Partnership Disputes: Clear Counsel for Business Owners

Partnership Dispute Lawyer Aventura | KEW Legal

Partnership Disputes Aventura Business Owners Bring to KEW Legal

A partnership dispute is a disagreement between co-owners about money, control, duties, or how an owner leaves the business. If you need a partnership dispute lawyer in Aventura, KEW Legal helps owners of limited liability companies (LLCs) and partnerships work through these disagreements. We serve Aventura clients from our Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach offices.

This page is for co-owners, LLC members, and investors whose partner has stopped cooperating. Common triggers include:

• A deadlock, where owners cannot agree on key decisions
• Distributions (payments from company profits) that one owner considers unfair
• Capital contributions (money or property put into the business) that are unpaid or disputed
• A partner who takes company funds or a business opportunity
• A buyout discussion that has stalled

What Our Partnership Dispute Work Covers

Our work starts with the governing documents and moves toward a settlement or a court filing if one is needed. Here is what that includes:

• Document review. We review the operating agreement (the written rules for an LLC) or the partnership agreement, plus any buy-sell terms. Florida law provides that the operating agreement governs relations among members and between the members and the limited liability company, and that chapter 605 governs matters the operating agreement does not otherwise provide for.
• Owner duties. Members of a member-managed LLC owe duties of loyalty and care. The duty of loyalty includes not competing with the company before dissolution (Fla. Stat. § 605.04091).
• Demands and negotiation. We send demand letters, negotiate with the other owner or their lawyer, and put buyout, transfer, and release terms in writing.
• Mediation and litigation. We prepare for mediation and represent clients in Florida courts when a negotiated result is not possible.
• Dissolution and winding up. During winding up, a dissolved LLC may settle disputes by mediation or arbitration (Fla. Stat. § 605.0709).
• Related contracts and leases. A dispute often touches vendor contracts or a commercial lease, and we review those too.

How a Partnership Dispute Matter Moves Forward

A typical matter moves through five steps, from the first call to mediation or court if needed.

1. Consultation. You describe the dispute, the timeline, and whether a written agreement exists.
2. Document review. We gather the operating agreement, bank records, emails, and capital account statements.
3. Options review. We compare negotiation, mediation, a buyout, dissolution, and a lawsuit, with the steps and likely costs of each.
4. Demand and negotiation. A written demand goes to the other owner, followed by settlement papers if both sides agree.
5. Mediation or litigation. If talks fail, we move forward and update you at each stage.

Timing matters. In an LLC dissolution case started by a member, the company or other members may elect to buy the petitioner’s interest. That election may be filed within 90 days after the petition, unless the court allows a later time (Fla. Stat. § 605.0706). Under the partnership buyout rules (Fla. Stat. § 620.8701), if a partner is dissociated from a partnership without a dissolution and winding up of the partnership business, and no agreement is reached within 120 days after a written demand, the partnership pays the dissociated partner in cash its estimated buyout price and accrued interest, reduced by any offsets under subsection (3). Timelines vary with the documents, the other owner’s response, and court schedules.

Why Clients in Aventura Work With KEW Legal

KEW Legal is a Florida business law firm that acts as outside general counsel for business owners and investors. Kristina E. Wilson is the lawyer named on this page, and she focuses her practice on business law, including partnership disputes.

• One firm for agreements and daily contracts. The same firm can review the documents that govern your business and the contracts it relies on.
• Offices in Coral Gables and Sunny Isles Beach. We represent clients in Aventura, Miami-Dade, and Broward County from those offices.
• Support staff and lawyer roles. Support staff handle document requests, scheduling, and status updates. The lawyer handles strategy and negotiation.
• Planning before the next dispute. Business succession planning helps owners set exit terms in advance.

What to Gather Before Your Consultation

Bring these items to your first call, even if some are incomplete.

• The operating agreement or partnership agreement, with any amendments, signed or not
• Capital contribution records and bank statements for the business
• Recent distribution and payroll records
• Emails, texts, and meeting notes with the other owner
• A short written timeline of key events and any demands already sent
• Any commercial lease or major vendor contract the dispute could affect

Common Concerns About Partnership Disputes

Can a partner be forced out? The answer depends on the facts, the governing documents, and Florida law. A departing member has no automatic right to a distribution, because dissociation does not entitle a person to one (Fla. Stat. § 605.0404).

Does every dispute end in a lawsuit? No. Some owners settle through talks or mediation, and we review those options at intake. Whether to dissolve the company or leave it inactive is a separate decision that we discuss in the consultation.

Your first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.

Frequently Asked Questions About Partnership Dispute Lawyers in Aventura

Talk to KEW Legal About Your Partnership Dispute

If a co-owner has stopped cooperating, you can start by contacting KEW Legal now. Maybe a buyout has stalled, a deadlock has frozen decisions, or you’re weighing whether to stay in the business or leave it. Those are the points where the operating agreement, the buyout terms, and the deadlines matter most. Schedule your consultation, call 305-990-2300, or send us a message to describe your dispute.