Florida Governor Signs Employment Eligibility Verification Bill into Law
7/2/20
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill on verification of employees’ legal authorization to work in the U.S. that is a far cry from the original bill proposed at the beginning of the legislative …
Florida Legislature is One Among Several Pushing for Mandatory Use of “E-Verify”
11/8/19
By: Melissa Santalone
A Florida State Senator has filed a bill that would require, beginning January 1, 2021, all Florida businesses to use the “E-Verify” system to check whether each newly hired employee is authorized to work in the U.S. …
Can Governments be Liable for Mass Shootings under the Constitution?
2/11/19
By: Phil Savrin
The recent tragedies of mass shootings have spawned litigation over the civil liabilities of state governments for failing to protect members of the public from harm, particularly when there were advance warning signs that police departments overlooked …
Florida Employment Law and The Use of Consistent Terminology
1/17/19
By: Michael Kouskoutis
Florida’s First DCA recently reversed summary judgment in favor of Florida A&M University (FAMU) in a contract dispute with the school’s former head football and basketball coaches.
The coaches both had 4-year contracts with the University, each …
School Shootings: Is There a Constitutional Duty to Protect Students?
1/16/19
By: Jake Daly
Sadly, our nation’s schools are not free from shootings and other violent crimes. When such crimes occur on private property, the laws of many states provide the victims a remedy (money damages) against the owner of the …
12/10/18
Earlier this year, Florida has enacted several laws impacting homeowners associations. Among these changes include the following:
As of July 1, 2018, Florida requires homeowners associations to publicly record all amendments to governing documents, where “governing documents” …
Assignment of Benefits: A Mortgagee's Consent Matters
12/5/18
Policyholders John and Liza Squitieri suffered a water loss in their Florida home. Following the loss, Mrs. Squitieri signed an assignment of benefits (AOB) to Restoration 1, an emergency restoration services company. However, the Squitieri’s policy contained …
New Florida Law Change Allows Property Owners to Challenge Lapsed Covenants
11/30/18
By: Melissa Santalone
A recently enacted section of the Florida Statutes allows property owners to seek court intervention to prevent their community associations from revitalizing lapsed covenants and restrictions as to their parcels. Property owners can commence an action for …
Protecting In-House Correspondence from Disclosure: The Troublesome “CC”
11/28/18
By: Jake Carroll
Commercial disputes present complex issues of causation—what caused the accident, who is responsible, what is impacting company revenue. But before the dispute even arises, in-house attorneys are frequently copied on correspondence with team members and employees evaluating …
Federal Court Finds Exclusions in HOA GL Policies Applicable to Wrongful Death Suit
9/7/18
By: Peter Catalanotti
Colony Insurance issued a commercial general liability policy to The Courtyards at Hollywood Station Homeowners Association Inc. (“HOA”) that operates an apartment complex in Florida. Great American Alliance Insurance issued an umbrella policy to the HOA.
Two …
Don’t Get Bitten… Are You In Compliance With DOL's COBRA Continuation Coverage Election Notice?
8/21/18
By: Pamela Everett
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida has certified a class action suit against Marriott International, Inc. for allegations that it failed to provide required notices of eligible terminated employees’ right to continued …
8/1/18
By: Jeremy Rogers
Recently, the EEOC announced a settlement in a lawsuit brought against SLS Hotel in South Beach. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, followed an investigation into charges made by multiple Haitian former employees who had been terminated in …