Matthew Whitman Lazenby, whose family has owned Bal Harbour Shops for over six decades, is engaged in a contentious divorce with his estranged wife, Kristin Lazenby. According to court documents, Matthew is seeking to prevent Kristin from accessing financial records related to Bal Harbour Shops and is also asking the court to remove a foster dog she adopted from their Asheville, North Carolina home.
Kristin is requesting bank statements, canceled checks, and general ledgers for Whitman Family Development, which owns Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Avenue. She also wants Matthew’s general partnership stake in the luxury shopping center considered as part of their marital assets.
“It is unfortunate that the Bal Harbour Shops have been thrust into the Lazenbys’ divorce proceedings which were intended to be a private matter,” said Matthew’s attorney Kathyrn Hamilton in an email statement. “Mr. Lazenby’s personal involvement in this multi-generational family business predates their marriage.”
Kristin’s attorney Paul Leinoff did not respond to requests for comment.
Bal Harbour Shops was founded by Stanley Whitman after he acquired land in Bal Harbour in 1957 and opened the mall in 1965. The shopping center features high-end retailers including Balenciaga, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Prada, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Whitman Family Development has recently undertaken a renovation and expansion project at Bal Harbour Shops, adding 200,000 square feet and securing major loans—$550 million in 2019 and $740 million through refinancing in 2024.
Matthew serves as CEO of Bal Harbour Shops and operating general partner of Whitman Family Development; his uncle Randall Whitman is chairman. Matthew joined the family business in 2003 and became CEO about ten years later.
The couple married in 2009 and have three children. Kristin filed for divorce in July 2024 citing irreconcilable differences. She seeks alimony, attorney fees and an equitable distribution of marital assets—including homes located in Bal Harbour, Santa Rosa Beach and Asheville where she currently lives with their children.
Recent court motions show disputes over access to company financials. At an October hearing regarding her request for records from Whitman Family Development, forensic accountant Philip Schecter testified that examining whether Matthew signs most company checks would clarify if he actively manages the entity or receives profit disbursements. Kristin argues that Matthew’s partnership interest could be counted as a marital asset if it was acquired during their marriage.
Leinoff told Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Christine Bandin that information on when Matthew acquired his partnership interest is necessary before depositions can proceed. Hamilton countered that there was no evidence showing marital funds were used to obtain any stake in the company.
Another dispute centers on a foster dog adopted by Kristin without Matthew’s knowledge or consent. In legal filings submitted on the same day as the October hearing, Matthew claims that Kristin’s decision resulted in property damage at their Asheville residence—including destruction of hardwood flooring—and alleges further incidents involving pet care responsibilities.
Matthew splits his time between Florida homes but spends just over half of each year there according to court records.
“The most recent catastrophe caused by the wife has resulted in the expensive Ipe hardwood flooring in the mudroom being destroyed,” one motion alleges. “This happened because the wife deliberately left the dog door closed, thereby preventing the family dogs from going outside to go potty.”
“When Matthew returned home, he found ‘a minefield of dried-up excrement everywhere,’” according to another filing. “The wife undoubtedly left this mess to sink into the flooring overnight because she did not want to bother cleaning it.”
Matthew seeks either removal of the foster dog or exclusive use of their Asheville house; Kristin accuses him of violating prior agreements allowing both parties access to that property.
A hearing regarding these issues is scheduled for April.
