Florida

  • July 03, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: CEQA, Data Center Energy, Midyear Views

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insight into this week's reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act, how states are approaching energy demand for data center projects, and where the commercial and residential real estate sectors stand at the midyear.

  • July 03, 2025

    Planet Hollywood Blames BankUnited For $6M PPP Loan Debt

    Planet Hollywood sued BankUnited on Wednesday, claiming the Miami-based bank misled the restaurant company and related entities in their applications for COVID-19 relief loans, leaving them on the hook for more than $6 million in debt that could have otherwise been forgiven.

  • July 03, 2025

    Detroit Hits Crypto Real Estate Co. With Major Nuisance Suit

    The city of Detroit has sued Real Token LLC, a cryptocurrency real estate company, alleging it allowed hundreds of properties to fall into severe disrepair while incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight fines and property taxes.

  • July 03, 2025

    Fla. Court Rejects Oral Pact Cutting Loan Interest To 7%

    A Florida state appeals court has sided with a Nevada-based lender, reversing an oral agreement to reduce interest on a $2.6 million loan from 25% to 7%, saying such agreements must be in writing.

  • July 03, 2025

    Circuit-By-Circuit Recap: Justices Send Message To Outliers

    It was a tough term at the U.S. Supreme Court for two very different circuits — one solidly liberal, one solidly conservative — that had their rulings overturned in eye-popping numbers. But it was another impressive year for a relatively moderate circuit that appears increasingly simpatico with the high court.

  • July 03, 2025

    States Still Oppose Florida's Generic Drug Deal With Sandoz

    States accusing generic-drug makers of fixing prices are continuing to object to a $10 million settlement struck between Florida and Sandoz, arguing that it limits their ability to negotiate deals while letting the Sunshine State benefit without participating in the litigation.

  • July 03, 2025

    The Moments That Shaped The Universal Injunction Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court voted along ideological lines when it hindered the ability of federal district court judges to issue nationwide pauses on presidential policies, but that outcome didn't seem like a foregone conclusion during oral arguments earlier this year. What do the colloquies suggest about the justices' thinking? Here are some moments that may have swayed them.

  • July 03, 2025

    DHS Says Feds Aren't Funding Everglades Detention Center

    The federal government is distancing itself from the new migrant detention center in the Everglades, saying in a court filing Thursday that it has not "implemented, authorized, directed or funded" the "Alligator Alcatraz" camp.

  • July 03, 2025

    The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

    The number of law firms juggling three or more arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this past term nearly doubled from the number of firms that could make that claim last term.

  • July 03, 2025

    Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court once again waited until the term's closing weeks — and even hours — to issue some of its most anticipated and divided decisions.

  • July 03, 2025

    Lewis Brisbois Lands Former Federal Prosecutor In Florida

    Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has brought on a former federal prosecutor and New York assistant district attorney for the firm's Fort Lauderdale, Florida, office.

  • July 03, 2025

    Call Center Co. Wants Out Of Misclassification Suit

    A suit by workers accusing a call center company of incorrectly classifying them as independent contractors and then firing them when they complained must be thrown out, the company told a Florida federal court, saying the complaint is a "textbook impermissible shotgun pleading."

  • July 02, 2025

    Miami Faces Lawsuit Over Postponed Municipal Elections

    A Miami resident has sued the city over an ordinance that postponed municipal elections by one year, alleging the law is unconstitutional and was passed despite warnings from the Florida attorney general not to do so.

  • July 02, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Revive Disney Workers' COVID Vax Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit refused to revive a discrimination suit by former Disney employees over the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and augmented protocols requiring unvaccinated workers to socially distance and wear masks, ruling Wednesday the appellants never made religious objections to those protocols and never sought religious-based accommodations. 

  • July 02, 2025

    Fla. Man Gets $1.7M For 34-Yr Wrongful Incarceration

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that will provide $1.7 million in compensation to a man wrongfully convicted of armed robbery who served 34 years in prison before his release in 2023.

  • July 02, 2025

    Fla. Panel Says Shooting Suspect Had Right To Atty Violated

    A state appeals court in Florida on Tuesday ruled that a man convicted of first-degree murder must get a new trial because his trial court judge allowed evidence from a police interview that occurred after police ignored the man's repeated requests for an attorney.

  • July 02, 2025

    Fla. Court Upholds Conviction In Case Over Slain Law Prof

    A Florida appeals court on Wednesday refused to disturb the murder conviction of Katherine Magbanua, the ex-girlfriend of the dentist who conspired to kill former Florida State University law professor Dan Markel, after finding that she failed to demonstrate prejudicial error by the trial court.

