Avery Chapman

Chapman Law Group, PLC

Avery Chapman

Chapman Law Group, PLC

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Firm Summary

Avery S. Chapman of  the Chapman Law Group, PLC and the Equine Law Group, PLC and an attorney since 1991, and also the principal of The Equine Law Group and an equine law practitioner, focuses his practice in complex commercial litigation matters concerning the small to medium size business,  including purchase and sale of businesses, commercial contracts, asset protection, construction issues, employment issues, real estate matters and compliance issues and provides general counsel to his clients in a variety of business contexts. He represents creditors frequently in state and federal courts.  He also has provided general counsel to the United States Polo Association and has  experience in probate and family matters involving business succession, e-commerce,  franchise litigation, securities disputes, professional business group formations and dissolutions.

Mr. Chapman is a multi-term member of the Professional Law Committee of the Palm Beach County, Florida Bar Association and as spoken and written on the topics of professionalism in state and federal practice.  He is current Chair of the Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence Committee of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar. Mr. Chapman is also actively involved in the Florida Bar Association and is the founding and inaugural Chair of the Florida Bar Equine Law Committee, which covers a cross-disciplinary area of law. He is an initial members of The Florida Bar Animal Law Committee of the Florida Bar and a past Vice Chair.  While in law school, Avery clerked for the Honorable Harold Baer, Jr. in New York Supreme Court.  Judge Baer was later elevated to the federal bench for the Southern District of New York.

He is a recipient of the 2015 American Bar Association Outstanding Services Award for his pro bono service to military families, as well as a recipient of the 2015 Palm Beach Legal Aid Society Pro Bono Award for his service to the elderly.  He is also an Investigator and Prosecutor for The Florida Supreme Court Dispute Resolution Center, Mediators Qualifications Board and a member of the Professionalism Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. Mr. Chapman is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, the United States District Courts for New Jersey, Connecticut, the Southern District and Middle District Courts for the District of Florida, and the United States Supreme Court. Beyond the law practice, Avery is a member of the national Team USA for triathlon, where he represents the United States in international triathlon competitions and coaches interscholastic athletes.

Mr. Chapman is a nationally-recognized speaker on Equine Law issues and has served as an expert witness.   He has written innumerable articles as well as two chapters of The Florida Bar Business Litigation Manual, and one chapter of The Florida Bar Small Business Manual.  He speaks at seminars and publishes law articles and chapters frequently.

Bar Admissions:
State of New Jersey (1991)
United States District Court for District of  New Jersey (1991)
State of Connecticut (1994)
United States District Court for District of Connecticut (1994)
United States Supreme Court (2000)
State of Florida (2001)
United States District Court for Southern District of Florida (2007)
United States District Court for Middle District of Florida (2008)
other state and federal courts by matter.

Speaking Engagements and Publications:

Warranties In Horse Sales: I promised what?  Elite Equestrian, Vol 22, No. 1, December 14, 2021.

Horse Sense and Nonsense: Why Equine Law is Not That Simple, National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, October 27, 2020: 65 min https://www.nacle.com/CLE/Courses/Horsesense-and-Nonsense-Why-Equine-Law-is-Not-ThatSimple-1621

Daily Business Review Excellence Award Legal Innovator Honoree 2020, The Daily Business Review, May 4, 2020. https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2020/05/04/dbr-announces-2020-professionalexcellence-award-honorees/

Equine Business Relief and COVID-19, updating the community on the present status of relief available to the equine industry, April 1, 2020.  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6651222852517322752/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(ugcPost%3A6651222851829456897%2C6651389208017547 265)

Chapter Equine Law In Florida, for the pending e-treatise Animal Law In Florida, soon to be published by The Florida Bar Animal Law Section.

What Every Rider Should Know About Human Doping, Elite Equestrian, March-April 2020.       https://issuu.com/weedy123/docs/ee_march_april_2020_issue/1?e=1101475/76235478

Prepurchase Examinations – Best Practices to Avoid Concerns.  Elite Equestrian, Volume  20, Issue 1, January-February 2020. https://issuu.com/weedy123/docs/elite_equestrian_jan_feb_2020_issue

Horse Trainers Beware: Training Fees Not Included Under Stablekeeper’s Lien Law in Florida,, Wellington Magazine, May 1, 2019, https://issuu.com/floridamagazinepublishers/docs/wellingtonthemagazinemay2019/42?e=19 76104/57772931

Unexpected Teamwork in Federal Jury Trials, The Federal Lawyer, October/November 2018, Vol. 68, No. 8, https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Chapman-pdf-1.pdf

