Winter Meeting

Our next in person meeting opportunity will be January 28-29, 2025 at the Sunseeker Resort in Port Charlotte. The schedule can be found here. Registration can be found here for the Judicial Liaison Dinner, Section Luncheon as well as the joint reception with RPPTL. These events will be open to RPPTL members after 12/8 and space is limited, so register soon!

Please click here to make your hotel reservations. Please note there is NO hotel block but should be sufficient rooms available. However the less expensive rooms are selling out so book soon.

Congratulations

The BLS congratulates long time Executive Council member Detra Shaw-Wilder on her appointment as United States Magistrate Judge at Miami Florida. Judge Shaw-Wilder currently serves as Judicial Chair of the IMF Committee.

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You are invited to the 2025 FICPA SFAC Happy Hour

FICPA is so excited to announce that the FICPA South Florida Accounting Conference (SFAC) is being hosted in Miami Beach this year and at the Fontainebleau! 

They would love to have the Florida Bar join the attendees for an evening of networking and conversation at the SFAC Happy Hour! This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and unwind after a productive workday. Drinks and light bites will be provided. Stop by, mingle, and enjoy with them!

📍 Location: Fontainebleau Miami Beach

📅 Date: November 18, 2025

🕔 Time: 5:30 – 6:30 P.M.

Please RSVP to let them know they/you will be joining. View the invitation attached for additional information.

Opportunity for Speakers

Stetson Business Law Review announces the upcoming Real Estate Law Symposium 2026, scheduled for February 2026, and invites distinguished professionals, scholars, and industry thought leaders to contribute as speakers and writers for this premier event. 

Learn more

Do you have an idea for an article? Submit Business Law Section blog articles here. Submit Florida Bar Journal articles here.

Ms. Wells served as Chair of the Business Law Section in 2006-2007

I am going to date myself based on the technology, but as a young lawyer at Steel Hector & Davis working in asset based finance, I worked with a lender client in Sao Paolo, Brazil to help structure liens and collection rights over revenue and operations for the financing of the manufacture of thousands of little black cable TV connection boxes (that we all used before streaming) for distribution to consumers across Brazil. By then, I had been active in the Section for many years, and in those meetings, like in others, the added knowledge we gain from our Section work in reviewing issues, new legislation and changes in law is invaluable. I just want to thank this opportunity to say THANKS! Our members are great mentors!

Learn more about her here.

Judges fill an integral role on our Executive Council. Meet one of them, Judge Farfante.

What have you gained from your involvement with the Section?

My involvement with the Business Law Section, both before and after taking the bench, has provided an opportunity to meet and network with professionals throughout the state. I have learned a great deal from the presentations I have attended and participating with preparing. More importantly, the section events and committee meetings are great informal settings to discuss member practices and viewpoints on various issues/statutes/procedures impacting our collective practices. I attribute most of my meaningful relationships with other judges and business law practitioners across the state as stemming from a meeting, project, or presentation that originated within the Section over the past several years.

Learn more about him 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.

Business Litigation and Real Property Case Law Updates

September 2025

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.