Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of the website operated for Joseph C. Russo, P.A., Attorney at Law ("Firm," "we," "us," or "our"), including the website located at josephcrussolaw.com, any related pages, articles, forms, resources, and online materials made available through the website.

By accessing or using this website, you agree to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, do not use this website.

1. Website for General Information Only

The information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be legal advice, business advice, tax advice, financial advice, or a substitute for advice from a qualified professional familiar with your specific circumstances.

Legal and business matters are fact-specific. The outcome of any legal matter may depend on contracts, communications, timing, documents, deadlines, parties involved, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, insurance issues, regulatory requirements, and other facts not available through a website.

You should not act or refrain from acting based on any information on this website without first consulting with qualified legal counsel.

2. No Attorney-Client Relationship

Your use of this website does not create an attorney-client relationship with Joseph C. Russo, P.A., Joseph C. Russo, or any attorney, employee, contractor, consultant, or representative associated with the Firm.

An attorney-client relationship is formed only after all of the following occur:

1. The Firm has reviewed the matter;
2. The Firm has determined that no conflict of interest or other issue prevents representation;
3. The Firm has agreed in writing to represent you; and
4. You have signed a written engagement agreement with the Firm.

Submitting a website form, sending an email, calling the Firm, leaving a voicemail, scheduling a consultation, uploading documents, or otherwise communicating with the Firm does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship.

Unless and until a written engagement agreement is signed by both you and the Firm, the Firm does not represent you.

3. Do Not Send Confidential Information Before Engagement

Do not send confidential, privileged, sensitive, proprietary, trade secret, personal, financial, or time-sensitive information through this website unless and until the Firm has formally agreed in writing to represent you.

Information submitted through website forms, email, voicemail, scheduling tools, online intake forms, file upload tools, chat features, or other communication methods may not be treated as confidential unless an attorney-client relationship has been formally established.

Although the Firm may take reasonable steps to protect communications, internet-based communications are not guaranteed to be secure. By submitting information through this website, you accept the risk that such information may be intercepted, misdirected, delayed, blocked, filtered, or accessed by unauthorized parties.

4. No Guarantee of Representation

The Firm is not required to review, respond to, accept, or act upon any message, inquiry, form submission, consultation request, or communication received through this website.

The Firm may decline representation for any lawful reason, including but not limited to conflicts of interest, subject matter limitations, jurisdictional issues, timing, capacity, professional obligations, payment issues, incomplete information, or a determination that the matter is not appropriate for the Firm.

You should not assume that the Firm is handling your matter unless you have a signed written engagement agreement confirming representation.

5. No Deadline Protection From Website Use

Legal rights may be affected by statutes of limitation, contractual notice provisions, filing deadlines, court deadlines, administrative deadlines, governmental deadlines, response deadlines, and other time-sensitive obligations.

Submitting information through this website does not preserve any deadline, extend any deadline, toll any statute of limitation, stop any pending legal process, or obligate the Firm to take action on your behalf.

If your matter involves a deadline, you should seek legal assistance immediately and should not rely on website communication as a substitute for timely legal action.

6. Florida Law Firm; Jurisdictional Limitations

Joseph C. Russo, P.A. is a Florida law firm located in Tampa, Florida. The Firm's website is intended primarily for individuals and businesses seeking information about legal services in Florida, including business law, contracts, transactions, business entity matters, commercial real estate transactions, asset sales, startup and small business matters, and outsourced in-house counsel services.

The Firm does not seek to represent anyone in a jurisdiction where this website does not comply with applicable laws, rules, or professional regulations.

The availability of this website in other states or countries does not mean the Firm is authorized to practice law in those jurisdictions or that the Firm is offering legal services in those jurisdictions.

7. Attorney Advertising Notice

This website may be considered attorney advertising under applicable rules of professional conduct.

The hiring of an attorney is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, you may ask the Firm to send you free written information about its qualifications and experience.

Nothing on this website is intended to compare the Firm's services with the services of any other attorney or law firm unless the comparison is expressly stated and objectively verifiable.

8. Practice Area Information

This website may describe areas of law or services handled by the Firm, including business contracts, business transactions, asset sales, commercial real estate transactions, business entities, startups, small business practice, outsourced in-house counsel services, employment-related business issues, finance-related matters, intellectual property issues, insurance matters, and litigation-related business issues.

Descriptions of practice areas are provided for general informational and marketing purposes only. They do not guarantee that the Firm will accept any particular matter, handle every issue within a listed practice area, or provide services in every jurisdiction.

