Cristofer A. Bennardo, Daniel R. Levine and Stephen J. Padula
Cristofer A. Bennardo, Board Certified, Real Estate; Daniel R. Levine, Board Certified, Labor and Employment Law; Stephen J. Padula, Double Board Certified, Business Litigation, Civil Trial
Padula Bennardo Levine’s tagline is smart and simple: Collaborative legal solutions for today’s business needs. And in 2016, with a mutual desire to set themselves apart from the competition by collaborating, Stephen J. Padula, Cristofer A. Bennardo and Daniel R. Levine formed their boutique business law firm and haven’t looked back.
Of course, forming their own law firm was a natural fit for these longtime Boca Raton residents. They are around the same age and have been friends and professional colleagues for decades. The synergies between their respective practice areas led to consistent business referrals throughout their approximately 25 years of practicing law. So, they logically figured, why not combine their respective skills and expertise under one roof?
“PBL” provides the South Florida business community with legal advice, counseling and representation in three main practice areas — business litigation, real estate and labor and employment law. “We knew we’d make a great team together; we’re all experts in our respective fields,” says Padula, who is double board certified in business litigation and civil trial, earning his BSBA degree from Lynn University and his JD degree from the University of Miami. Padula has litigated and tried numerous jury and nonjury cases involving business, real estate and construction, representing prominent business entities, real estate developers, contractors and distinguished individuals. Padula also has been involved in arbitrations, mediations and appeals throughout the country.
Bennardo — who is licensed to practice in Florida as well as Pennsylvania — is board certified in real estate, having earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University and his JD degree from the University of Miami as well. Bennardo’s real estate practice consists of past representative counsel in commercial and residential property transactions throughout the state of Florida on behalf of buyers, sellers, developers, lending institutions, area banks, brokers, contractors and national investment funds. Bennardo’s transactional practice includes acquisitions and sales of every kind, zoning and land use matters, title clearance and resolution, as well as the coordination of related business sales and property development.
Levine is board certified in labor and employment law, having earned his BA degree from the University of Florida and his JD degree, like his two partners, from the University of Miami. Levine’s labor and employment law practice primarily involves the representation of businesses before federal and state courts, as well as governmental agencies, in defense of employee claims for overtime, commissions, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Levine also provides advice and counseling to HR professionals, drafts employee handbooks and agreements and provides workplace training. Levine’s practice also involves alternative dispute resolution, with Levine serving in the role of mediator or arbitrator.
But after the three partners spent a weekend together in Naples as a strategic retreat, they returned to the idea of collaboration as a core value of the new firm. PBL has grown to a firm of seven lawyers, with the same support staff on the team from the beginning. “We are a one-stop shop for businesses needing legal services; each of the firm’s clients inevitably meets and spends time with the other lawyers to analyze the client’s issues from a different lens and perhaps suggest alternative options, either in terms of the current problem they are facing or avoiding similar problems in the future,” says Levine. And if the matter involves an area in which the firm does not practice, PBL uses its collective years of business relationships within the community, referring the client to another trusted professional. “It’s all about making sure the client’s needs are met and interests protected,” says Bennardo.
Padula Bennardo Levine, LLP, 3837 N.W. 2nd Ave., Ste. 200, Boca Raton, 561-544-8900, pbl-law.com
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