Business Law Section News

Business Law Section Newsletter

November 2023

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to wish each of you and your families a happy holiday. I hope you will take time to acknowledge and be thankful for the many blessings in each of your lives. One of the things I am thankful for is the great work that each of you do for the Business Law Section. The BLS is a great section and a key reason for this is your commitment to the section. For this I am eternally grateful. I also want to let everyone know that we are in the process of finalizing the pricing and details for the Executive Council retreat to Scotland in April. We expect to send the registration package out in the next few weeks. Please be on the lookout for this information. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Mark Stein,

Chair, Business Law Section

BLS Blog: Beyond the Hype: Understanding ChatGPT

By Valerie C. David

AI is Everywhere!

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is paralleled with the same evolutionary path as the splitting of the atom.[1] Perhaps that is why many are hesitant to embrace it. Indeed, the “darker side” of AI (i.e., artificial intelligence tools and technologies) has gone unnoticed but has altered the lifestyles of the masses indefinitely.[2] Believe it or not, AI tools are involved in everyone’s daily life, regardless of if they want it to be or not. For example, AI’s “darker side” products include Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, chat bots, social media, facial detection and recognition, autocorrect, maps and navigation, search and recommendation algorithms, e-payments, and even self-driving cars.[3] In the legal community, AI, while likely unnoticed, is found in everyday tasks, including legal research.

Read on

From The Florida Bar Journal

Florida’s New “Judgment Lien Improvement Act” — Judgment Defendants Beware Because Your Creditors May be Able to Get It Although They Can’t See It!

By Mark J. Wolfson

Florida lawyers often hear the cry from their clients that Florida is a “debtor’s haven” because of the generous homestead exemption provided by the Florida Constitution,[1] the various personal property exemptions available under statute,[2] and the “tenancy by the entireties” immunity protection afforded to married couples that own property jointly but the creditor holds a judgment against only one spouse.[3] This column, however, is not about protections from creditors’ claims. Rather, the holders of Florida money judgments and the attorneys they hire now have another arrow in their collection quivers thanks to the new Judgment Lien Improvement Act,[4] which took effect on July 1, 2023. However, as is the case with creditor’s rights generally, there are some limitations, which are discussed throughout this article.

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Sponsor Spotlight

We chatted with Shannon McLin of Florida Appeals, a BLS Sapphire Sponsor. Florida Appeals is highly specialized in complex civil appeals in all six of the district courts of appeal, the Supreme Court of Florida, and the federal appellate courts.

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The Hidden Danger Within Zoom Mediation and Illusory Settlement Agreements

By David W. Henry

This article aims to identify and cure a species of mediation malpractice. The putative error or species of mediator malpractice (so to speak) is in allowing the parties to create a document that purports to resolve the dispute but which in truth is an unenforceable agreement to agree. “Agreements to agree” resemble contracts but they require the parties to agree to something else in the future or contemplate the parties will agree on the terms of a second document to be executed later. It is axiomatic that agreements to agree are unenforceable, but trial courts favor settlements and want the agreement to survive.

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BLS Newsletter

Newsletter Submission

Deadline to submit items to the BLS newsletter is the 10th of each month. Send your items to info@flabizlaw.org.

BLS Notable Case Files

Have you been involved in a case we've all heard about? Submit your story to info@flabizlaw.org.

Holiday Drives

We want to support our members and their firms as they give back this holiday season. If you or your firm are hosting a holiday drive in November or December, send your information to info@flabizlaw.org.

Upcoming events

Jacksonville Military Financial Wellness Summit, December 9, 2023

Pensacola Veterans Financial Literacy Program, December 9, 2023

Winter Meetings, January 17-18, 2024 at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

40th Annual Federal Securities Institute, February 15-16, 2024 in Tampa. Book your hotel now!

2024 Executive Council Retreat to Scotland, Main Trip April 3-7, 2024, Post Trip April 8-12 ,2024

2024 Intellectual Property Symposium, April 11-12, 2024 in Orlando

View the BLS Calendar

Veterans Financial Literacy Program

Section members are encouraged to share information about these December 9th events with veterans and active military in their community who may benefit from attending these programs along with organizations and community leaders to help get the word out. Thank you.

Pensacola will host an event on December 9, 2023. The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar in conjunction with the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association, and other local community organizations is holding an event on December 9, 2023, to provide financial literacy and other legal assistance for military veterans and active members of the military.

Counselors will be on site to discuss various aspects of financial management and identify legal issues local veterans and active military may have to make educated financial decisions and help avoid pitfalls.

The in-person event is free of charge and scheduled from 9:30 AM Central Time until 12:30 Central Time. This event will be hosted by Clark Partington at their law offices located at 125 East Intendencia Street, 4th Floor, Pensacola, Florida 32502. Details here!

Jacksonville Military Financial Wellness Summit will be held December 9, 2023

Attorney Interest Flyer: Attorney and Non-attorney volunteers can use the same QR code to sign up to provide assistance on the day of the summit.
Public Interest Flyer: Master flyer to advertise in any public medium. There is also a QR code for those members of the public to sign-up.
CLE Flyer: Free CLE program on November 15th 1:15 p.m. on Veteran Cultural Competency and Bankruptcy 101 (this program will be recorded and available for subsequent viewing).

Volunteer today!

Money Talks: Sharing Strategies for Success

The Business Law Section of The Florida Bar and the Florida Institute for Certified Public Accountants recently co-hosted a new (free) CLE/CPE event called “Money Talks” at Top Golf in Doral, Florida. The Financial Literacy Task Force created the Money Talks program to help professionals achieve success in their personal and professional lives. The BLS and FICPA hosted the event in a roundtable format to encourage all participants to weigh in with thoughts, questions, and concerns. The response from those in attendance was exceptionally positive. Attendees enjoyed an open discussion about financial concerns and took advantage of an additional hour of networking with other like-minded professionals and students seeking to pursue a career in law or accounting.

Topics included personal budgeting and planning for career success, investing in practice development, learning to balance personal and professional demands, and student loan repayment. Tara Trevorrow (USBC-SDFL) moderated the event, which featured presentations from Stuart Rohatiner (Gerston Preston), Hal Levenberg (Yip Associates), Raina Shipman (Carlton Fields), and Shirley Palumbo (NextEra Energy). The Financial Literacy Task Force would like to thank the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida for its support of the Money Talks event.

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