A former big-firm litigator on why growing companies deserve sophisticated legal counsel without the big-firm distance.
Matthew Fornaro grew up watching a business from the inside. His father ran a successful small company, and Matthew saw the daily pressure of employees, customers, cash flow, contracts, and risk. He also noticed something that stuck with him: smaller business owners rarely had the same quality of legal guidance as large corporations.
Decades later, that observation is the foundation of Fornaro Legal, a business law firm in Coral Springs, Florida, built for entrepreneurs, founders, and growing companies.
From Big-Firm Training to Building His Own Firm
Fornaro began practicing law in 2003 and started his career at two AmLaw 200 firms. There he learned how sophisticated firms handle complex disputes, prepare for high-stakes matters, and serve demanding clients.
Later, he had the chance to continue down an even larger-firm path. He chose a different one.
“Entrepreneurs, startups, founders, and small and midsize companies were underserved,” he explains. Many don’t fit the economics of a major law firm, and many smaller practices aren’t built around the strategic needs of business owners. In 2015, he founded Matthew Fornaro, P.A., doing business as Fornaro Legal, to fill that gap.
“Fornaro Legal was built to give entrepreneurs, startups, founders, and growing businesses access to sophisticated legal experience without losing the responsiveness, practicality, and personal attention they need to make real business decisions.”
— Matthew Fornaro, Esq.
Thinking Like a Business Owner
Fornaro runs his own company, and that shapes how he advises clients. A legal decision never happens in isolation. It can affect cash flow, employees, customer relationships, growth, reputation, and sometimes the survival of the business itself.
“My job is not simply to tell clients what the law says,” he says. “It is to help them understand the risk, identify their options, and make a sound business decision.”
His litigation background plays a part too. Having seen what happens when contracts, ownership arrangements, and business relationships break down, he spots problems early, at the stage when they are still cheap to fix.
Effective, Not Performative
Fornaro has never wanted to be known as a “shark” or “pit bull” lawyer. He sees litigation as a tool, and sometimes a necessary one. But he points out that negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or a well-structured business solution often gets clients a better result.
The goal is to be effective, not loud, and to explain things in plain language tied to what the client is actually trying to accomplish.
What the Firm Handles
Fornaro Legal represents entrepreneurs, startups, executives, investors, and small, midsize, and established companies. Its work includes:
- Business formation
- Contracts and transactions
- Ownership and partner disputes
- Intellectual property
- Commercial litigation
- Arbitration and mediation
- Construction litigation and related business disputes
Fornaro is admitted to practice in Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, and before the United States Supreme Court. His New York admission has helped him serve business owners whose interests cross between New York and Florida, an area of growing work for the firm.
Credentials at a Glance
- Rating: AV Preeminent through Martindale-Hubbell
- Education: Juris Doctor, University of Florida Levin College of Law, with a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law
- Dispute resolution: Florida Supreme Court Certified County Mediator, Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator, and FINRA Dispute Resolution Arbitrator
- Mentoring: Entrepreneurship education through the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac NewVenture Program, the Jim Moran Institute, and SCORE
- Experience: More than 20 years in practice, and more than a decade running an independent business law firm
Teaching as Part of the Mission
Fornaro increasingly shares what he knows through writing, speaking, mentoring, and media commentary. His topics include business formation, contract risk, corporate governance, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, ownership issues, and litigation strategy. In 2026, his commentary has appeared across a wide range of business, legal, and entrepreneurial outlets.
The motivation hasn’t changed since he opened his firm. He wants business owners to understand legal issues before those issues become expensive or disruptive.
Looking Ahead
Fornaro plans to keep growing the educational side of his practice, with a focus on AI, technology, contracts, intellectual property, and governance. He is especially interested in the legal problems that appear when a company grows faster than its internal systems.
Fornaro Legal serves clients across Coral Springs, Parkland, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County, and the wider South Florida business community.
Contact
Matthew Fornaro, Esq.
Founder and Business Law Attorney
Matthew Fornaro, P.A. d/b/a Fornaro Legal
11555 Heron Bay Boulevard, Suite 200
Coral Springs, Florida 33076-3362
Office: 954-324-3651
Email: mfornaro@fornarolegal.com
Website: FornaroLegal.com
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