Kurkin Forehand Brandes

What Kurkin Forehand Brandes does

Kurkin Forehand Brandes LLP is a Florida-based professional law firm founded in 2007, operating from offices in Aventura, Winter Park, and Tallahassee. The firm practices heavily regulated-industry law with two principal concentrations: automobile dealer law (franchise disputes, dealership M&A, terminations, licensing, regulatory compliance with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) and workers' compensation defense for employers, insurers, third-party administrators, and self-insureds. It holds a strategic position as General Counsel for the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and serves named clients including international hotel chains, food industry corporations, motor vehicle dealership groups, and national insurance carriers. The firm is structured as a Limited Liability Partnership among three named partners — co-founders Alex Kurkin and Marc Brandes (since 2007), and John Forehand (joined 2010) — supported by eight additional attorneys for a total headcount of eleven.

The firm does not operate a proprietary technology platform; service delivery occurs through direct client engagement via phone, website inquiry, and office visits, including a stated free initial consultation. Legal services are billed primarily through professional services fees (hourly or fixed-fee depending on practice area), with no public pricing structure disclosed. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and referral-driven, anchored by the FADA general counsel relationship and industry reputation rather than paid digital marketing or productized offerings. Practice areas are organized into eight core service lines with multiple sub-services under automobile dealer law (franchise disputes, transactions/M&A, successions, terminations, licensing, personnel, civil litigation), supported by commercial litigation, business acquisition, commercial real estate, contract law, regulatory compliance, and government disputes capabilities. The firm holds recognitions including AV-rated attorney credentials (Martindale-Hubbell), South Florida Legal Guide Top Lawyers (2010, 2011), and Florida Trend's Legal Elite (2008).

Name

Kurkin Forehand Brandes

Legal name

Kurkin Forehand Brandes LLP

Website

https://kfb-law.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kurkin Forehand Brandes LLP is a Florida-based law firm specializing in automobile dealer law and workers' compensation defense, serving franchised dealerships, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and corporate clients across regulated industries from three Florida offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Aventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Professional legal services billed to clients for automobile dealer law, commercial litigation, workers compensation defense, regulatory compliance, contract law, business acquisition law, commercial real estate, and government disputes. Revenue generated through hourly fees, fixed fees for specific services, or contingency arrangements depending on practice area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kurkin Forehand Brandes LLP is a Florida-based boutique law firm providing legal services to automobile dealerships, employers, insurers, and businesses. Its core offerings span automobile dealer law, workers' compensation defense, commercial litigation, business acquisitions, commercial real estate, contract law, government disputes, and regulatory compliance. The firm serves as General Counsel to the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and concentrates on franchise, licensing, regulatory, and litigation matters.

Product overview

Kurkin Forehand Brandes LLP is a law firm offering legal services, not a technology product company. The firm provides a unified suite of legal services primarily focused on automobile dealer law, with complementary practice areas including Business Acquisition Law, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Contract Law, Government Disputes, Regulatory Compliance, and Workers' Comp Defense. The core Automobile Dealer Law service encompasses multiple sub-services covering franchise disputes, dealership transactions/mergers & acquisitions, successions, terminations, licensing, personnel matters, and civil litigation. The firm operates as a single-service legal practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Automobile Dealer Law
• Workers' Compensation Defense
• Commercial Litigation
• Business Acquisitions
• Commercial Real Estate
• Contract Law
• Government Disputes
• Regulatory Compliance

Quantifiable outcome

• Billions of dollars in real estate and business transactions handled
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Automobile Dealers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirm serves as General Counsel and Legal Counsel for the Florida Automobile Dealers Association. This is a deep strategic relationship providing the firm with industry visibility and client referrals from member dealerships across Florida. The firm also provides affiliate member services and stays connected to developments affecting the retail automotive industry.
• National Association of Dealer CounselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarc Brandes is a member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel, and Craig Spickard is also a member. This membership allows the firm to stay closely connected to developments affecting the retail automotive industry nationally and provides access to professional resources and peer networks in dealer law.
• Miami Mayor's International Council, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlex Kurkin serves as Board Member of the Miami Mayor's International Council, Inc., providing civic engagement and business networking opportunities in the Miami international business community.
• Miami Beach Health FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlex Kurkin is a Board Member of the Miami Beach Health Foundation, supporting healthcare initiatives in the community through pro-bono service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lewis Longman & Walker, PA: Florida-based law firm with a longstanding automobile dealer law and regulatory practice. John Forehand (now KFB partner) was previously Managing Partner at Lewis Longman & Walker from 2001 to 2010, and Craig Spickard was an associate there — indicating directly overlapping expertise and likely shared client base in Florida dealer law.
• Bass Sox Mercer: Tampa-based Florida law firm with a recognized automobile dealer and franchise law practice. Craig Spickard worked at Bass Sox Mercer from 2004 to 2010 before joining KFB. The two firms serve overlapping dealer-client segments in Florida and compete for similar engagements.
• Fox Rothschild LLP: National law firm with a dedicated Auto Dealership Services practice group representing franchised dealers, dealer groups, and industry associations across the U.S. While much larger than KFB, Fox Rothschild directly competes for sophisticated dealer law mandates and serves as a benchmark for national reach KFB lacks.
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: National firm with an Automotive Industry Group serving franchised dealers, manufacturers, and dealer groups. Comparable to KFB in its dealer law focus but materially larger in scale and geographic reach — making it a relevant competitor for clients seeking broader representation.
• Dykema Gossett PLLC: National law firm with a recognized Auto Dealership Practice Group serving franchised dealers and dealer associations. Directly comparable to KFB's dealer law niche but at greater scale, and a relevant competitor for larger multi-state dealer clients.
• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC: National firm with a substantial Dealer Law practice group representing franchised automobile dealers, dealer groups, and industry associations across multiple states. Competes with KFB for sophisticated dealer-side mandates, particularly where multi-state capability is required.

Broad incumbents

• Akerman LLP: Major Florida-headquartered full-service law firm with broad corporate, litigation, and regulatory capabilities that overlap with several of KFB's practice areas. Akerman serves many large Florida-based clients and competes for corporate and litigation work that KFB also targets.
• Greenberg Traurig, LLP: One of the largest U.S. law firms with deep Florida roots and broad corporate, litigation, and regulatory practices. While not a dealer-law specialist, its Florida presence and full-service platform make it a competitor for larger commercial and real estate mandates that overlap with KFB's practice.
• Holland & Knight LLP: Major Florida-founded national law firm with broad corporate, litigation, real estate, and regulatory practices. Competes with KFB for commercial litigation, commercial real estate, and government disputes work from Florida-based business clients.
• Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. Florida-based business law firm with strong corporate, real estate, and litigation practices. Overlaps with KFB's commercial litigation, commercial real estate, and business acquisition law practices for middle-market Florida clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KFB_Law

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kurkin Forehand Brandes