Florida

  • August 08, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Roche, Thoma Bravo, Klarna

    Roche is considering divesting cancer data specialist Flatiron Health, Thoma Bravo is exploring a sale of compliance software maker Cority, and fintech startup Klarna is preparing a secondary-share sale ahead of a planned IPO. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • August 07, 2024

    Hemp Cos. Owner Says Cousin Ripped Off Formula, Trademarks

    The owner of Florida-based CBD and hemp companies White Lab LLC and GS Distribution LLC is suing a company owned by his cousin, saying the cousin has failed to pay up on a distribution agreement and is now trying to steal the trademarks to one of White Lab's product lines. 

  • August 07, 2024

    DOD Contractor Wants No Prison For Parts Sales From Turkey

    A Florida defense contractor who admitted to using a front company to supply critical military components that were made in Turkey asked Tuesday for a non-prison sentence, arguing that her participation in the scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense was driven by financial desperation and a misplaced trust in those who ran the operation.

  • August 07, 2024

    OnlyFans Claims Immunity In Suit Over Alleged Rape Video

    The London-based parent company of OnlyFans urged a Florida federal court to toss a lawsuit brought by a woman alleging the internet content provider profited off a video that she says shows her being raped, saying the Communications Decency Act precludes liability for material uploaded by third parties.

  • August 07, 2024

    Insurer Wants Bad Faith Claim Tossed In Russian Planes Suit

    HDI Global and underwriters of insurance policies on airplanes stranded in Russia have asked a Florida court to toss a bad faith claim by aircraft leasing company Avmax, arguing that bad faith only applies to coverage denials without a reasonable basis and that in this case there has been no denial, and it is "fairly debatable" whether coverage applies.

  • August 07, 2024

    Fla. Bank Shareholders Lose Bid To Stop Recapitalization Deal

    A Florida federal judge has denied a post-trial bid by Eastern National Bank NA shareholders to halt a recapitalization deal and stop the bank's board from implementing an equity compensation plan following claims that the bank didn't have proper authorization from the U.S. government to implement the plan.

  • August 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Affirms Unapportioned Wood-Theft Settlement

    The Eleventh Circuit has unanimously upheld a Georgia federal court ruling forcing an insurer to cover a $557,000 settlement for shoddy work and wood theft during a deconstruction project by its policyholder, despite objections from the insurer that the amount was not apportioned between covered and noncovered losses.

  • August 07, 2024

    Chancery Urges Bickering Journey Bandmates To Open Arms

    Attorneys for deadlocked Journey band members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon should keep the focus on "counseling rather than litigating" and go to trial in September only if they can't find another way to resolve their dispute over company management, a Delaware Chancery Court judge said Wednesday.

  • August 07, 2024

    Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Associate GC Returns As CLO

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League have welcomed a new top lawyer, a seasoned attorney who was most recently general counsel for the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks and who previously spent close to two years with the Buccaneers near the start of her career.

  • August 07, 2024

    11th Circ. Says Drivers Can Use Contracting Law For OT Math

    Three drivers for a company that provides medical transportation to veterans can base their calculation of overtime they're owed on a Service Contract Act prevailing rate that's higher than the wages they were paid, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled, partially flipping a lower court's ruling.

  • August 06, 2024

    Florida Asks 11th Circ. To Let Gender Law Take Effect Now

    Florida officials have implored the Eleventh Circuit to allow enforcement of the state's recently enacted law restricting gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors and adults, arguing that a federal judge's order to enjoin enforcement of the law was erroneous.

  • August 06, 2024

    4 Takeaways From Landmark Google Search Ruling

    A landmark ruling in D.C. federal court Monday found that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly, and experts say the case could have broad implications for the company as well as the wider internet and shows how existing antitrust laws can apply to modern technology.

  • August 06, 2024

    Japanese Restaurant In Aspen Sued For TM Infringement

    A Florida restaurateur's intellectual property company has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Colorado federal court against a Japanese restaurant and its interim manager in Aspen, claiming they continued without permission to use the name and logo the IP company created.

  • August 06, 2024

    11th Circ. Won't Let Chubb Unit Ax $13.8M Appraisal Award

    A Florida condo association's insurer waived its ability to challenge an over $13.8 million storm damage appraisal award by only arguing in court that the association's appraiser had a conflict of interest, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, finding the insurer could've lodged a challenge during the appraisal process itself.

  • August 06, 2024

    Fifth Third Bank Faces MDL Bid Over Allegedly Hidden Costs

    A group of consumers is urging the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to centralize in New Jersey five proposed class actions alleging Fifth Third Bank NA's solar panel financing business hid loan costs from consumers.

  • August 06, 2024

    Legal Service Co.'s Template Misused Identity Of Fla. Atty

    Tampa Bay attorney Matthew Weidner has shared his work online before to help self-represented litigants, but a copy-paste error following a legal service company using his old pleading as a template recently led to his identity being misused in a Sixth Circuit case.

  • August 06, 2024

    Fla. Judicial Ethics Panel Sets Parameters For Elections

    Florida's Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee has handed down a pair of opinions for judges navigating elections involving a judicial assistant and a judge's spouse.

