Outside General Counsel for Businesses in Broward County

Owners searching for outside general counsel for businesses Broward County want one clear answer: what does an outside business lawyer actually handle? Outside general counsel is an ongoing legal relationship, not a single deal or a single lawsuit. KEW Legal is a Florida business law firm with offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. It serves business owners and investors across South Florida, including Broward County. Below is what that work covers and where Broward owners’ problems usually start.

What Outside General Counsel Means for a Broward Business

Outside general counsel is a standing relationship between a business and an outside law firm. The firm answers the legal questions that come up while the business runs. It is not a one-time job.

Think of it this way. Instead of hiring a new lawyer each time a partner disagrees or a lease needs review, the company works with one firm that already has its basic documents and goals in view.

KEW Legal is the firm responsible for this page. Its offices are in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. The firm serves businesses and property located in Broward County, but it does not have a Broward office. The firm limits its practice to the business-law areas listed in this guide.

Typical questions include these. Can a partner take money out without a vote? Does this vendor contract protect us? Can we classify this worker as a manager? What happens when a tenant stays past the lease? Each one turns on the documents and the facts.

Legal Issues Broward Business Owners Bring to Outside Counsel

Most Broward owners bring in a problem that started small. A co-owner stops answering questions. A vendor misses deliveries. A tenant pays late for a third month in a row.

Broward has many family-owned companies, multi-owner LLCs, investment holdings, retail and office tenants, and vendor-heavy operations. Each one faces the same basic questions: who owns what, who decides, who pays, and who signed.

The firm’s work covers partnership disputes, business contracts and vendor disputes, employment law for employers, business acquisition and sale, succession planning, commercial leases, real estate investment, and commercial evictions.

Early problems are usually easier to address. A buy-sell term that was never written down, a vendor agreement nobody signed, or a default notice left in a drawer can each grow into a larger dispute. Acting early leaves more options open.

Partner and Co-Owner Disputes in Broward Businesses

A partner dispute usually starts with the governing papers. In Florida, an LLC’s operating agreement governs relations among members and between members and the company. The statute fills in any gap the agreement leaves open (Florida LLC operating agreement rules).

Common fights include deadlock on decisions, capital calls, management disagreements, distributions, and suspected misuse of company funds. Members of a member-managed LLC owe duties of loyalty and care to the company (LLC member duties). The duty of loyalty includes accounting to the company for profit a member earns from company property.

Records matter. A member can inspect company records during business hours. If the company refuses, a court can order inspection, and it may order the company to pay reasonable attorney fees (court-ordered LLC inspection).

A member who sues on their own must show an injury that is not solely the company’s injury (member direct actions). Partnerships follow a similar path. A partnership may sue a partner for breach of the partnership agreement (partnership actions).

Common mistakes include waiting too long, asking for records only by text, and moving money without written support. Our guides on whether a partner can be sued for taking company money and on signs of a difficult business partner cover related questions.

No lawyer can promise how a partner dispute will end. Results depend on the documents, the facts and the law. If a matter fits better with another lawyer or firm, KEW Legal may refer it there.

Business Contracts, Vendor Disputes and Employment Questions

Most vendor disputes come down to two questions. What does the signed contract say? Is there a signed contract at all?

For goods priced at $500 or more, Florida requires a signed record of the sale. Without one, the contract generally cannot be enforced (sale of goods writing rule). Between businesses, a written confirmation can satisfy that rule unless the receiver objects in a record within 10 days.

Contract review covers payment terms, delivery, termination, dispute clauses, and notice addresses. When a vendor stops performing, the first step is reading what the contract requires.

For employers, the firm’s employment work covers policy questions, handbook issues, terminations, and workplace disputes. One frequent mistake is treating a worker as exempt from overtime only because they earn a salary. Federal exemptions depend on both pay and job duties (federal overtime exemption rule). Employers also have federal anti-discrimination duties (EEOC employer guidance).

Commercial Leases and Commercial Evictions for Broward Property Owners

In Florida, a landlord of nonresidential premises recovers possession through a court action, a surrender by the tenant, or an abandonment (commercial possession rule). Florida’s statute provides that this part applies to nonresidential tenancies and all tenancies not governed by part II of the chapter (statutory scope).

Changing the locks is not one of those routes. Owners who think a lock change will solve a default should review the lease and the statute first.

Holdover rent is a real cost. When a tenant refuses to give up possession at lease end, the landlord may demand double the monthly rent (holdover rent). Rent owed also bears interest from the date it becomes due.

Lease drafting shapes these fights. Clear language on renewal, default, cure periods, notice addresses, maintenance, and common-area charges prevents many arguments. A vague default clause often leads to disputes over whether a default happened at all.

Owners who live abroad and hold commercial property in Broward County often have questions about how a tenancy dispute is handled. KEW Legal handles commercial evictions for owners who live abroad. The firm cannot promise possession, rent recovery or a timeline. Each depends on the lease, the notices and the court process.

Buying, Selling and Succeeding a Business, Plus Investment Property

A business sale or succession plan is only as clear as its documents.

Buyers and sellers usually work through a purchase agreement, due diligence, and closing documents. Due diligence means checking contracts, leases, debts, employees, and records before anyone signs. An asset purchase and a stock purchase use different documents.

Succession planning covers transfers to family members, partners, or other successors. A buy-sell agreement sets who may buy, on what terms, and when. Florida’s LLC statute fills gaps when the operating agreement is silent. The common mistake is waiting until a death, illness, or dispute forces the question.

Investors need clear decisions on acquisition, entity structure, and how income property is held. Foreign owners selling U.S. real property face a federal withholding rule. The buyer generally withholds 15% of the amount realized (FIRPTA withholding). That withholding is based on the price, not the gain. This page does not predict tax results, valuations, or deal terms.

How an Engagement with KEW Legal Is Scoped

An engagement with KEW Legal is set in a written agreement. The agreement defines the scope of the work. It can cover one defined matter or an ongoing outside general counsel relationship.

Fees depend on scope. The engagement agreement lists every cost you may owe, such as filing, recording, and registered agent fees. Nothing on this page quotes a fee.

Does the firm offer outside general counsel for businesses Broward County?

Yes. KEW Legal serves businesses and property located in Broward County from offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach.

Can a lawyer promise a result?

No. No lawyer can promise an outcome, because results depend on the facts, the documents, and the law.

What does outside general counsel cost?

The cost depends on scope. The written engagement agreement lists the fees and the costs you may owe.

Do owners who live abroad get commercial eviction help?

Yes. KEW Legal handles commercial evictions for owners who live abroad. Florida’s process still governs the tenancy.

Talk With KEW Legal About Your Broward Business Matter

Whether you need outside general counsel for businesses Broward County on a steady basis or for one matter, the next step is a conversation about your documents and the facts. If a co-owner has stopped sharing records, a vendor has stopped performing, or a tenant has stayed past the lease, you can contact KEW Legal to schedule a consultation, call 305-990-2300, or send a message through the contact form.