Adele I. Stone

How Adele Helps Clients

As chair of the firm's Real Estate group and the head of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, Adele strives to balance her dedication to the practice of law with her commitment to the community. One of South Florida’s most knowledgeable and experienced real estate attorneys, Adele assists clients in all phases of a commercial transaction. She diligently tracks trends in the commercial sector, including recent case law and new and proposed legislation, in order to help her real estate clients maximize their desired outcomes.

As an “AV”-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, Board Certified in Real Estate Law by the Florida Bar, and an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, Adele brings her notable legal experience to every engagement. In addition to her real estate practice, she also has built a robust business law practice, including the structuring of new entities, preparation of business agreements and asset based transactions.

Practice Description

Adele works closely with real estate owners, investors, developers, landlords, tenants and individual clients in the following areas:

• Acquisition and disposition strategies
• Complex commercial purchases and sales
• Commercial loans, including acquisition, development and construction loans
• Lease agreements for office, retail and industrial spaces
• Creation of office and industrial parks, including preparation of association documents, easement agreements and restrictive covenants
• Ground leasing
• Issuance of title insurance and title claims representation

Adele is an authorized title insurance agent for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Chicago Title Insurance Company and First American Title Insurance Company.

Her business law practice includes:

• Purchase and sale of corporate stock and purchase and sale of assets
• Preparation of partnership, joint venture, and buy-sell agreements
• Limited liability company operating agreements
• Formation of new entities
• Employment agreements
• Licensing agreements

Awards and Honors

Adele has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of her professionalism and community involvement, including:

• Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend "Legal Elite" Notable Women Leaders in Law (2023)
• Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend "Legal Elite" Notable Managing Partners (2023)
• Honored as a GlobeSt.com Women of Influence (2022)
• Recipient of the Connect CRE Lawyers in Real Estate Award (2021)
• Honored as a Broward County “Woman Pioneer” in the legal community at the International Women’s Day Celebration sponsored by the 17th Judicial Circuit and the Broward County Bar Association (2019)
• Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend’s Florida 500 (2018-2023)
• Recipient of the Daily Business Review Top 20 Women in Law Award (2015)
• Recipient of the Leaders in Law Award for Real Estate Law by Lifestyle Media Group (2014)
• South Florida Business Journal “Heavy Hitter in Real Estate” (2011)
• South Florida Business Leader South Florida Women Extraordinaire (2010)
• Recipient of the Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award given annually by Legal Aid Services of Broward County, Inc. to an attorney whose career has exemplified a commitment to the poor and to public interest work (2009)
• Recipient of the Annual Service Award from the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar (2009)
• Recipient of The Florida Bar Justice Harry Lee Anstead Award for Board Certified Lawyer of the Year (2009)
• Recipient of the G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian Award presented by Florida Bar President John G. White, III (2009)
• South Florida Business Journal Influential Business Women Honoree (2009)
• Honored by Best Lawyers in America^© consecutively since 2009 in the area of Real Estate Law
• Selected for inclusion in the Florida Super Lawyers^® list each year since 2006
• Member of Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” (Multiple years)
• A “Top Lawyer” in South Florida Legal Guide (Multiple years)
• Recipient of the President’s Award of Merit by Florida Bar President, Terrence Russell (2002)
• An American Cancer Society Woman of the Year (1995)
• Recipient of the Hollywood, Florida, Chamber of Commerce Athena Award (1994)

Professional and Community Involvement

A leader in Florida professional and community organizations, Adele was elected 2009-2010 president of The Florida Bar Foundation, a statewide philanthrop­ic organization and served on the Board of the Foundation for eleven years. She is also a founding member and past chairperson of the Executive Council of Legal Aid Services of Broward County/Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. She was elected to the Florida Bar Board of Governors from the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit and served as a Governor from 2011 to 2013 and was also a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (“ACREL”).

Adele is on the Board of the Innocence Project of Florida and serves as the Immediate Past Chair. She is co-chair of the annual “Stand Up for Innocence” event held in Broward County to bring awareness and support for the Innocence Project’s mission.

Having completed the Leadership Florida Executive Program, Adele is a member of Leadership Florida since 2016.

Adele served for a number of years on the Board of Directors of the Florida Chapter of NAIOP, a national commercial real estate development association and is a past president of the Chapter. She also served for a number of years on the NAIOP South Florida Chapter’s Board of Directors and is a member of the Chapter’s Emeritus Board.

She is past president of Attorneys' Real Estate Council of Broward County, Inc. and is a member of the Broward County Bar Association.

Adele chaired the Steering Committee of The Florida Bar/Florida Bar Foundation sponsored statewide pro bono program (“FASH”) developed to represent homeowners under threat of foreclosure. She is the former Chairperson of the Commercial Real Estate Committee of the Florida Bar Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section and is a member of the Section’s Executive Council and currently a Vice-Chairperson of the Section’s Problem Studies Committee and Vice-Chairperson of the Section’s Model and Uniform Acts Committee.

Adele's past professional and community involvement also includes:

• Director of the Broward Workshop (2014-2018)
• Chairperson of the Delivery of Legal Service’s Committee of The Florida Bar’s Vision 2016 Commission appointed by The Florida Bar President Eugene Pettis (2013-2016).
• Chairperson and member of The Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee (1989-2006) and (2010-2011)
• Vice chairperson of Florida Bar Attorney-Client Privilege Task Force Committee appointed by Florida Bar President (2006-2008)
• Chairperson of the 2006 Annual Convention Committee of The Florida Bar
• Chairperson of Unbundled Legal Services Special Committee II appointed by Florida Bar President (2002)
• Chairperson of the “Ethics 2000” Review Committee appointed by Florida Bar President. The committee finished work in 2005 and Ms. Stone argued extensive revisions to the Rules of
• Professional Conduct on behalf of The Florida Bar before the Florida Supreme Court
• President of Legal Aid Services of Broward County Inc. (2000)
• Member of the Board of Directors of the State Board of The Children’s Home Society (1993-1995)
• Chairperson of the Intercoastal Division of The Children’s Home Society (1993-1994)
• Adjunct professor, Barry University Andreas School of Business (1991-1992)
• Commissioner of Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency from 1986 to 1991, serving as vice chairperson from 1988 to 1991
• Chairperson of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee 17D (1988)
• Leadership Hollywood (Class of 1987)