Forming a Florida LLC, S-corp, or Delaware C-corp in Tampa Bay?
Florida has no state income tax, a friendly LLC statute, and one of the cheapest formation regimes in the country. That makes Tampa a magnet for founders — and it makes choosing the right entity structure more consequential, not less. The 10 firms below form, structure, and counsel businesses across the Tampa Bay metro.
These 10 firms handle LLC formation, founder agreements, S-corp elections, and Delaware C-corp work across Tampa and the surrounding Florida market — from solo founders and family businesses to mid-market companies and national brands with local exposure.
How we picked these 10: We cross-referenced peer-reviewed rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, Best Law Firms), Avvo and Justia client review patterns, state bar specialization listings, and published case results. Firms that appeared consistently across at least two independent directories made the list. We do not accept payment for placement and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
AmLaw 50 firm with major Tampa office at 100 N. Tampa Street, Suite 4100. Florida-rooted firm with national bench. Tampa attorneys cover corporate, tax, IP, employment, M&A, and real estate.
Why they made the list: Chambers USA Band 1 in Corporate/M&A Florida. Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Corporate Law statewide.
Florida-rooted national firm with a Tampa office at 4221 W. Boy Scout Boulevard. Corporate and securities bench serves Florida public and private companies, plus the firm's national insurance-industry book.
Why they made the list: Chambers USA ranked in Corporate/M&A Florida. Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Corporate Law.
Founded 1986. Tampa office at 101 E. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 3700. Substantial corporate and private-wealth bench. Many Best Lawyers and Chambers-recognized partners.
Why they made the list: Chambers USA ranked in Corporate/M&A Florida. Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 statewide.
Founded 1970 as Trenam, Simmons, Kemker, Scharf & Barkin. Tampa Bay corporate-and-transactional bench with offices in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota. Deep ties to the regional business community.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Corporate Law (Tampa). Multiple Chambers- and Best Lawyers-ranked partners.
Tampa office at Bank of America Plaza, 101 E. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 2800. Multi-state firm with deep Tampa Bay corporate practice covering closely-held businesses, family enterprises, and mid-market M&A.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Corporate Law (Tampa). Long-standing Tampa Bay presence.
Florida-rooted full-service firm since 1910. ~280 lawyers across 8 Florida offices including Tampa. Best Lawyers and U.S. News - Best Lawyers recognized.
Why they made the list: Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1 in Corporate Law statewide. Multiple Florida Legal Elite partners.
Florida-rooted full-service firm. Tampa office covers emerging-company formation, M&A, securities, and tax. Designated "Florida's Law Firm for Business" branding.
Why they made the list: Chambers USA ranked in Corporate/M&A Florida. Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Tier 1.
Tampa boutique with three Florida offices and 9 attorneys. Managing partner Jeff Skaff named to Florida Legal Elite (representing fewer than 1.5% of active Florida Bar members) in multiple years.
Why they made the list: Florida Legal Elite recognitions. Strong fit for small-business founders wanting senior-attorney attention.
Tampa boutique. Founder Kevin Brick is a Florida-Bar board-certified business litigation specialist. Combination of formation/structuring counsel and trial-experienced bench is unusual at the boutique level.
Why they made the list: Florida Bar Board Certification in Business Litigation (founder). Best Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite.
Tampa boutique focused on startups and small-business formation, entity selection, and contracts. Practical fit for first-time founders and bootstrapped businesses.
Why they made the list: Avvo and Google reviews with consistent positive client feedback. Florida Bar admitted.
For venture-track founders and mid-market companies — Holland & Knight, Carlton Fields, Hill Ward Henderson, or Gunster. All four have the corporate-and-securities bench that institutional investors expect.
For closely-held and family-owned businesses — Trenam, Shumaker Loop & Kendrick, or Shutts & Bowen. Deep Tampa Bay roots and strong family-business succession practices.
For small businesses and first-time founders — Lieser Skaff Alexander, Brick Business Law, or Motiva Business Law. All three deliver senior attention at small-firm rates.
For founders who want one firm covering formation plus eventual litigation defense — Brick Business Law (founder is board-certified in Business Litigation) and Hill Ward Henderson both bridge transactional and trial benches.
Single-member Florida LLC, basic. $500–$1,200 flat at boutiques. The Florida filing fee is $125. No annual franchise tax for LLCs (only the $138.75 annual report fee).
