Michelle Nicole Shupe-Abbas

Michelle Shupe-Abbas is the firm's managing partner and focuses her practice on Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts, Probate & Guardianship Administration and Litigation. She is a seasoned attorney, with significant legal experience and has handled a wide variety of litigation and transactional matters for the firm.  

Michelle's education, experience, and knowledge have allowed her to become an outstanding Fort Lauderdale and Weston attorney, capable of handling a wide variety of legal issues. Michelle was born in Maryland and raised in South Carolina. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina and thereafter was a successful district manager for a well-known restaurant chain before she decided to return to school to obtain her law degree. Michelle moved to South Florida to attend law school at St. Thomas University School of Law and received an academic scholarship from the law school, a scholarship from the Young Lawyer's Division of the Florida Bar, and a service scholarship from her fraternity.

An active member of the student community, Michelle was appointed a Senior Articles Editor for the St. Thomas Law Review, was honored in Who's Who Among American Law Students, was elected Vice Justice (vice president) and subsequently Justice (president) of the Mentschikoff Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, and was a member of the Editorial Board and a staff writer for the law school newspaper. Due to her scholarship, she received awards for the highest grades in several classes and was asked to be a research assistant, teaching assistant, and tutor for the law school. She obtained her law degree and graduated cum laude. Furthering her education, Michelle attended New York University School of Law and obtained a Master of Laws degree in Taxation. When she graduated from law school, she decided to remain in South Florida as she just couldn't bear to leave the sunshine.

Beginning her legal career as a litigator in 2001, Michelle represented major insurance companies and servicers in a wide variety of issues such as contract disputes, products liability, sexual harassment, discrimination, premises liability, slip and fall, negligence, wrongful death and insurance defense. Thereafter, she operated her own law firm and worked with several other law firms as "of counsel" assisting with matters related to estate and gift tax planning, probate administration (summary and ancillary), trust administration, guardianship, tax controversy, family, corporate and general litigation, and real estate.

In 2010, Michelle was asked to join a law firm in need of attorneys with a strong legal background and that were capable of hiring, building, and managing a large team of lawyers and legal assistants. Relying on her background in multi-unit restaurant management, she accepted the challenge and was directly responsible for over 25,000 cases, managing a large team of attorneys and support staff. Working in a volume atmosphere, Michelle obtained significant legal experience which most attorneys take a lifetime to obtain.

Michelle joined forces with Neil Dhawan in 2013 and together they founded the law firm of Shupe Dhawan with offices located in Fort Lauderdale and Weston. She is a seasoned attorney, with significant legal experience in and out of the courtroom.

Her practice is focused on Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts, Probate & Guardianship Administration and Litigation.

Highlights of Michelle's legal career

• Conducted several hundred non-jury trials throughout the State of Florida.
• Practiced in and familiar with the courts in most counties within the State of Florida.
• Experienced in estate and gift tax planning, probate administration (summary and ancillary), trust administration, guardianship, tax controversy, corporate governance and restructuring.
• Title Agent who has performed numerous real estate closings and issued title insurance.
• Wrote and argued several successful appeals.
• Represented major banks, mortgage servicers, investors, and lenders in litigation and real estate default matters.
• Represented major insurance companies and servicers in contract disputes, products liability, sexual harassment, discrimination, premises liability, slip and fall, negligence, wrongful death and insurance defense.
• Capable of handling a wide variety of litigation and transactional issues.

 Representative Cases  

 APPELLANT-Nat’l City Bank v. White, 4D12-469 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013)

-        Daily Business Review Article, May 2, 2013

-        Sun-Sentinel Article, May 2, 2013

 APPELLEE - Brzobohaty v. U.S. Bank N.A., 100 So.3d 686 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012)

APPELLEE - Mayo v. Capital Assurance, 845 So.2d 275 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003)