Judges fill an integral role on our Executive Council. Meet one of them, Judge Farfante.
Darren Farfante is a Circuit Judge in Hillsborough County (13th Judicial Circuit) and currently presides over the Business Court f/k/a Complex Business Litigation Division and Asbestos Division. Judge Farfante is currently the Administrative Judge for the Circuit Civil Division. Judge Farfante is the State Judicial Chair for the Florida Bar Business Law Section Rules of Court Committee and serves on the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions for Contract and Business Cases. Locally, he is currently (1) Executive Chair of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Committee; (2) Outgoing Chair of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro-Bono Committee; (3) Co-chair of the HCBA 5k Pro Bono River Run; and (4) serves on the Executive Committee for the William Reece smith, Jr. Inn of Court.
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.
Which Committees/Task Forces have you serve on within the Section?
(1) State Judicial Chair for the Florida Bar Business Law Section Rules of Court Committee;
(2) Fla. Stat. Section 44.104 Task Force (Voluntary Trial Resolution).
What is your favorite memory from your term as Judicial Chair?
My favorite memory as Judicial Chair is the Rules of Court Committee’s work on the proposed summary judgment rule amendments and the success in representing the business section members’ concerns – which ultimately led to an impact in the final language of the rule.
What is something that will surprise our members to learn about you?
With our three children now graduated from college and relocated for work, my wife and I have started ballroom dance lessons together as “empty nesters” and are preparing for our first “spotlight” performance later this summer.