Going Public Attorney • Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Going Public Attorney in Fort Lauderdale

By · Managing Partner
Last updated

Planning to take your company public? Our Fort Lauderdale-based attorneys specialize in IPOs, direct listings, SPAC mergers, and alternative paths to public markets for companies across Marine, Finance, Technology.

Selective M&A Practice
Personal Attention
Senior Counsel on Every Deal

Talk to Alex About Your Fort Lauderdale Transaction

Share the basics. Alex reviews every inquiry personally.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

What We Do

Alex Lubyansky handles ipo & going public law work for buyers and sellers in Fort Lauderdale and across the country. Here is what that looks like:

  • Traditional IPOs and underwritten offerings
  • Direct listings and direct IPOs
  • SPAC business combinations
  • Reverse mergers and shell company transactions
  • OTCQB and OTCQX listings
  • Regulation A Tier 2 offerings (mini-IPOs)
  • Exchange listing applications (NYSE, NASDAQ)
  • Corporate governance and board structuring

Who We Serve

We work best with people who know what they want and are ready to move:

  • Growth companies ready for public markets
  • Private equity-backed portfolio companies
  • Mature private companies seeking liquidity
  • Foreign companies seeking U.S. listings
  • Pre-IPO companies building infrastructure
  • Companies considering alternatives to traditional IPOs

See If Your Deal Is a Fit

Tell us what you are working on. We respond within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

What Happens After You Submit

We don't take every matter. Here is what happens when you reach out.

1

Personal Review (Within 24 Hours)

Alex reviews your transaction details personally. No intake coordinators, no junior associates screening your submission.

2

Fit Assessment

We evaluate whether your deal aligns with our practice. Not every matter is a fit, and we will tell you directly if it is not.

3

Initial Conversation

If there is alignment, Alex schedules a direct call to discuss your transaction, timeline, and objectives.

4

Clear Engagement Terms

Before any work begins, you receive a written engagement letter with defined scope, timeline, and fee structure. No surprises.

Request Your Fort Lauderdale Engagement Assessment

Alex Lubyansky handles every ipo & going public law engagement personally.

15+ years of M&A experience. Nationwide. One attorney on every deal.

Request Engagement Assessment

We review every transaction inquiry within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

Questions to Ask Any M&A Attorney Before Hiring

Use these before you call any firm, including ours.

1. "Who will actually handle my transaction?"

At many firms, a partner sells the work and a junior associate does it. Ask for the name of the attorney who will draft and negotiate your documents.

2. "How many M&A transactions has the lead attorney closed in the past 12 months?"

Volume indicates current, active deal experience, not just credentials from years ago.

3. "What is your experience with my deal size and industry?"

A $500K SBA acquisition and a $50M PE deal require different skill sets. Make sure the attorney has handled transactions similar to yours.

4. "Will you coordinate with my CPA, financial advisor, and broker?"

M&A transactions require a team. Your attorney should work with your other advisors, not in a silo.

5. "How do you handle post-closing disputes?"

Reps, warranties, and indemnification claims surface months after closing. Ask whether the firm handles post-closing litigation or refers it out.

6. "What is your fee structure, and what drives cost?"

Hourly, flat fee, or hybrid. Ask what factors increase legal costs so there are no surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from Fort Lauderdale clients

What can I expect during an initial consultation in Fort Lauderdale?
During your confidential initial consultation in Fort Lauderdale, we'll discuss your ipo & going public law needs, review your current situation, assess potential challenges specific to Florida, and outline a clear path forward. We'll explain our process, answer your questions, and determine if we're the right fit for your needs.
Do you work with companies outside of Fort Lauderdale?
Yes, we represent clients nationwide while maintaining a strong presence in Fort Lauderdale. Our managing partner handles ipo & going public law matters across all 50 states, coordinating with local counsel where state-specific requirements apply.

Need Specific Guidance?

Submit your transaction details for a preliminary assessment by our managing partner

Submit Transaction Details

Ready to Discuss Your Fort Lauderdale Deal?

Submit transaction details and Alex will respond directly.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

M&A Market: Fort Lauderdale & the Miami Metro

Miami has emerged as a major M&A hub driven by the influx of financial services firms, tech companies, and hedge funds relocating from the Northeast. The city's position as a gateway to Latin America creates unique cross-border deal flow in import/export, hospitality, and real estate services. South Florida's rapid population growth is fueling acquisitions in healthcare, insurance, and home services.

Top M&A Sectors Near Fort Lauderdale

  • Financial Services
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Healthcare
  • Real Estate Services
  • International Trade

Deal Environment

Miami's booming economy has attracted significant PE capital, creating competitive dynamics for quality targets in healthcare and technology. Cross-border transactions require counsel experienced in both US deal structures and Latin American business customs.

Why Acquire in the Miami Area

Florida's explosive population growth (adding 1,000+ residents per day) creates organic revenue growth for acquired businesses, making South Florida targets particularly attractive to growth-oriented acquirers.

Florida Legal Considerations

Florida enforces non-compete agreements more broadly than most states, with courts applying a 'reasonableness' standard that generally favors enforcement - this gives buyers stronger tools to protect acquired business value through employee retention.