9. No Board Certification Claim Unless Expressly Stated

Unless specifically stated on this website, no attorney associated with this website is claiming to be board certified by The Florida Bar or any other certifying organization in any area of practice.

References to experience, practice focus, services, or legal areas should not be interpreted as a claim of specialization or board certification unless expressly identified as such.

10. No Guarantee of Results

No attorney can guarantee the outcome of a legal matter. Any references on this website to prior matters, representative experience, client work, transactions, business counseling, negotiations, litigation support, or legal services are provided for general informational purposes only.

Past performance, prior results, prior representation, client testimonials, reviews, case descriptions, transaction descriptions, or examples of services do not guarantee, predict, or promise a similar outcome in any future matter.

Every legal matter is different. Outcomes depend on facts, documents, law, timing, opposing parties, courts, agencies, negotiation posture, business circumstances, financial considerations, insurance coverage, and other factors outside the Firm's control.

11. Testimonials, Reviews, and Third-Party Statements

This website may display or reference testimonials, reviews, endorsements, ratings, directory profiles, media features, or statements from clients or third parties.

Any such materials reflect the opinions or experiences of the persons providing them. They do not guarantee, predict, or promise a particular result. They may not reflect the experience of every client or matter.

Third-party reviews, ratings, profiles, badges, directories, articles, and links may be created, maintained, modified, ranked, or removed by third parties outside the Firm's control. The Firm does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or continued availability of third-party materials.

12. Accuracy of Website Content

The Firm attempts to provide accurate and useful information, but the law changes frequently, and website content may become outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate.

The Firm does not warrant or guarantee that the information on this website is current, complete, accurate, or applicable to your circumstances. The Firm may modify, remove, or update website content at any time without notice.

You should not rely on this website as a complete statement of the law.

13. Business, Contract, and Transactional Information

Website content concerning business formation, contracts, transactions, asset sales, commercial real estate, employment issues, finance, intellectual property, insurance, litigation, or general business operations is not a substitute for legal review of your specific documents and circumstances.

Business and transactional decisions may involve legal, tax, accounting, financial, insurance, licensing, regulatory, operational, and strategic considerations. The Firm does not provide tax, accounting, investment, insurance, or financial advice unless specifically stated in a written engagement agreement, and clients should consult appropriate professionals for those matters.

14. Use of Website Forms

Website forms are provided for convenience only. Submitting a form does not guarantee a response, consultation, legal review, conflict check, or representation.

You agree that any information you submit through a form is accurate to the best of your knowledge and that you will not use website forms to submit unlawful, defamatory, threatening, fraudulent, misleading, harassing, malicious, infringing, or inappropriate material.

The Firm may disregard, delete, or decline to respond to any submission.

15. Electronic Communications

By contacting the Firm through this website, email, phone, or other electronic means, you consent to receiving responsive communications from the Firm using the contact information you provide.

Electronic communications may include email, phone calls, voicemail, text messages, scheduling communications, document requests, or other communications related to your inquiry.

Do not use this website for urgent communications. If you are an existing client, you should communicate through the method directed by the Firm for your matter.

16. Third-Party Links and Resources

This website may contain links to third-party websites, directories, articles, services, payment platforms, scheduling tools, maps, social media pages, embedded content, or external resources.

Third-party links are provided for convenience only. The Firm does not control and is not responsible for third-party websites, content, privacy practices, security practices, availability, accessibility, advertising claims, terms, policies, or services.

A link to a third-party website does not mean the Firm endorses, sponsors, approves, verifies, or accepts responsibility for that third party.

17. Third-Party Tools and Website Features

The website may use third-party tools or service providers for hosting, security, analytics, forms, scheduling, maps, email delivery, call tracking, spam prevention, accessibility support, content management, or other website functions.

The Firm does not guarantee that third-party tools will operate without interruption, error, delay, tracking, data collection, or security risk. Use of third-party tools may be subject to separate terms and privacy policies.

18. Website Availability and Security

The Firm does not guarantee that this website will be available, uninterrupted, secure, error-free, virus-free, or free from harmful components.

You are responsible for using appropriate safeguards, including current browsers, antivirus protection, secure networks, and reasonable caution when accessing websites or submitting information online.

The Firm is not responsible for damages caused by website downtime, technical errors, malware, unauthorized access, data loss, corrupted files, failed transmissions, delayed communications, or third-party interference.

19. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use this website in any manner that:

1. Violates any law, rule, regulation, or professional obligation;
2. Attempts to gain unauthorized access to the website, server, database, email system, or related systems;
3. Interferes with website operation, security, hosting, or performance;
4. Introduces viruses, malware, bots, scraping tools, malicious code, or harmful files;
5. Copies, scrapes, harvests, or indexes website content for unauthorized commercial purposes;
6. Misrepresents your identity or affiliation;
7. Submits false, misleading, defamatory, obscene, harassing, or unlawful content;
8. Attempts to reverse engineer, probe, scan, or test website vulnerabilities without authorization;
9. Uses the website to send spam, unsolicited messages, or automated submissions; or
10. Infringes the rights of the Firm or any third party.

The Firm may restrict, block, or terminate access to the website for any conduct it believes violates these Terms and Conditions or threatens the website, Firm, clients, or third parties.

20. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, all content on this website, including text, graphics, layout, design, logos, icons, page structure, images, videos, articles, downloads, and other materials, is owned by or licensed to the Firm and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may view and print website content for your own personal, noncommercial, informational use only.

You may not copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, modify, sell, license, display, transmit, create derivative works from, or exploit website content for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the Firm.

21. Trademarks and Names

The names, logos, service names, marks, and branding used on this website may be trademarks, service marks, trade names, or protected business identifiers of the Firm or third parties.

Nothing on this website grants you the right to use any name, logo, mark, or branding without prior written permission from the appropriate owner.

22. Downloadable Materials

Any forms, checklists, guides, articles, PDFs, or downloadable materials made available through this website are provided for general informational purposes only.

They are not legal advice, do not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not be appropriate for your specific matter. Use of downloadable materials is at your own risk.

The Firm does not guarantee that downloadable materials are current, complete, enforceable, legally sufficient, or suitable for any specific use.

23. Payment Links and Online Payments

If this website provides links or tools for online payments, those tools may be operated by third-party payment processors.

Making a payment through a website or third-party payment platform does not create an attorney-client relationship unless a written engagement agreement has been signed by both you and the Firm.

Payment processing may be subject to separate third-party terms, fees, privacy policies, data handling practices, and security practices. The Firm is not responsible for the acts, omissions, errors, outages, or security practices of third-party payment processors.

24. Privacy

Your use of this website may involve the collection or processing of certain information. Please review the Firm's Privacy Policy for more information about how information may be collected, used, shared, and protected.

These Terms and Conditions are separate from the Firm's Privacy Policy, but both apply to your use of the website.

25. Accessibility

The Firm seeks to provide a website that is accessible and usable to visitors. For more information about our accessibility efforts, features, and feedback process, please see our Accessibility Statement. If you experience difficulty accessing any part of this website, please contact the Firm using the contact information listed on this page and identify the page, feature, or content involved.

The Firm will make reasonable efforts to provide the information or service through an accessible alternative or address the issue where appropriate.

26. No Warranties

This website and all website content are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Firm disclaims all warranties, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, timeliness, reliability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, security, availability, and uninterrupted operation.

27. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Joseph C. Russo, P.A., Joseph C. Russo, and the Firm's employees, contractors, agents, representatives, vendors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any damages arising out of or related to your use of, or inability to use, this website.

This limitation includes direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, punitive, business, financial, data-related, reputational, or other damages, including damages caused by reliance on website content, website downtime, communication failures, third-party tools, unauthorized access, malware, data loss, or errors in website content.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability. In such jurisdictions, liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

28. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Joseph C. Russo, P.A., Joseph C. Russo, and the Firm's employees, contractors, agents, representatives, vendors, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or related to:

1. Your use of this website;
2. Your violation of these Terms and Conditions;
3. Your submission of information through the website;
4. Your violation of any law or third-party right;
5. Your misuse of website content; or
6. Your unauthorized use of website systems, forms, tools, or materials.

29. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

30. Venue and Jurisdiction

To the fullest extent permitted by law, any dispute arising out of or related to this website or these Terms and Conditions shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Hillsborough County, Florida.

By using this website, you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of those courts.

31. Changes to These Terms

The Firm may update, revise, or replace these Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice. The updated version will be posted on this page with the updated effective date.

Your continued use of the website after changes are posted means you accept the updated Terms and Conditions.

32. Severability

If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

33. No Waiver

The Firm's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms and Conditions does not waive the Firm's right to enforce that provision or any other provision in the future.

34. Entire Agreement for Website Use

These Terms and Conditions, together with any applicable website policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Firm regarding your use of this website.

These Terms and Conditions do not modify, replace, or supersede any written engagement agreement between you and the Firm. If you are a client of the Firm and there is a conflict between these Terms and Conditions and a signed engagement agreement, the signed engagement agreement controls as to the legal representation.

35. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms and Conditions may be directed to: