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Amy Bales focuses on the areas of corporate law, real estate, intellectual property (including trademarks, service marks and copyrights) and entertainment law. She is admitted to the Florida Bar.

Corporate, M&A & Securities Lawyer | Managing Attorney, DP Counsel PLLC Practice Areas: Business Formation | Commercial Contracts | Contract Drafting & Review | Mergers & Acquisitions | Venture Capital | Securities Offerings | Franchise Law | Employment & Equity Compensation | Intellectual Property | Cross-Border Transactions About/Bio: I represent companies, investors, and fund sponsors in corporate transactions, commercial contracting, and private securities matters, from entity formation and early-stage financings to acquisitions, exits, and ongoing strategic counsel. As Managing Attorney of DP Counsel PLLC, I help clients structure transactions clearly, allocate risk thoughtfully, and move deals forward with documentation that is practical, enforceable, and aligned with business objectives. My practice includes both day-to-day commercial matters and more complex transactional work, including venture financings, private offerings, M&A deals, fund-related documents, and cross-border structuring. What I Do: Corporate & Commercial • Entity formation and structuring for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships • Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and governance documents • Commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation • Vendor, distribution, manufacturing, SaaS, and licensing agreements • Employment, consulting, confidentiality, and equity compensation agreements • Outside general counsel support for growing companies Securities & Private Capital • Private offerings under Regulation D and Regulation S • Private placement memoranda, subscription agreements, and investor documents • SAFE, convertible note, and priced equity financings • Venture capital and private fund formation matters • Fund governing documents and offering document packages • Securities law analysis for private capital raising transactions Mergers & Acquisitions • Letters of intent and term sheets • Stock purchase, asset purchase, and merger agreements • Due diligence coordination and transaction support • Disclosure schedules, closing documents, and post-closing matters • Earnouts, rollover equity, indemnity structures, and related deal terms • HSR, CFIUS, and related regulatory issue spotting for qualifying transactions Digital Assets & Emerging Technologies • Federal-law digital asset and token securities analysis • Entity structuring for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Digital asset fund and operating structures • AML/KYC documentation support and regulatory issue spotting Franchising • Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) • Franchise agreements • Master franchise and area development agreements • Franchise structuring and registration coordination Real Estate Transactions • Commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions • Real estate joint ventures and syndications • Commercial lease drafting and negotiation • Real estate investment structures and related offering documents Cross-Border & International • U.S. market entry and entity structuring for international clients • Delaware and multi-entity holding structures • Cross-border transaction planning and documentation • Coordination with foreign counsel and tax advisors on cross-border matters Why Clients Hire Me: • Big-law-level drafting with boutique responsiveness • Practical, business-focused advice grounded in execution reality • Clear scoping and transparent fee arrangements • Experience across financings, acquisitions, fund formations, and cross-border transactions Typical Projects: • Contract drafting and negotiation • Entity formation and governance packages • Private offering document suites • Venture financing documentation • M&A transactions from LOI through closing • Fractional or outside general counsel support Industries Technology | SaaS | FinTech | Digital Assets | E-commerce | Healthcare | Real Estate | Food & Beverage | Professional Services

Delivering proactive and strategic guidance to health and fitness professionals and entities as they scale.

I am an accomplished attorney with more than 19 years of experience and extensive expertise in business negotiations, commercial contracts, and technology transactions. With a proven track record of providing strategic legal advice and delivering exceptional results, I have successfully assisted numerous clients in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various business arrangements. My experience encompasses a wide range of areas, including intellectual property, data privacy and security, SaaS agreements, and software licenses. I co-founded a reputable general corporate law firm with three offices in Aspen, Atlanta, and New York. As a partner and attorney, I represented diverse clients, including start-ups, public corporations, investors, financial institutions, educational institutions, and non-profit entities. With a focus on delivering comprehensive legal solutions, I provided general counsel, expert dispute resolution, efficient litigation management, and skillful contract drafting and negotiations for businesses across industries.

