Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, PLLC

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow is a transactional law firm that offers comprehensive legal services to its clients to help them navigate their sophisticated legal issues. DMHD attorneys offer a high level of client service and legal knowledge regarding complex transactions in the areas of corporate, real estate, finance, intellectual property, technology, land use, zoning & government relations law and environmental law. DMHD is uniquely positioned to address our clients’ transactional needs and accomplish their goals.

REAL ESTATE LAW - DMHD’s real estate practice encompasses a broad range of complex real estate transactions, as well as more traditional real estate development, financing, purchase, sale, and leasing transactions. We regularly manage multimillion dollar projects, and our team includes lawyers recognized by their peers as preeminent. Our team’s diverse experience enables us to advise clients on the full spectrum of issues in real estate transactions, as a single source for answers concerning the real estate business regarding tax structuring, entity formation, government relations, securities, as well as mergers and acquisitions that include real estate.

CORPORATE LAW - With an entrepreneurial focus, DMHD emphasizes practical legal solutions that make business sense for our clients at all stages of development, including start-ups, emerging growth companies and established public corporations. We advise our clients on a wide range of corporate matters, including entity formation and governance, legal issues regarding daily and long-term operational issues, and all types of contracts and agreements. Our corporate attorneys are also experienced in securities, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, government certification and intellectual property.

LAND USE, ZONING & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LAW - DMHD attorneys address issues and develop opportunities for both the public and private sectors in the areas of land use, zoning, incentives, and procurement. Our team has mastered the technical and procedural aspects of regulatory and administrative policy and can provide clients with a unique perspective and intimate knowledge of local, state and federal government. We represent large-scale developers, contractors, non-profits, and quasi-governmental organizations throughout the state of Florida.

Corporate — Tax structuring of corporate acquisitions and tax-free reorganizations for S corporations and C corporations.

Limited liability companies (LLCs) and partnerships — Formation, operation, recapitalization and acquisitions.

Tax-exempt organizations — Formation, operation, reorganization, compliance and governance.

Real estate — Like-kind exchanges, development, multi-party investment and other transactions.

Tax credits and subsidies — Federal incentive tax credits and alternative energy federal tax subsidies.

Additionally, we assist clients in alcohol licensing matters including resort, hotel and restaurant licensing, regulatory compliance, and permitting of breweries and distilleries.

FINANCE LAW - DMHD attorneys assist clients in a wide variety of loan transactions, from real estate secured loans to asset-based loans on behalf of both lenders and borrowers. We provide sophisticated legal services to our clients in the evolving lending market.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW - DMHD assists clients in a broad range of industries in the identification and protection of their intellectual property rights. Our experience relating to trademarks includes clearance searches, federal and state trademark registrations, management of trademark portfolios and trademark disputes. Similarly, we advise our clients on copyright matters and assist in obtaining federal copyright registrations. Our intellectual property attorneys also draft and negotiate license agreements and assignments related to copyright and trademark rights. We assist clients in obtaining security interests in these rights as well. DMHD’s intellectual property attorneys advise clients regarding game promotion and sweepstakes regulations, including structuring promotions to achieve client goals and to comply with Florida law, drafting promotion rules, and drafting affidavits of eligibility and liability releases.

• Patents — DMHD's patent attorneys perform patentability searches, provide patentability opinions, counsel clients regarding the proper protection of patents, ascertain ownership of patents, prepare patent licenses and determine if new products infringe the patent rights of others.

• Trademarks — Attorneys at DMHD perform trademark searches, register trademarks and provide opinions on registration. Our intellectual property group prepares trademark licenses and counsels clients on proper trademark use and policing techniques to protect their trademark.

• Copyrights — Creative works such as books, music, films, computer programs, computer games and photographs can be protected under the law through the proper use of copyright. Our attorneys counsel clients on the registration procedures required for that protection.

• Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition — To protect valuable trade secret assets, DMHD attorneys provide clients with employment contracts and consulting arrangements that cover the maintenance of confidentiality. We also prepare licensing and assignment agreements for trade secret information.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW - DMHD attorneys combine industry-specific experience with the firm’s wide-ranging experience in corporate law to help our clients navigate the dynamic and constantly evolving technology landscape. We take the time to understand our clients’ specific challenges and employ innovative tools and strategies to tailor solutions that protect and preserve their technological interests and intellectual property.

Our attorney’s experience encompasses software development, licensing and maintenance, e-commerce transactions and sales of businesses with significant intellectual property assets. Preparation and negotiation of a variety of technology-related agreements, including software licensing, hosting, distribution and maintenance, software development, master software licenses and related statements of work, integrated hardware and software purchases and licenses, source code, consulting, non-compete and non-solicitation, nondisclosure, website development and website terms and conditions, are also offered by our attorneys.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - The environmental attorneys at DMHD understand the complex regulatory regime facing developers and other businesses and have broad experience not only representing the regulated community but also working within government regulatory bodies. We can help guide clients through permitting, compliance, environmental due diligence and enforcement of matters involving air, water, natural resources, wetlands, solid and hazardous waste, renewable energy, release reporting, remediation, and land use.