Michael E. Boutzoukas

Michael E. Boutzoukas, an attorney in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, focuses his practice in the areas of commercial real estate and business transactions, leasing and financing.  In 2009 he became one of approximately 450 attorneys in Florida to achieve Board Certification in Real Estate Law.  Board Certification by the Florida Bar is the highest level of recognition of an attorney’s competency and expertise in one or more of 24 areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida.

He also provides general consultation and guidance in legal matters to business clients, leveraging his own transactional experienced with the firm’s specialists in taxation, employment law and securities to serve his clients needs. Mr. Boutzoukas' peers call upon him to assist them with their client's real estate and business transactional disputes to gain perspective on the best course of resolution. He speaks before realtors, attorneys and businesses groups on commercial real estate transactions, leasing issues, title matters, and ad valorem tax valuation challenges.

Notable Client Accomplishments

• Completed a complex land swap for a private client with the Florida D.O.T., allowing the client to develop a corner parcel on a major Tampa thoroughfare.
• Assisted clients with the purchase of multi-million dollar landmark restaurant
• Secured a major reductions in the annual valuations of large land parcel landowners saving those clients several hundred thousand dollars in real estate taxes.
• Closed the sale of an actuarial firm and third party insurance administrator to a Georgia insurance company
• Co-representation of a food processing/dehydrating and packaging facility when the client was purchased by an international leader in the global food industry.
• Defended a non-profit association and set aside tens of thousands of dollars in fines and negotiated a resolution that allowed the client to continue its cultural activities.

The focus of Mr. Boutzoukas's Real Estate Practice includes:

• Representation of clients in commercial real estate transactions such as the purchase or sale of commercial facilities, plants, and income properties
• Assistance to clients with legal issues arising out of the joint or common ownership of real property, such as division of ownership, partition or joint ownership agreements
• Drafting and negotiation of lease documents for landlords and tenants in commercial lease settings
• Review and negotiation of commercial loan documentation for property owners/borrowers
• Drafting and representation of commercial loan documents for lenders
• Appearances before municipal and regulatory boards
• Representation in court proceedings related to real property transactions and ownership such as breach of contract issues, foreclosure matters, landlord/tenant disputes and partition actions.
• Ad Valorem Tax appeals

Mr. Boutzoukas also represents clients in:

• Entity formation and entity governance for small businesses, including corporations, s-corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures and partnerships
• Pre-litigation dispute review and risk mitigation counseling to avoid litigation
• Asset sales and purchases, including counseling clients involved in business transactions for the purchase and sale of business assets and operations from contract to closing.
• Corporate governance advice and the review and legal analysis of business contracts and procedures to identify and assist clients with the implementation of streamlined and effective procedures aimed at minimizing exposure to litigation.