Multi-member LLC with custom operating agreement. $1,500–$4,500. Adds capital contributions, distributions, manager vs. member-managed allocation, buy-sell.
Florida S-corp election. $1,000–$2,500. Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, IRS Form 2553, reasonable-compensation analysis.
Delaware C-corp Series Seed package. $4,000–$8,500. Incorporation, founder stock with vesting, 83(b) filings, IP assignment, equity incentive plan.
Series A representation (company side). $20,000–$60,000. Term sheet negotiation, charter and bylaws amendments, voting agreement, ROFR, IRA.
Hourly partner rates. Boutiques: $375–$625. Mid-size regional: $475–$900. Tampa BigLaw and Florida-rooted national (Holland & Knight, Carlton Fields): $600–$1,200.
Most Tampa firms in this practice area are competent. A few are problematic. Watch for these patterns.
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees a court win, a tax debt cut to zero, or a contract that "can never be challenged," walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior name at intake, then never speak to that person again. Your file gets handed to an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms send the engagement letter, give you time to read it, and let you take it home. Same-day "you have to retain us today" tactics are almost always a sign of a volume mill.
No verifiable track record. The firm should point to peer rankings, bar specialization, published case results, or named clients. "We have helped thousands" is marketing copy. Specific case names, transaction sizes, or third-party recognitions are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Tampa lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is included, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you terminate.
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Use it. Bring a written list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign anything.
No Florida state income tax. Florida is one of nine states with no individual income tax. This shapes entity choice: an S-corp election is more attractive in no-income-tax states because state-level tax planning is mostly about federal flow-through. Florida does impose a 5.5% corporate income tax on C-corps with Florida nexus.
Florida LLC annual report. Every Florida LLC files an annual report by May 1 ($138.75). Miss it and the entity is administratively dissolved. Florida is one of the strictest states on this deadline.
Florida charging-order remedy is strong. Florida's LLC statute provides a robust charging-order remedy for single-member LLCs, but the Florida Supreme Court in Olmstead carved out exceptions for single-member LLCs. Multi-member LLCs retain stronger asset protection. Plan structuring around this.
Florida sales tax registration. Most service businesses are exempt, but any business selling tangible personal property must register with the Florida Department of Revenue and collect sales tax. The threshold is meaningfully lower than many states.
Local courts that matter. Tampa business disputes file in Hillsborough County Circuit Court (Civil Division) or, for federal claims, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division). Both have active commercial dockets.
If you plan to raise venture capital, Delaware. If you will operate primarily in Florida and stay self-funded, Florida LLC is cheaper and simpler. Florida has no state income tax for individuals, which makes an S-corp election attractive for service businesses.
$125 state filing fee plus $500–$1,200 in legal fees for a basic single-member LLC (Articles of Organization, operating agreement, EIN). Add the $138.75 annual report each May 1.
The 83(b) deadline is federal — 30 days from grant of stock subject to vesting — and applies regardless of state. For most founders receiving vested stock, yes. A formation lawyer files it on the day stock is issued.
No individual income tax. Florida does have a 5.5% corporate income tax on C-corps with Florida nexus. LLCs and S-corps generally avoid this through flow-through taxation.
Florida's LLC statute provides a charging-order remedy as the exclusive remedy of a member's creditor. The Florida Supreme Court's Olmstead decision created exceptions for single-member LLCs. Multi-member structures retain stronger protection.
1–3 weeks. The Florida Department of State approves online filings in 1–3 business days; operating-agreement drafting and bank account setup drive the rest.
Florida requires registration for nearly any business making taxable sales of tangible personal property. Services are largely exempt. The 6% state sales tax plus discretionary county surtaxes apply.
Yes, but you must foreign-qualify the Florida LLC in any state where you have nexus (sales, employees, or physical presence). Each state has its own foreign-qualification fee and annual maintenance.
One short form. We forward your situation to the right firm on this list. Most respond within 1 business day.
By submitting, you agree we may share your information with one of the firms above for the purpose of responding to your inquiry. No attorney-client relationship is formed by submission.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one the same opening question: How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and what were the outcomes? The way they answer tells you almost everything. — The LawFirmSquare team
LawFirmSquare is a directory. We do not represent clients or refer cases for a fee. Editorial rankings reflect publicly available recognition and reviews and are not a substitute for personalized legal advice.