I am a business attorney focused on practical, efficient contract drafting, review, and negotiation for healthcare organizations and growth-stage and established businesses. My work includes commercial agreements such as NDAs, MSAs/SOWs, leases, vendor and services agreements, SaaS, and employment and severance agreements. I partner closely with clients to identify key legal and business risks, deliver clear, business-minded redlines with concise issue summaries, and keep transactions moving. Clients value my responsive turnaround, judgment, and ability to balance risk with commercial objectives.

I am an experienced, well-rounded attorney with a background specializing in trusts and estates, contracts and business law. I have extensive experience working with simple contracts all the way up to multi-million dollar deals.

Drew Melville is a Florida and Massachusetts-licensed attorney with fourteen years' experience in real estate transactions, title insurance and land use. His practice includes all aspects of commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint venture formation, leasing and land use approvals. Mr. Melville is a title agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, First American Title Insurance Company, and Stewart Title Guaranty Company. Mr. Melville's practice is national in scope, and he brings a creative and solution-oriented approach to his clients' diverse array of real estate investment and development activities in all real estate asset classes. These often include urban infill, adaptive reuse, affordable and workforce housing, historic preservation, sustainable building, brownfield or gray-field redevelopment and opportunity zones. Prior to starting his own firm, he was an in house counsel for the real estate development subsidiary of a large, diversified land and agribusiness company. To date, Mr. Melville has closed over $1.2 billion in commercial real estate transactions.

Florida Licensed Attorney & CFA® Charterholder Specializing in Immigration, Taxation, Aviation, Bankruptcy, Estate & Succession, and Business & Civil Litigation

hawuki attended SUNY Binghamton where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Leadership & Consulting. Shawuki then went on to pursue his Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law (WMU Cooley). During his time at WMU Cooley, Shawuki served as Justice of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, Vice President of Entertainment of Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and an Associate Editor of the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law. At the conclusion of law school, Shawuki graduated with cum laude honors earning a spot on the Honor Roll and Dean's List. Professionally, Shawuki is an attorney/contract advisor and a serial entrepreneur. As the Managing Attorney of The Hilton Law Firm, PLLC, Shawuki has aided over a dozen startups and existing businesses with contractual, regulatory, administrative, and other legal matters. As a Canadian Football League (CFL) Contract Advisor, Shawuki has negotiated multiple player contracts, ensuring just compensation for his clients. Entrepreneurially, Shawuki is an owner of multiple businesses and has a wealth of business experience. Shawuki is a member of the Florida and District of Columbia Bar, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society, and was recently named to the National Black Lawyers Top 40 under 40 list Florida.

Mrs. Rivera graduated from Palmetto High School in 2009 and went on to attend Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. After graduating from Florida State University with a B.S. degree in Criminology and a minor in Philosophy in April 2012, she went on to attend the University of Central Florida where she earned a M.S. Degree in Criminal Justice in August 2013. That same month, She started law school at Stetson University College of Law. ​ While in Law school, Mrs. Rivera participated on Stetsons #1 Trial team. In May 2016, Mrs. Rivera graduated with her law degree and in December 2016, Mrs. Rivera obtained her Masters in Law from Stetson University through its Joint J.D./LL.M degree in Advocacy program. Mrs. Rivera was a part of the first graduating class for this joint program at Stetson University. ​ As a Law student, Mrs. Rivera was a law clerk at a well-known plaintiffs employment law firm in Tampa, FL and also interned for the Honorable Judge Edward Larose of the Second District Court of Appeal where she was able to draft PCA opinions draft legal opinions that were ultimately published. Mrs. Rivera also went on to participate as a Certified Legal Intern (CLI) with the 6th Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender in Pinellas County, FL and an Intern for LegalAid of Manasota in Sarasota, FL. ​ After Law School, Mrs. Rivera began her legal career working as a Public Defender with the Ninth Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender in Orlando, FL. During her time as a Public Defender, Mrs. Rivera litigated more than 20 trials, representing both adults and juveniles accused of Misdemeanor and Felony offenses. After engaging in extensive civil, criminal and family law litigation, Mrs. Rivera decided it was time to finally open Allstarr Legal, P.A. in order to provide both affordable and quality legal representation to the people of the State of Florida. Mrs. Rivera practices throughout the entire state of Florida.