Serving the greater Tampa Bay area

Legal New Year’s Resolutions

The start of a new year is a great time to do some legal housekeeping. Whether you are a small business owner or an individual, it is important to take a moment to consider some legal preventative maintenance to avoid large issues down the line. This is absolutely a situation where an ounce of prevention […]

Row of silver trophies and one gold isolated on white

Brent Gordon Selected as Super Lawyers Rising Star

Excited to announce that Brent Gordon of The Gordon Law Firm has been selected for another year as a Super Lawyer Rising Star! Please check out the issue of Super Lawyers magazine for the official list! Brent A. Gordon Selected In 2014Thomson Reuters

Florida Recording Requirements

Recording a document in the official records of a County is required in many circumstances to protect both you and the general public. In many ways, it serves to put the world on notice about subject of the document you recorded. The following documents can be recorded: Deed’s, Mortgages, Satisfactions, Releases, Liens, Assignments, other instruments […]

Business Spring Cleaning – a task list

Annual report filings for Florida businesses are due on or before May 1, 2014. To avoid late fees, your annual report must be filed by May 1st. This applies to all Corporations, LLC’s, and Limited Partnerships. The annual renewal will cost you $150 for a for profit corporation; $61.25 for a not for profit corporation; […]

Florida Bar Ethics Opinion Regarding Plea Waivers

As a member of the Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee, we recently approved Opinion 12-1 which was recommended by the Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics and ultimately adopted by the Florida Bar Board of Governors. In short, the Committee held that adding a condition to plea bargains prohibiting a defendant from later raising a […]

Fictitious Names in Florida

What is a fictitious name? A fictitious name means any name under which a person transacts business in this state, other than his legal name. Business means any enterprise or venture in which a person sells, buys, exchanges, barters, deals, or represents the dealing in any thing or article of value, or renders services for […]

The Application of Title VII and the ADA to Applicants or Employees Who Experience Domestic or Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued a question and answer sheet regarding how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act may apply to an employee who experiences domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. While not explicitly protected in the same way as […]

Non-Compete Agreements – Part II

6. What is considered a reasonable geographic scope? Reasonable geographic scope is often dependent on various other factors and their relationship to each other. Some of these factors are: geographic scope, time, nature of the restrictions, location of customers, and anything of value promised when making the agreement, all viewed in relationship to one another. […]

Non-Compete Agreements – Part I

1. What is a non-compete agreement? Non-compete agreements, also known as covenants not to compete, are simply contracts or provisions of contracts where one party agrees to refrain from conducting business similar to that of the other party. The general purpose of these agreements is to restrict the ability of employees who sign the agreement […]

Landmark Texting While Driving Case

While not binding on Florida Courts, this could be the first domino to fall that could set up Florida and other states to follow… The texting while driving case that could be a game-changer for this country. A New Jersey judge is expected to decide this week whether a woman who sent text messages to […]