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Dear Business Law Section Members,
I encourage you to take a few minutes to explore the great content featured in this week's newsletter, including member articles, CLE Spotlight, and Section initiatives designed to keep you informed about new developments in business law.
I also hope you'll join us for the Labor Day Retreat, September 4–7, at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. Registration is open, and our room block is filling up quickly, so be sure to reserve your spot soon. This year's retreat will also feature a new Charity Poker Tournament during Casino Night! Details concerning this special tournament are below.
Looking ahead, I'm excited for our upcoming Executive Council Retreat to Tuscany, where we'll explore one of Italy's most beautiful regions, and one that's especially meaningful to me. Stay tuned for registration details.
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Peter F. Valori
Damian | Valori | Culmo
| | | New this year at the Labor Day Retreat! | | Join us September 4-7, 2026 at the Ritz Carlton Naples for the Annual Labor Day Retreat. This year's theme is SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY. As always, the Retreat will be a family-friendly event with activities through Monday afternoon for attendees of all ages in addition to plentiful CLE and networking opportunities for our BLS members. Be sure to review the Retreat website for the full schedule of events. | | |
AI Task Force Kicks Off
The Business Law Section's newly formed Artificial Intelligence Task Force held its inaugural meeting on July 14, 2026, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort to help members navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Led by Chair James Moon, Co-Vice Chairs Michael Bittner and Valerie David, and Judicial Chair Hon. Melissa Damian, the Task Force is focused on providing practical guidance, educational programming, and resources on AI's impact on the practice of law, business, and the legal profession.
Tech Giants Unite Behind Open AI
In a significant shift for the AI industry, leaders from Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Google, and xAI have joined together in support of open-weight AI models, arguing that greater openness will accelerate innovation, strengthen U.S. competitiveness, and give businesses more control over how AI is deployed. The debate over open versus closed AI is quickly becoming one of the defining issues shaping the future of the technology. For lawyers and business leaders, this discussion goes far beyond technology. It raises important questions about regulation, intellectual property, cybersecurity, transparency, and how organizations will safely adopt AI in the years ahead.
Click Here to Read Letter
| | BOLO! Business Law Section Trip to Tuscany | Details and registration coming soon! | | | |
Before You Prompt: AI, Privilege, and Confidentiality for Florida Lawyers
By Michael Bittner
Florida business lawyers are adopting generative AI faster than the law is settling. Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1, the lawyer-client privilege in section 90.502, and Florida’s newly amended competence and filing rules now define what a lawyer must do before typing client information into an AI tool, and a wave of 2026 decisions shows when AI-assisted work keeps its privilege and work-product protection.
Read on
The Florida Supreme Court Clarifies the Standard for Pleading Punitive Damages
By Michael Kolcun and Amani Ambay
Resolving a conflict among the DCAs, Florida’s Supreme Court settles the dispute over the standard for pleading punitive damages: the clear and convincing standard does not apply.
Perlmutter v. Federal Ins. Co., __ So.3d __, 2026 WL 1689765 (Fla. June 11, 2026), arose from an alleged defamatory hate mail campaign where the defendants also countersued for defamation. Eventually, the defendants moved for leave to amend their pleadings to add claims for punitive damages. The trial court granted their motion, finding they made the evidentiary showing required by section 768.72(1), Florida Statutes. On appeal, however, the en banc Fourth DCA reversed, holding a trial court must make a preliminary determination of whether a reasonable jury, (1) viewing the totality of evidence identified in support of or opposition to the motion, (2) could find by clear and convincing evidence that punitive damages are warranted. In doing so, the Fourth DCA certified a conflict with five other decisions from the Second and Fifth DCAs.
Read on
| | Make sure we've got it right! | |
With the new bar year, please take a moment to
- Make sure that BLS box is checked when you renew your bar dues!
- Update your profile on the BLS website here.
- Verify you are on the committee lists that you want here.
| | CLE Spotlight, programs from The Florida Bar Convention Now Available On Demand | |
PRESIDENTIAL SHOWCASE CLE: Introduction to the New Florida Protected Series LLC Legislation
Order now
“Introduction to the N40ew Florida Protected Series LLC Legislation,” will provide an overview of legislation signed into law on June 20, 2025, with an effective date of July 1, 2026. The law amends the Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act to authorize Protected Series LLCs, allowing a single LLC to create separate series with distinct members, assets, and liabilities while maintaining liability protection between them. It also establishes rules governing both Florida and foreign series LLCs doing business in the state, an area previously unaddressed in Florida law. The program will provide timely guidance ahead of the law’s implementation and feature members of the Florida Bar Drafting Committee who worked directly on the legislation.
E-DISCOVER AND DIGITAL EVIDENCE COMMITTEE CLE: Generative AI
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Generative AI is transforming legal practice—but it comes with real risks and responsibilities.
This program explores how attorneys are using AI for drafting, research, and evidence enhancement, while highlighting critical limitations, including unreliable summaries and AI “hallucinations.” Learn best practices for tools and where caution is essential.
The course also covers key ethical obligations, including verifying AI-generated content, preventing fabricated evidence, and properly overseeing client materials. Attendees will gain insight into recent judicial responses, including emerging disclosure requirements, sanctions, and developments in the State.
The program includes an overview of AI tools for detection and safeguards, and concludes with a judicial panel sharing real-world perspectives from the bench.
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BLS Email Lists
Are you getting the committee emails you want? You can check your subscriptions here.
CLE on Demand
Need CLE? Miss a program? Many of our past programs are available on demand.
Planning a CLE
Do you have an idea for a great CLE? Learn more here.
| | | Why Sponsor the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar? | | |
Florida isn’t just a state—it’s a global economic powerhouse. If it were an independent nation, Florida would rank among the top 15 largest economies in the world, boasting a GDP that rivals many major countries. The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar plays a critical role in shaping the commercial legal landscape of this economic titan. Our members are not only top-tier business lawyers—they’re the very individuals Florida legislators turn to when drafting or revising key commercial statutes. Sponsoring Business Law Section events like the Labor Day Retreat puts your organization directly in front of the thought leaders, power brokers, and policy shapers who influence business law and practice statewide—and often nationally.
This is more than a networking opportunity. It’s your chance to engage with the legal professionals guiding Florida’s economic future. In addition to the Labor Day Retreat, there are plenty of other sponsorship opportunities that provide year-round exposure through our Section’s ongoing programming, communications, and events. If your brand wants to be seen, respected, and remembered by the attorneys who help write the laws that govern business in one of the world’s most dynamic markets, this is where you need to be.
Please reach out to Will Blair and Bob Charbonneau for sponsorship opportunities.
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