Tee Persad
Of Counsel
Orlando Office
255 South Orange Avenue, Suite 900
Orlando, Florida 32801
Tee Persad serves as Of Counsel in the Orlando hub of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. and chair of the Firm's Private Corporate Counsel™ Program. With over 30 years of experience as a business attorney, consultant, and mediator. In 1993, Mr. Persad earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law, followed by a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Akron in 1994, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands in 1991. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Law School Executive Education Program for Negotiation, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution Program. He is a U.S. Army veteran. Mr. Persad is admitted to practice in Florida State Courts, U.S. Virgin Islands Territory and Federal Courts, the Federal Court for the Middle District of Florida, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mr. Persad has dedicated his entire professional career to helping individuals and businesses resolve complex personal, business, and societal problems. His primary practice is focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses ("SME's") and their owners as a Private Corporate Counsel™. Drawing from his experience of owning operating a business for over 29 years, his experience of growing up in an entrepreneurial family, his extensive education and training, his service in the military, and his experience as a lawyer, mediator and consultant, Mr. Persad helps SME's and their owners with a variety of legal, business, personal issues.
Legal Services Experience as a Business Lawyer
Over 29 years of experience in various areas of practice in Florida and the US Virgin Islands.
- Civil Litigation: Mr. Persad litigated over 250 cases in federal, state and territorial courts (commercial litigation, consumer protection litigation, class action litigation, including being certified as class counsel and lead class counsel).
- Non-litigation Conflict Resolution: Mr. Persad helped businesses resolve partnership, shareholder, employee, vendor, and customer conflicts without resorting to litigation by encouraging settlement conferences and helping the parties bridge the gap from the conflict to resolution
- Transactional/Business Law: Mr. Persad helped entrepreneurs take their business ideas from concept to reality by helping them with many transactional issues, including: 1) design, structure, and forming companies; 2) negotiate and draft contracts between companies and workers, vendors, customers, strategic partners, lenders, and other stakeholders; 3) register and protect intellectual property such as trademarks, systems and processes; 4) buy new businesses; 6) sell their businesses; 6) merge with other business; 7) raise capital; and 8) develop succession plans
- Business Immigration Law: Mr. Persad helped businesses expand to the U.S. using E and L visas, and helped U.S. citizens bring their loved ones to live with them in the U.S.
- Bankruptcy Law: Mr. Persad represented over 100 individual debtors in Chapter 7 and 13 cases and worked with several business debtors in Chapter 5 and 7 cases
- Criminal Law: Mr. Persad represented over 50 defendants in criminal defense cases, including misdemeanors (simple assault, petty theft, criminal traffic violations, licensing violations, etc.) and felonies (assault, battery, theft, sex crimes, fraud crimes, murder)
- Family Law: Mr. Persad clerked in Summit County, Ohio Family Court, and represented over 250 parties in various family law matters, including divorces, paternity and custody actions, enforcement actions in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, focusing on complex family disputes
- Legal Consulting: Mr. Persad consulted with over 500 entrepreneurs for small and medium sized businesses on legal issues described above and regulatory and compliance issues
- Export Experience as a lawyer and consultant: Mr. Persad exported legal services to businesses outside of the United States, with a primary focus on helping businesses enter the US market, including immigration issues, asset acquisition issues, business formation issues, regulatory compliance, conflict resolution, negotiation, and growth and development; represented US businesses, including manufacturers and service providers who export their goods and services.
Mediation, Arbitration and Experience as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Negotiator
- Certified as a Mediator in the US Virgin Islands and Florida (Civil and Family):
- Mr. Persad mediated over 375 cases involving commercial, labor and employment, insurance claims, general civil, family and related matters for private parties, small businesses, medium sized businesses, fortune 500 companies, and government agencies
- Florida Supreme Court qualified arbitrator
- Mr. Persad presided over 50 arbitrations, including commercial, general civil, & consumer protection matters
- Negotiation Experience
- Mr. Persad negotiated settlement agreements in over 500 cases involving commercial transactions, partnerships, financial transactions, labor relations, employment issues, insurance claims, general civil matters, and family related matters, and involving private parties, small businesses, medium sized businesses, enterprise businesses, and public agencies
Business Consulting Experience as A Consultant
- Business Consulting Service - Mr. Persad consulted with over 200 entrepreneurs and small and medium sized businesses on the following issues: 1) business model design and analysis; 2) customer segment analysis; 3) value proposition analysis; 4) production and operations analysis; 5) distribution channel and supply chain analysis; 6) strategic partner analysis; 7) cost structuring analysis; 7) revenue stream analysis; 8) strategic issue analysis; 9) negotiation strategy; 10) strategic marketing and sales analysis; 11) risk analysis; 12) trend analysis; 13) key personnel life cycle analysis; 14) industry, business, product/services life cycles analysis; 15) hiring and firing strategies; 16) leadership development; 17) conflict resolution; 18) developing EQ at the individual and organizational level; 19) developing empathy at the individual and organizational level; 20) 360 issue analysis; 21) the impact of loneliness on businesses and entrepreneurs; 22) appreciative inquiry; 23) tackling business crisis; 24) tackling personal crisis to minimize impact on a business; 25) minimizing conflicts between family owners, especially spouses; 26) value chain analysis; 27) overcoming team dysfunction; 28) overcoming obstacles; 29) business communication skills; and 30) overcoming cognitive bias and fundamental attribution error. In this role, he also coached business owners and executives to help them raise their self-awareness and social awareness and overcome obstacles and roadblocks in their path to achieving their goals.
- Education and Training Experience as a lecturer - Mr. Persad designed, developed and presented hour-long and day-long lectures on various courses for lawyers, business owners, business organizations and mediators, including; 1) the life cycles of a lawyer; 2) the life cycle of a mediator; 3) the life cycle of a business; 3) conflict resolution strategies; 4) mediation skills for mediators; 5) mediation skills for lawyers; 6) negotiation skills and strategy; 7) strategic issue analysis; 8) empathy building; 9) diversity, equity and inclusion; 10) cultural diversity; 11) leadership skills for mediators; 12) ethics; 13) business model design; 14) customer segmentation; 15) value proposition design; 16) client profile development; 17) reputation design and management; 18) leadership skills for lawyers; 19) reducing negative gossiping; 20) an overview of the court system; and 21) business planning.