Michael A. Semanie
Michael Semanie is a shareholder at the law firm of Killgore, Pearlman, Semanie, Denius & Squires P.A. and is licensed to practice law in New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia. More...
After studying both economics and psychology as an undergraduate, Michael went on to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Michael spent the early part of his career as the corporate marketing director for a manufacturer of high-performance powerboats. Years later, Mike would trade in powerboat races and poker runs for legal briefs and court appearances, launching his “second career” in the practice of law. Mike is now outside general legal counsel for a number of automobile dealerships and he focuses his legal practice on representing auto dealers in a variety of litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings, as well as in dealership buy/sell transactions.
Michael frequently utilizes his prior business experience and education when providing legal advice to clients operating in various industries. Michael is experienced in representing businesses in corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities, and equity and debt financing transactions. Michael also represents clients in litigating corporate governance disputes, disputes between franchisors and franchisees, and various commercial and consumer litigation matters.
Among his professional distinctions, Michael is member of the board of directors of the National Association of Dealer Counsel and he holds an automotive and auto finance regulatory compliance certification from the National Automotive Finance Association.
Contact
(407) 425-1020
(407) 839-3635
msemanie@kpsds.com
Paralegal: Katie Yeager (kyeager@kpsds.com)
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Practice Areas
Graduated from Stetson University College of Law • Marketing and Advertising Background
Practice Areas
- Business and Corporate
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Commercial Litigation
Admitted to Practice
- New York
- Federal Southern District of New York
- Florida
- Federal Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
- District of Columbia
Media Quotes
- Los Angeles Times (Article)
- American City Business Journals (Articles)
- Best Practices in Influencer Marketing: Insights from Digital Marketing Experts (book)
- American Advertising Federation (Article)
- IP Watchdog (Article)
Regularly Served Industries
- Automotive and Transportation
- Technology
- Advertising and Social Media
Notable Representation
- Represented seller in a nine-figure technology industry stock sale transaction
- Represented international snack food brand in trial over corporate governance and stock ownership issues
- Represented business owner in jury trial of nine-figure corporate governance dispute
- Represented business owner in automotive industry redemption and stock swap transaction involving 22 separate entities
Speaking Engagements
- National Association of Dealer Counsel (live events)
- National Automotive Finance Association (live events and webinar)
- KPA/Compli (podcast)
- What’s the SCORE (radio shows) and National Entrepreneur Center (live events)
- Bank of America’s National Auto Summit (live event)
- AutoCPA Conference (live events)
News Articles


LLCs From Start to Finish
By Michael A. Semanie Program Description Two Information-Packed Days of All Things LLC Our veteran faculty will walk you through…
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What You Should Know About Protecting Your Firm’s Online Reputation
Michael Semanie, partner at Killgore Pearlman law firm, recently wrote about protecting your firm’s online reputation for the Orlando Business…
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Should Your Company Worry About COPPA Compliance Even if it is Not Geared Toward Kids?
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is meant to empower parents to protect their children’s online privacy. The law…
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FTC Warns Businesses About Insufficient Disclosures in Advertisements
On September 23, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission reported that it had issued warning letters to more than 60 companies…
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From Employee to Competitor: Review Your Agreements to Protect Your Business
With the job market showing signs of improvement,1 employees are becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving their jobs…
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Start 2014 Off Right By Using Forms that Protect YOU
In the fall we filled you in on a little secret regarding the recently amended Florida Statute §501.98. Effective July…
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Auto Dealers Feel a Change Comin’ On
Recent developments in the auto finance industry suggest that a change is on the horizon for dealers who receive compensation…
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Round V of the Indirect Auto Lending Standoff: Congress vs. the CFPB
The battle of wills rages on between the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services (the “Financial Services…
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Legislative Update
In the wake of the Target, Facebook, Yahoo!, and other data security breaches in 2013, the Florida Legislature will take…
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Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say: Fraudulent Inducement and Asset Purchase Agreements in Florida
It is not uncommon for buyers and sellers of businesses and business assets in Florida to structure an asset purchase…
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