor the other side. A business contract attorney who reads it first can point out the terms that shift risk onto you, the missing terms that leave a gap, and the deadlines that are easy to overlook.
A sound business contract is legally binding on every party that signs it, and it usually settles a handful of points that a template often leaves out or gets wrong:
The right wording depends on the deal, and each term is there to protect your interests if the relationship changes.
Paying a lawyer to get these right before you sign usually costs far less than sorting out the consequences afterward. If you want a general starting point on the kinds of agreements companies use, our guide to the types of business contracts is a good place to begin, and the contract terms below are worth a read before any signing.
We prepare and review the range of commercial agreements a Florida business is likely to need. Each agreement below has its own page with more detail, grouped by the kind of relationship it governs.
Call Legal Counsel, P.A. at 407-982-4321 for a free consultation, or send
us the contract and we’ll tell you what it commits you to.
Hiring and engaging people is where many contract problems start. We handle employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, consulting agreements and subcontractor agreements, as well as the non-compete agreements that often travel with them.
Non-competes deserve a note for employers and business buyers. Under Florida’s restrictive covenant statute, a court shall not enforce a restrictive covenant unless it is set forth in a writing signed by the person against whom enforcement is sought. A non-compete that was never signed is therefore a problem before any other argument begins.
Protecting what makes a business valuable, including its information and intellectual property, takes the right paper. We prepare non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements, license agreements, linking agreements for websites, and electronic data interchange (EDI) agreements for companies that exchange business data electronically.
When goods or services move between businesses, the agreement decides what is delivered, what is paid and what happens if either side falls short. Our work includes sales agreements, supply agreements, exclusive supply agreements, exclusive sale agreements, master equipment lease agreements and finder’s fee agreements.
Lending money to a business, or borrowing it, should be written down clearly. We prepare and review loan agreements, promissory notes and mortgages and security agreements, so the terms of repayment and the collateral are stated plainly for both sides.
Some agreements govern an ongoing relationship rather than a single transaction. We handle management agreements, franchise agreements and indemnification agreements, which decide who pays when something goes wrong. These tend to be long, and they are rarely worth signing without a lawyer reading every clause.
When a contract goes wrong in Florida, the breach and the remedies available become the questions. Contract problems rarely arrive at a convenient time. A supplier stops delivering, a customer will not pay, or a former employee opens a competing shop. A breach of contract happens when one party does not do what the agreement requires, and the contract itself is the first thing anyone will read, which is why careful drafting matters.
Time limits matter once a dispute begins. Florida’s statute of limitations lists a legal or equitable action on a contract, obligation or liability founded on a written instrument among the actions that must be commenced within five years, subject to exceptions the statute sets out. Other kinds of claims have different deadlines, so do not wait to find out which one applies to you.
Most disagreements over a contract are resolved through a demand letter, negotiation or mediation, and some end in court. Our business litigation attorneys handle breach of contract claims and defenses when a dispute cannot be settled.
How to choose a contract lawyer in Florida comes down to experience and the questions you ask. People searching for the best contract lawyer in Florida are really asking how to tell one lawyer from another, and a few questions help more than a ranking list does.
Michele Diglio-Benkiran founded Legal Counsel, P.A. and has been practicing law since 1999, with an emphasis on business litigation and real estate law. Her business work includes contracts, corporate governance, and litigation over non-compete violations and contract disputes.
Richard Sierra is a commercial litigation and bankruptcy lawyer with more than 30 years of experience handling civil litigation for individuals, businesses and government agencies. Having a litigator involved when a contract is prepared means each clause can be written with its enforcement in mind. Together the firm offers Decades of Representation to business owners across the state.
Legal Counsel, P.A. serves business owners throughout the State of Florida. Our main office is in Winter Garden, with additional offices in Orlando and in Seminole in Pinellas County. For Central Florida companies, our Orlando business contract lawyers page goes further into local work.
A business contract attorney can review the agreement before you sign and tell you
plainly what’s in it. Schedule a consultation; the first conversation is free.
A contract lawyer drafts new agreements, reviews and negotiates ones written by the other side, explains what a contract commits you to, and acts for you when the other party does not perform. Some clients use us for a single agreement, and others call us whenever a new deal comes up.
In everyday use there is none. Both terms describe a lawyer who works on agreements, and the title matters less than the experience behind it. What matters is whether the lawyer handles the kind of agreement you have and will explain it clearly.
You are not required to have one, but it is the least expensive point at which to catch a problem. A lawyer can tell you what a clause means, what is missing, and which terms are worth negotiating before you are bound.
The cost of a contract attorney depends on the length and complexity of the agreement and whether the work is drafting, review or a dispute. We discuss the scope and the fees with you during the free consultation, so you know what to expect before you decide.
Whether a breach of contract claim is worth pursuing depends on what the contract says, what you lost, what the other side can pay and what the dispute will cost. A lawyer can weigh those factors with you before you decide, and many disputes are resolved without a lawsuit.
Gather the contract and the related emails, invoices and notices, and do not wait, because deadlines apply. A lawyer can review what the agreement requires and explain your options, which often begin with a demand letter or negotiation.
Yes, as a contract review attorney we can. Send us the contract and we will tell you what it commits you to, where it favors the other side and what we would raise before you sign.
If you have a contract to draft, a contract to review or a dispute over one, call Legal Counsel, P.A. at (407) 982-4321 for a free consultation, or use our contact form to tell us what you are dealing with.
The content on this website is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this site or contacting us through it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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