As experienced business owners know, quality relationships are as important to the success or failure of an enterprise as access to capital and a sound business plan. Our clients understand the value of frank advice, close collaboration, and strategic thinking. Whether litigating a commercial dispute for an established business, or managing legal services for start-up, our goal is to provide focused and efficient strategies for managing the unique challenges and risks each of our clients face. To that end, the firm provides services in three core areas:
Business Litigation
Brian Torres Legal prosecutes civil litigation on behalf of business clients in state and federal courts and in arbitration. Client matters frequently include claims for breach of contract and related damages, including lost profits; unfair trade practices and anticompetitive conduct; enforcement of restrictive covenants, such as non-competes; real estate litigation; fraud and misrepresentation; and financing-related claims. Often, these matters involve complex litigation, including class actions, in the complex business litigation sections of Florida circuit courts, or in federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceedings.
While most of the firm’s clients are local, the scope of the firm’s litigation practice is national and international. Brian Torres has appeared in litigation in various states outside of Florida, and during his career has co-counseled litigation matters with U.S. law firms in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington, DC, and with foreign law firms in Brazil, Canada, France and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, the firm serves as local counsel to large and mid-size law firms outside of Florida whose clients are parties to state and federal lawsuits in Florida.
Business “Divorce”
The firm represents clients in disputes with their business partners in closed corporations, partnerships, and LLC’s. Brian Torres has represented entrepreneurs and investors, corporate officers, LLC members and managers, limited partners, and shareholders, including those locked out or oppressed by majority owners. These disputes often involve claims for an accounting; breaches of fiduciary duty; fraud; misappropriation of property and trade secrets; judicial dissolution; the appointment of a receiver or custodian; and often require close coordination with qualified forensic accountants or certified fraud examiners.
Business Counseling
In recent years, Brian Torres has been asked by several of his clients to oversee the delivery of all legal services to their businesses, including to new start-ups, as “outside general counsel”. Typically, these businesses are not yet at the stage of growth where they need or can afford an in-house legal staff, but can benefit from a targeted assessment of their legal needs, and from outside counsel who can prepare and execute a plan to make sure those needs are met.
For these clients, Brian identifies, interviews and retains special counsel who can provide advice and transactional services in a variety of practice areas, which have included corporate formation and governance; tax planning; patent, copyright, and trademark protection; distribution and sales brokerage agreements; securities; healthcare administration and regulatory compliance; and real estate transactions, among others. Brian coordinates the activity of special counsel for these clients to ensure the timely delivery of legal services on budget, while relieving clients of the burden of managing these relationships so they can focus on their core business.