  • August 06, 2024

    Atty Rips Lawyer's Suit Over $30K Law School Loan Judgment

    A Florida employment lawyer's "absurdly long" federal complaint alleging his onetime romantic partner and her attorneys conspired with a Wells Fargo consultant to concoct a vexatious lawsuit against him should be trimmed, one defendant argued Tuesday, noting that an underlying judgment was entered against the plaintiff.

  • August 06, 2024

    World Of Beer Latest Dining Chain To Tap Ch. 11 Post-COVID

    World of Beer Bar & Kitchen, a restaurant chain known for its craft beer selection, filed for bankruptcy in Florida citing a pandemic hangover and outlining plans to close unprofitable locations and restructure some of its $30 million in debt while in Chapter 11.

  • August 05, 2024

    CFPB's Buy-Now, Pay-Later Policy In House GOP Crosshairs

    Republican members of Congress have taken aim again at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent guidance requiring that some of the protections provided to credit card users be applied to buy-now, pay-later loans, putting forward a new measure that would overturn what the lawmakers argue is a "destructive," overreaching policy.

  • August 05, 2024

    SEC Nabs $1M Default Win Against Fuel Tech Co.

    A fuel and gas company previously known as Taronis Technologies Inc. must pay a $1 million civil penalty after disregarding U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations it touted nonexistent or exaggerated customer relationships with big customers, including Turkey's government and food processor Smithfield.

  • August 05, 2024

    Italian Restaurant Chain Hits Ch. 11 With At Least $10M In Debt

    Buca di Beppo filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court Monday, with the Italian restaurant chain citing at least $10 million in debt just days after shuttering more than a dozen locations.

  • August 05, 2024

    Ex-Virgin Islands Premier Gets 11 Years For Drug Conspiracy

    A Florida federal judge on Monday sentenced the former premier of the British Virgin Islands to more than 11 years in prison after a jury convicted him of charges related to a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine from South America to the U.S. following a trial earlier this year.

  • August 05, 2024

    Ivory Coast Can't Enforce $12M Award In Fla., Oil Co. Says

    A Nigerian oil company sued by the Ivory Coast to enforce a $12 million arbitration award over a distribution joint venture has told a Florida federal court that the lawsuit must be dropped, saying the oil company has no ties to the Sunshine State.

  • August 05, 2024

    4th Circ. Revives Duke Monopoly Suit, Orders New Judge

    The Fourth Circuit on Monday revived Florida-based NTE Energy Services' lawsuit accusing Duke Energy of squeezing it out of the market in North Carolina, concluding that the lower court should have looked at the big picture of the allegations.

Expert Analysis

  • How State AGs Process And Prioritize Consumer Complaints

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    Recent state attorneys general actions illustrate how their offices triage, monitor and respond to consumer complaints — and why businesses need to be proactive in addressing these issues as they arise, say Meghan Stoppel and Hannah Cornett Land at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

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    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • Inside Higher Education's New FCA Liability Challenges

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    As the educational sector expands its use of government funding, schools are at increased risk under the False Claims Act, but recent settlements offer valuable lessons about new theories of liability they may face and specific procedures to reduce their exposure, say James Zelenay and Jeremy Ochsenbein at Gibson Dunn.

  • 5 Most Notable Class Action Standing Cases Of 2023

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    Key appellate class action decisions this past year continued the trend of a more demanding approach to the threshold issue of standing during each phase of litigation, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

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    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • Del. Dispatch: The 2023 Corporate Cases You Need To Know

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    Corporate and mergers and acquisitions litigation has continued at a fevered pace this year, with the Delaware courts addressing numerous novel issues with important practical implications, including officer exculpation and buyer aiding-and-abetting liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • The Key Laws Retailers Should Pay Attention To In 2024

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    2024 promises to be another transformative year for retailers as they navigate the evolving regulatory landscape, particularly surrounding data privacy and sustainability laws, meaning companies should make it a practice to keep track of new legislation and invest in compliance efforts early on, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2023

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal and state courts made 2023 another groundbreaking year for whistleblower litigation and retaliation developments, including the SEC’s massive whistleblower awards, which are likely to continue into 2024 and further incentivize individuals to submit tips, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • 5 Gifts That May Run Afoul Of Government Ethics Rules

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    As the holiday season ramps up, it’s essential to keep in mind that government officials and employees are all subject to specific gift rules, and related violations can lead to consequences far worse than coal in one’s stocking, say Mark Renaud and Rob Walker at Wiley.

  • Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Still Murky After A Choppy 2023

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    This year brought several important Clean Water Act jurisdictional developments, including multiple agency rules and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that substantially altered the definition of "waters of the United States," but a new wave of litigation challenges has already begun, with no clear end in sight, say attorneys at Nossaman.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • ESG Investing Caught In Culture War Crosshairs In 2023

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    As 2023 draws to a close, ESG investing remains a raging battleground in the U.S. culture wars, as illustrated by the array of legislative efforts across the country aimed variously at restricting or promoting the use of ESG investing — but it remains to be seen what practical impact, if any, these laws will have, say Amy Roy and Robert Skinner at Ropes & Gray.

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