Last week, the legislature completed week six of the nine-week legislative session. Many substantive committees wrapped up their work, the number of bills “in play” narrowed, and budget discussions shifted into the forefront. Both the House and Senate debated and passed their budget proposals for FY 2026-2027 in committee and on the floor. The House...Read More

Good morning Business Law Section, Our legislative session is in full swing, entering week seven (of nine) and our initiatives are moving through the process. Thank you to each one of you who have stepped up to review bills and provide technical guidance along the way. This week we are hosting one of our signature CLE programs...Read More

By Samantha Medina Discovery disputes are won or lost before the motion is filed. Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.202 requires good faith conferral(s) before filing most non-dispositive motions and demands a substantive certificate of compliance identifying dates, methods of communication, positions, and any failure to respond. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have similar...Read More

The Opinions Standards Committee of The Florida Bar Business Law Section is pleased to provide you with a composite report (the “Composite Report”) in Word format which integrates the “Report on Third-Party Legal Opinion Customary Practice in Florida” that was adopted in December 2011 by both the Legal Opinion Standards Committee of The Florida Bar...Read More

The Fellows application for the 2026–2028 term is now available. We encourage all Business Law Section members to share this opportunity with individuals who meet the qualifications and are seeking active involvement in a bar section. The Section has a longstanding commitment to the recruitment of a broad spectrum of young lawyers to join, participate and ultimately serve in leadership positions of the...Read More

Florida’s 2026 Regular Legislative Session began last week on January 13, with the House and Senate presiding officers sharing their priorities for the next 60 days and a joint session to receive Governor Ron DeSantis’s final “State of the State” address. Governor DeSantis used the occasion to highlight his administration’s accomplishments over the past seven years. Governor DeSantis...Read More

By: Judge Laurel Isicoff and Tara Trevorrow, Law Clerk Meet the newest joint initiative of the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida (BBA) and the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar (BLS): Senior$mart$. Built on a platform originally created by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), the Senior$mart$ program hopes...Read More

I am a Senior Partner in the Tampa Office of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP., and have served as co-chair of the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. My principal areas of practice are securities, governance, M&A and general corporate and business law. I am past Chair of the ABA...Read More

By Ali S.Iftikhar, Barakat + Bossa, PLLC In December 2024, the Florida Supreme Court adopted Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.202 (“Rule 1.202”), which requires parties to confer in good faith before filing non-dispositive motions.[1] The rule’s stated purpose is to improve case management, promote judicial efficiency, reduce unnecessary litigation costs, and ease the burden...Read More

Applications Now Open! Ready to take the next step in your business law career? The Business Law Section Fellowship Program (2026–2028) is now accepting applications! This two-year fellowship offers a unique opportunity for young business law attorneys to develop leadership skills, build statewide relationships, and play an active role in the Section’s work.  Application Deadline: April 3, 2026...Read More