Fraud in Horse Sales: Florida’s Rule 5H and Unfair and Deceptive Acts by Equine Sellers, Agents, and Others, The Florida Bar Journal, Volume 92, No. 9, November 2018.  https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/fraud-in-horse-sales-floridas-rule-5hand-unfair-and-deceptive-acts-by-equine-sellers-agents-and-others/

LLCs: Considerations when Doing Horse Business Out-of-State, The Horse Authority, July 30, 2018, https://horseauthority.co/author/averychapman/

Conducting Equine LLC Business Across State Lines, Elite Equestrian, Vol. 18, Issue 2, March 2018.

Speaker, Law and the Legal Profession, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Politics and International Relations, The Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, February 20, 2018.

Understanding Care, Custody or Control Insurance in Equine Industry, The Horse Authority, February 24, 2016, https://horseauthority.co/author/averychapman/

Speaker, Equine Law, Seminar Speaker, Florida State University College of Law, March 2, 2015 https://www.facebook.com/events/716964588423557/

Seminar Moderator and Speaker, Equine Law, National Business Institute, July 16, 2014

Animal Law Issues in Estate, Family and Environmental Law Seminar, Seminar Speaker, The Florida Bar Annual Convention, June 23, 2006

Business Litigation: State Jurisdiction, Business Litigation In Florida, 7th ed., and 8th ed., The Florida Bar, publ. January 1, 2011, 2012.  Chapter 1 (2012 and 2013), discussing the considerations for establishing personal or subject matter jurisdiction over parties and matters in business law disputes.

Business Litigation: The Economic Loss Rule, Business Litigation in Florida, 7th ed., The Florida Bar, Chapter 23, January 1, 2011  [As of 2013, now a handy reference to the history of the ELR in Florida prior to its contraction by Tiara Condominium Association v. Marsh & McLennan Companies, 110 So. 3d 399 (Fla. 2013).

Defeating Fraudulent Equine Liens in the Equine Industry, Elite Equestrian, Vol. 16, Issue 2.

Decoding Horse Sales Fraud, ratemyhorsepro.com, August 22, 2016

Common Equine Contracts: What They Are, Pitfalls to Avoid, and Ideas for Effective Drafting, Seminar Speaker, American Bar Association, December 9, 2014. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=872457196140224&id=1631240004 06884

Grooms and Workers Compensation Insurance: To Have or Not to Have, That is the Question. Elite Equestrian, November 1, 2014 Page 58-60: An article discussing whether and why workers compensation insurance is or is not required for grooms.

Written Contracts In the Informal Horse World, Elite Equestrian, January 1, 2015 Pages 44-46; Discussing the preference for informality in the equine world against the necessity of putting certain important terms of an agreement in writing to avoid faulty memories and loss of friends later.

The Benefits of Conservation Easements to Equine Properties, Elite Equestrian, Vol. 15, Issue 6.

Considerations for Breeding Contracts, Elite Equestrian, March 1, 2015 Pages 70-71; an article exploring certain key terms to include in breeding contracts, including but not limited to: payment, allocation of risk, scope of service, disclaimers, disclosures, jurisdiction and venue.

Does Your Equestrian Facility Have the Right Insurance Asset Protection? Elite Equestrian, May 1, 2015 Pages 44-45; an article analyzing a series of unfortunate events at an equine facility and discussing what insurance should have been in place.

Winter Show Season Is Almost Here. Do You Have Good Contracts? Elite Equestrian, September 1, 2015 Pages 44-45; Discussing boarding, training, consignment, purchase and sale contracts from the perspectives of owners, trainers and stablekeepers.

Author, A Taxing Question: What Deductions Can You Take for Your Hobbies and Businesses?, North American Equine Services, LLC, northamericaneqine.com, (2011)

Defeating Fraudulent Equine Liens in the Equine Industry., Elite Equestrian, March 1, 2016.

Expert and Consulting Witness Designations:

Expert Witness, Malloy v. Colchester, 2002 WL 31466488, Conn.. Super. Ct. (October 18, 2002).
Expert Witness, Fermo, et al. v. Coral Reef Riding Academy, LLC,  Case No. 2017-CA -006521, 15th Judicial Circuit, In and For Palm Beach County, Florida, 2019.
Expert Witness, Equine Law matter (not yet disclosed by counsel), Texas Circuit Court, 2020.
Consulting Witness, Equine Law matter (not yet disclosed by counsel), California Superior Court, 2020.