Louis Caplan, Managing Partner, Sachs Sax Caplan PL

In an interview with Invest:, Louis Caplan, managing partner at law firm Sachs Sax Caplan PL, highlighted the firm’s leadership in navigating Palm Beach’s evolving condominium and HOA laws, stricter board requirements, and the use of AI in the legal realm. “At the end of the day, our clients value personal relationships and responsive, trusted advisers more than tech tools. That’s where we focus,” Caplan noted.

How has the firm fared given the real estate market trends in Palm Beach?
The real estate market is still strong. Even though condo owners are facing rising expenses, many are still able to sell for significantly more than they paid, especially those who purchased long ago. There’s continued activity in single-family homes, but starter homes are nearly impossible to find. If my kids, now in their mid to late 20s, wanted to buy in Palm Beach County, I don’t think they could find what would traditionally be considered a starter home.
For sellers, the only real benefit comes if they move far away. You can’t really sell and stay in the same area because everything else is just as expensive. Some larger developers are still building, though. On the legal side, we continue to be active in residential and commercial closings, but a lot of my work is in condominium and homeowners association law, which has seen a lot of change.

What legislative changes are affecting condominium and homeowners association boards?
There’s been a major increase in responsibility for board members. Condominiums now require board certification and continuing education. For example, condo board members need to complete a one-hour legal update and a four-hour board certification course. For HOAs, board members must take four hours of continuing education annually. If your HOA has 2,500 homes or more, that jumps to eight hours. That’s more than what’s required of attorneys.
There’s also been legislation clarifying that board members can be held criminally liable for things like theft or serious breaches of duty. While that’s always technically been true, the new language makes it sound more severe, and that’s intimidating to the average person who just wants to serve on a board. We spend a lot of time educating board members and helping them understand that, as long as they act in good faith, don’t self-deal, and rely on professional advice, they have strong protections under Florida law.

How does your firm stand out from other law firms in Florida?
We try to be practical. It’s easy to say no, but our job is to help clients find a way to accomplish their goals within the law. For instance, if a board wants to fund a major repair but doesn’t have the authority to issue a special assessment, we look at alternatives. Maybe the documents allow for borrowing, or we can amend the budget. The point is, we listen, we understand what they’re trying to achieve, and then we try to help them get there legally.
We also work hard to build relationships. Our clients know we’re here to prevent problems, not just solve them. We’re part of the team. We want them to feel comfortable coming to us before they make a decision. That’s how we protect them best. We also aim to be fair in our billing and always responsive. That’s what sets us apart.

How are you adapting your services in response to safety reforms?
We’ve spent countless hours helping clients adjust to new regulations. Some implementation deadlines have been delayed, but the responsibilities haven’t gone away. We have partners in the firm who specialize in these evolving requirements and help educate both our team and our clients.
There’s a lot of confusion out there, especially about reserves, inspections, and the new educational mandates. We’ve held weekly and monthly seminars and taught hundreds of board members. It’s a lot for a law firm to take on, but it’s necessary. Our clients depend on us to help them stay compliant.
At the same time, condo living is still expensive. Insurance remains a challenge, although there’s more competition coming back into the market. And while many owners have built up equity, rising costs are putting pressure on some residents to sell or hand off their property to family members. That’s a trend we’re watching closely.

How is your firm leveraging technology or AI in legal practice?
We still believe in the power of direct communication. That’s what our area of law depends on. Some of our younger attorneys are using AI to draft or research legal opinions, but they always verify and adjust the results. We’ve seen cases where tools like ChatGPT give inaccurate information, especially when it comes to distinguishing between condominium law and HOA law. The tools are only as good as the questions you ask.
At the end of the day, our clients value personal relationships and responsive, trusted advisers more than tech tools. That’s where we focus.

How do you attract and retain talent in such a competitive environment?
It’s difficult, and I won’t say we’ve fully solved it. After COVID, many people want to work remotely, but that doesn’t always align with the kind of law we practice. We’ve allowed some remote flexibility, but we think being in the office matters. It builds relationships, helps generate business, and strengthens our team.
We encourage attorneys to originate business, not just for the firm, but for their own growth. We give people a path to partnership, which is important. We also try to be good to our team. We listen, we support them, and we try to be a place where people want to stay. That said, it’s not easy. Recruiting paralegals and support staff is tough, especially when many want to work fully remotely or have family obligations. Compensation is always part of the conversation, and we work hard to be competitive.

What are your top priorities for the firm over the next two to three years?
First, we want to support the growth and advancement of our current attorneys and partners. We want them to feel ownership of the firm and take it forward. That’s how we create sustainability.