Local Market Context

Fort Lauderdale M&A Market

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA · MSA population 6.7M

MSA Population (2024)

6.7M

U.S. Census Bureau

Top Industry Concentration

  1. 1 international finance and banking
  2. 2 real estate and construction
  3. 3 trade and logistics

Miami has emerged as a significant M&A hub due to its position as the gateway for Latin American capital and a growing technology and finance migration destination. Cross-border M&A involving Latin American buyers and US targets, or US buyers acquiring Latin American businesses, is a distinguishing characteristic of Miami deal activity. The metro has also attracted hedge funds and private equity firms relocating from New York, adding deal-making capacity.

Major Fort Lauderdale Employers and Deal Anchors

  • Carnival Corporation
  • World Fuel Services
  • Lennar
  • Baptist Health South Florida
  • Citadel (relocated HQ)
  • Hemisphere Media Group

Transit and Logistics

Miami International Airport is the top US airport for international freight by value. Port of Miami and Port Everglades are major container and cruise ports. The metro is the principal US-Latin America trade gateway.

Recent Fort Lauderdale Deal Signal (2024-2025)

Private equity firms that relocated to Miami from New York completed notable portfolio company acquisitions in 2024, while cross-border M&A involving Latin American targets continued at an elevated pace driven by favorable USD exchange rates and regional growth.

Source (accessed 2026-04-27)

Local Regulatory Notes for IPO & Going Public Law

Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) handles securities oversight. Florida has no state income tax, which is a deal-structuring consideration for asset versus stock sale elections.

Florida Legal Considerations for IPO & Going Public Law

Non-Compete Laws

Strongly enforced under statutory framework (Section 542.335). Hardship to employee not considered.

Filing Requirements

Entity mergers, conversions, and dissolutions require filing with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz). Bulk asset purchasers must obtain a clearance letter from the Department of Revenue. Professional license transfers require separate filings with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Key Florida Considerations

  • Florida's non-compete statute expressly prohibits courts from considering the hardship to the restricted party, making it one of the most employer-friendly non-compete regimes in the country
  • Florida has no personal income tax, which significantly affects deal structure and makes pass-through entity acquisitions (S-corps, LLCs) particularly tax-efficient for Florida-resident buyers
  • Florida's homestead exemption (unlimited value, subject to acreage limits) can complicate personal guarantees and indemnification provisions in acquisition agreements involving individual sellers

Florida Bar Authority

The Florida Bar (mandatory unified bar). Unified/integrated bar. Membership required to practice law in Florida.

Bar association website

Florida Federal and Business Courts

Federal districts: N.D. Fla., M.D. Fla., S.D. Fla.

Business court: Florida Circuit Court Business Courts (multiple counties) (established 2003) Specialized business court divisions operate in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough (Tampa), and Orange (Orlando) counties. Florida Statute sec. 542.335 governs restrictive covenants and is nationally notable for its pro-enforcement stance.

Florida M&A Market Context

Florida is a major lower-middle-market M&A state, with Miami as an international deal-flow hub and Tampa-Orlando as domestic healthcare and distribution transaction centers.

Watchpoints

Common Fort Lauderdale IPO & Going Public Law Pitfalls

These are the items we see derail ipo & going public law transactions in the Fort Lauderdale market. Each one is rooted in current statutory law, recent legislative changes, or recurring patterns from the deals Alex has handled.

1

Florida non-compete enforcement and earn-out exposure

State legal framework

Strongly enforced under statutory framework (Section 542.335). Hardship to employee not considered.

"Founders get excited about the check amount and focus on valuation headlines while the fine print gets glossed over."
Alex Lubyansky · Alex LinkedIn Published (Notion library)
2

Fort Lauderdale local regulatory exposure

Local regulatory

Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) handles securities oversight. Florida has no state income tax, which is a deal-structuring consideration for asset versus stock sale elections.

3

Florida regulatory framework attorneys flag at LOI

State statute

Securities regulated by Florida Office of Financial Regulation (flofr.gov). Florida follows a comprehensive securities act; Blue Sky notice filings required for Reg D. Florida is a significant enforcement state for unregistered offerings.

Other Going Public Attorney Service Areas Near Fort Lauderdale

Acquisition Stars represents clients across Florida and nationwide. Alex Lubyansky handles every engagement personally.

Don't see your city? View all Going Public Attorney service areas or contact us directly.

Attorney perspective on going public attorney matters in Fort Lauderdale

Alex Lubyansky, Managing Partner at Acquisition Stars
"Buying a business is equally attractive right now, if not more attractive, than investing in more traditional means. A Vanguard index fund is a fantastic investment. It's stable. It's calm. It's predictable. Few fires, and you know what you'll get over the long haul. But for a certain personality type, acquisition gives you something an index fund can't... not just from a return perspective, but from a lifestyle one. Folks with a proper deal team and proper guidance are finding businesses, cash flowing them, and minimizing the time they spend running them over the long term. It's not perfect. It's not easy. It's not hands off. But it is manageable once you've developed your teeth in the field. That's why you're seeing people get into the space who traditionally wouldn't have done so."
Alex Lubyansky, Senior Counsel On founder psychology (advisory) (Leo Landaverde M&A Podcast)

15+ years of M&A and securities transaction experience Senior counsel on every engagement Admitted in Michigan, practicing nationwide

Reviewed by Alex Lubyansky on . Read full bio

Ready to Talk About Your Fort Lauderdale Deal?

Alex Lubyansky handles every engagement personally. Tell us about your transaction and we will let you know if there is a fit.

Request Engagement Assessment

Tell us about your deal. We review every submission and respond within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

One attorney on every deal. Nationwide. 15+ years of M&A experience.