FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 2025
South Florida’s McArdle Franco PLLC Earns 2026 Best Law Firms® Recognition for Construction Litigation Excellence
Coral Gables Firm Achieves Tier 2 Ranking in Miami; Partners Franco and Mullavey Honored by Best Lawyers®
CORAL GABLES, FL – In a region defined by rapid growth, ambitious development, and a business landscape unlike anywhere else in the country, having the right legal partner matters. McArdle Franco PLLC, one of South Florida’s most respected Coral Gables business litigation law firms, has been named a Tier 2 firm in Miami for Litigation – Construction in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms®. The designation reaffirms the firm’s standing as a go-to legal resource for the businesses, developers, and entrepreneurs driving South Florida’s dynamic economy.
The Best Law Firms® rankings are built on one of the profession’s most demanding evaluation processes, incorporating direct client feedback, confidential peer assessments from practicing attorneys, interviews with industry leaders, and a thorough review of firm credentials and achievements. For McArdle Franco, the recognition is the product of more than two decades spent serving the South Florida business community with strategic, results-driven legal counsel.
Two of the firm’s partners also received individual honors this year. Xavier Franco was named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for Litigation – Construction, reflecting his deep expertise in the complex construction disputes that are a constant feature of South Florida’s booming development market. Michael Mullavey earned a place on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2026 for both Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Construction, marking him as one of the region’s most promising young legal talents.
Founded in 2002 and rooted in the heart of Coral Gables, McArdle Franco Miami Law Firm was built specifically to serve the needs of South Florida’s business community. The firm’s attorneys have personally developed land across the region, managed private equity and debt facilities, and launched successful enterprises—giving them a firsthand understanding of the opportunities and challenges unique to doing business in one of the fastest-growing markets in the nation. That real-world perspective is what enables the firm to deliver the kind of efficient, creative, and smart legal solutions that South Florida businesses demand.
Practice Areas Serving South Florida’s Business Community
Transaction Structuring
South Florida’s real estate and commercial markets move fast, and deals in this region carry complexities that require attorneys who understand the local landscape as well as the law. As a leading South Miami business transaction structuring practice, McArdle Franco represents partnerships and corporate clients in the full range of transactions that power the regional economy—from real estate acquisitions and construction agreements to corporate mergers, financing arrangements, government procurement contracts, joint ventures, public-private partnerships, and cross-border deals with Latin American and international counterparts.
The firm employs a forward-looking approach rooted in consequential thinking, identifying potential fault lines in deal structures before they become disputes. In a market where development timelines are aggressive and capital is always in motion, this proactive methodology helps South Florida businesses close deals with confidence, avoid costly litigation, and protect their bottom lines.
Business Structuring
South Florida attracts entrepreneurs, investors, and growing companies from around the world, and each one needs a corporate framework tailored to its unique goals and risk profile. McArdle Franco helps clients design multi-tiered entity structures that shield assets, contain liabilities, and create clear pathways for investment, growth, and favorable exits. The team addresses the full spectrum of structuring considerations—liability exposure, asset preservation, tax implications of single- and multi-entity configurations, exit planning, and financing strategy.
The firm’s senior partners bring a rare advantage to this work. As accomplished business owners who have built successful construction and real estate enterprises in the South Florida market, they understand the practical realities of operating in this region—from navigating local regulatory environments to managing the financial pressures of rapid growth. That entrepreneurial perspective allows them to structure businesses not just for legal compliance, but for genuine competitive advantage in the South Florida marketplace.
Land Development and Construction
No practice area is more central to McArdle Franco’s identity—or more relevant to South Florida—than land development and construction. The region’s skyline is constantly evolving, with billions of dollars flowing into residential towers, commercial complexes, mixed-use developments, and infrastructure projects every year. Navigating the legal complexities of these projects requires attorneys who understand not just the law, but the business of building.
As a premier South Florida Land Development Law Firm and trusted South Florida Construction Development Law Firm, McArdle Franco represents the full spectrum of industry stakeholders—developers, property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, commercial tenants, and mortgage and commercial lenders. The firm drafts and negotiates construction contracts, surety bonds, purchase and sale agreements, commercial financing instruments, private placement memorandums, joint venture agreements, and commercial leases, all with meticulous attention to how each provision affects the broader deal.
What sets the firm apart in South Florida’s competitive legal market is the operational experience of its senior partners, who have personally conceived, financed, and built real estate and construction projects across the region. They know what it takes to bring a development from concept to completion because they have done it themselves. That depth of insight is what earned McArdle Franco its Tier 2 ranking as a Coral Gables construction litigation law firm in the 2026 Best Law Firms® edition—and it is what continues to make the firm a trusted name on job sites and in boardrooms throughout South Florida.
A Collaborative Firm Built for the South Florida Market
McArdle Franco operates with a team-first mentality that mirrors the collaborative spirit of the South Florida business community itself. The firm’s partners regularly convene to share insights, challenge assumptions, and develop innovative strategies that draw on their collective experience. When a matter calls for specialized knowledge, the firm leverages a deep network of accountants, financial advisors, engineers, and industry consultants to deliver comprehensive, multi-disciplinary guidance.
This approach has produced lasting client relationships—many spanning decades—anchored in trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to building something that endures. In a region that rewards bold vision and smart execution, McArdle Franco has proven itself to be the kind of legal partner that South Florida businesses can count on, year after year.
Contact Information
McArdle Franco PLLC 255 Alhambra Circle, STE 925 Coral Gables, FL 33134 Phone: (305) 442-2214 Email: info@mcper.com Website: www.mcardlefranco.com
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