  • July 02, 2025

    Falsehoods Cited As Fla. Atty DQ'd From Practicing In NC

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has barred a Florida attorney from practicing in North Carolina for a year, after he was found to have made numerous false representations in applications for pro hac vice status in two separate suits on which he sought to appear in the Tar Heel State.

  • July 02, 2025

    Fla. Broker, Atty Sued Over Taking Impaired Man's Home

    A cognitively impaired man has sued an attorney and a Florida real estate broker in Connecticut state court for alleged unscrupulous sales practices, saying they took advantage of his condition to purchase his home for a "predatory discounted price" and left him homeless.

  • July 02, 2025

    Seaman Can't Seek Punitive Damages In Hand Injury Suit

    A Florida appeals court on Wednesday found that an injured seaman can't amend his complaint against his employer alleging that it mistreated him following his injury to add a punitive damages claim, saying he has failed to allege that the company engaged in callous, egregious or lax conduct.

  • July 02, 2025

    The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

    After justices and oral advocates spent much of an argument pummeling a lower court's writing talents, one attorney suggested it might be time to move on — only to be told the drubbing had barely begun. Here, Law360 showcases the standout jests and wisecracks from the 2024-25 U.S. Supreme Court term.

  • July 02, 2025

    11th Circ. Voids Injunction Shielding Trans Teacher's Job

    The Eleventh Circuit struck down an order allowing a transgender public school teacher to keep her job while she challenges a Florida law regulating workplace pronouns, ruling Wednesday that she wasn't likely to succeed on claims that the statute violates her free speech rights.

  • July 01, 2025

    Racist Jury Selection Affords Ala. Death Row Inmate New Trial

    A Black man sentenced to death by the state of Alabama for murdering a sheriff has been granted a new trial by the Eleventh Circuit, which found that the state violated his constitutional right to equal protection by habitually eliminating potential Black jurors from cases like his in a discriminatory manner.

  • July 01, 2025

    CFPB Drops Navy Federal's Overdraft Fee Consent Order

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has spared Navy Federal Credit Union from having to refund potentially tens of millions of dollars in allegedly improper overdraft fees, quietly lifting a Biden-era consent order imposing that and other requirements as the agency's enforcement retreat deepens.

  • July 01, 2025

    Fla. Court Tosses NY Judge's Defamation Suit In Condo Feud

    A Florida federal judge tossed a defamation suit between a senior federal judge in New York and former members of a condominium board where he owns a unit, saying neither party provided sufficient evidence of their claims stemming from a feud over renovations.

Expert Analysis

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Florida Case Could Redefine Construction Defect Damages

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    If a Florida appellate court overturns the trial court in a pending construction contract dispute, the state could experience a seismic shift in construction defect damages, effectively leaving homeowners and developers with an incomplete remedy, says Andrew Gold at Akerman.

  • Series

    Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.

  • Attacks On Judicial Independence Tend To Manifest In 3 Ways

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    Attacks on judicial independence now run the gamut from gross (bald-faced interference) to systemic (structural changes) to insidious (efforts to undermine public trust), so lawyers, judges and the public must recognize the fateful moment in which we live and defend the rule of law every day, says Jim Moliterno at Washington and Lee University.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

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    If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.

  • Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

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    The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in February were drafted using generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the continued importance of disclosure for attorneys who use AI tools, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

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    The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • What FCA Liability Looks Like In The Cybersecurity Realm

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    ​Two recent settlements highlight how whistleblowers and the U.S. Department of Justice have been utilizing the False Claims Act to allege fraud predicated on violations of cybersecurity standards — timely lessons given new bipartisan legislation introducing potential FCA liability for artificial intelligence use, say​ attorneys Rachel Rose and Julie Bracker.

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

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    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Employer-Friendly Fla. Law Ushers In New Noncompete Era

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    Florida's CHOICE Act is set to take effect July 1, and employers are welcoming it with open arms as it would create one of the most favorable environments in the country for the enforcement of noncompete and garden leave agreements, but businesses should also consider the nonlegal implications, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • 11th Circ. Ruling Warns Parties To Follow Arbitral Rules

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Merritt Island Woodwerx v. Space Coast is important for companies utilizing arbitration clauses because it clearly demonstrates the court's intent to hold noncompliant parties responsible in federal court — regardless of subsequent efforts to cure, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

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