Oct
29
Recent disciplinary actions
Filed Under Disciplinary Actions | 1 Comment
The Florida Bar has published the most recent list of attorneys disciplined by the Florida Supreme Court. The complete list can be found at the Florida Bar website. The following information on South Florida attorneys was excerpted from the Florida Bar website:
Nathaniel Joe Birdsong III, 9050 Pines Blvd., Suite 300, Pembroke Pines, suspended for one year, effective 30 days from an August 30 court order and ordered to pay restitution to two clients. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Birdsong failed to
Oct
29
Peace, love and labor law
Filed Under Broward | Leave a Comment
The Miami Herald has a Q&A with Fort Lauderdale labor attorney Stuart Rosenfeldt. He tells the Herald he takes a “holistic” approach to lawyering and was influenced to become a labor lawyer by his father who ran a trucking business in Philadelphia. He also once had a conversation with a grandson of Ghandi about reconciling his desire to lead a peaceful life with being an attorney. [Hat tip to South Florida Lawyers]
Oct
29
Smokers vs. Big Tobacco: Round II
Filed Under Torts, Product Liability | Leave a Comment
Thousands of Floridians are getting ready to take Big Tobacco back to court, according to a story in The Palm Beach Post.
While the Florida Supreme Court last year threw out a $145 billion jury verdict, it also opened the door for plaintiffs on several issues, writes Post reporter Jane Musgrave. One of the most important things to come out of the ruling was the high court’s decision that plaintiffs don’t have to prove again that smoking causes a long list of health problems.
Barry Mittleberg, a Coral Springs attorney who is representing 7 smokers, told The Post: “It opens a large crack in all of their defenses.”
More on Big Tobacco at The West Palm Beach Injury Lawyer blog, where John Hopkins a paralegal with Searcy Denney et al, says Big Tobacco is in for the fight of its life in Florida.
Oct
29
Lawyer criticizes Public Defender
Filed Under Broward | Leave a Comment
Ronald L. Book, a Miami lobbyist and pro bono counsel for the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, wrote an opinion piece in the Sun-Sentinel criticizing Broward Public Defender Howard Finklestein for his handling of an intern who had a criminal history involving sex with a minor.
Finkelstein had placed the intern, Bryan Docobo in the department’s juvenile division. Docobo was 23 when he had sex with a 15-year-old girl he met off of MySpace.
That Mr. Finkelstein does not understand the seriousness of placing a newly hired graduate intern, with the particular background of Bryan Docobo, in a courtroom with juveniles, is shocking. It demonstrates a lack of understanding by the public defender of the impact that predators, offenders, and pedophiles have on our society and, more particularly, victims and their families.
Oct
27
Ex-Justice Boyd dies
Filed Under UM Law School, Obits | Leave a Comment
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Joseph A. Boyd Jr., a graduate of the University of Miami Law School and a former Dade County Commissioner, died Friday at his Tallahassee home, according to CFN News13.
According to CFN News 13, “Boyd was elected to the Supreme Court in November 1968 and served for 18 years until his retirement in early 1987. He served as Chief Justice from mid-1984 through mid-1986.”
Oct
27
Golfer Greg Norman’s ex-wife wants tennis legend Chris Evert to testify about Norman’s use of his private jet, according to a story in TCPalm.com.
Jack Scarola (left), who is representing Norman’s ex-wife, Laura Andrassy, says there’s evidence that Norman misused the plane. Norman should be responsible for any taxes on the plane if he sells it for more than its stated worth, Scarola said.
According to TCPalm, Norman and Evert have been linked romantically.
Oct
27
Law firm targets disgruntled condo buyers
Filed Under Real Estate | 1 Comment
Here’s a sign of the slumping real estate market: South Florida attorney Eric Bronfeld is now touting his “deposit recovery services” for condo buyers who want out of their contracts.
According to a press release on PRLeap.com, Bronfeld said, “We have found in many cases, the language of these contracts have opportunities to render them void, allowing for deposit monies to be returned.”
Oct
27
Court computer system a lemon
Filed Under Palm Beach | Leave a Comment
Palm Beach County’s new $13.6 million court computer system is a piece of junk, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post.
It is so bad that Clerk of the Courts Sharon Bock is ready to ditch the system only a year after it was installed. Chief Circuit Judge Kathleen Kroll says she the system can’t even meet basic information needs.
Oct
26
CVB settles suit
Filed Under Palm Beach, Settlements | Leave a Comment
The national accounting firm McGladrey & Pullen and The Hartford insurance company have agreed to pay $710,000 to the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau to settle a claim involving an employee who stole $1.6 million to cover her online gambling habit, according to a story in The Palm Beach Post.
The bureau had already received $250,000 from an earlier settlement with another insurance company.
Oct
26
Martindale-Hubbell ratings announced
Filed Under Awards | Leave a Comment
LexisNexis announced its Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings for 110 lawyers nationwide. According to a report on TradingMarkets.com, the LexisNexis designation means “that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability and are used by buyers of legal services to justify their hiring decisions.”
Here are the South Florida attorneys on the list:
- David M. Hawthorne of Akerman Senterfitt
- Arturo Ross of A Professional Corporation
- Michael T. Landen of Kaplan & Berlin
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