Judges fill an integral role on our Executive Council. Meet one of them, Judge Matthewman. Chief United States Magistrate Judge William Matthewman was appointed to the federal bench in 2012, in the West Palm Beach division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida...Read More

I am married to Bobbie Higer for 40++ years. We have two children, Samantha and Adam who grew up at the BLS retreat at Naples and loved going every year. They have given us four grandchildren—three boys and one girl—who make us feel blessed every day. What have you gained from your involvement with the...Read More

Dear Business Law Section, What a great Labor Day Retreat! Thanks to all of you who joined us for all the fun. Special thanks to Andy Layden and his Retreat Committee, and Michele Moss and her Sponsorship Committee, for ensuring the success of the entire weekend. Of course nothing runs without our Program Administrator extraordinaire...Read More

Judge Brown was appointed United States Bankruptcy Judge after his tenure as Chair of the Business Law Section.   After over 20 years in private practice, I was honored to be appointed to serve as a United States Bankruptcy Judge in 2021. Prior to law school I worked as a chemical engineer in pulp and paper...Read More

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...Read More

Greetings, Business Law Section! I am wishing those of you heading to Marco Island later this week safe travels. For those who are unable join, please mark your calendars for our next in person opportunity at the new Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor. We will meet January 28-29, 2026, and we are working in collaboration with...Read More

By Manny Farach Aug. 27, 2025 ECB USA, Inc. v. Savencia Cheese USA, LLC, Case No. 23-12580 (11th Cir. 2025). https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/202312580.reh.pdf Personal jurisdiction cannot be established through defendants& communications with plaintiffs; Florida-based attorney or the attorney accessing a digital “deal room” in Florida because such contact constitutes unilateral activity by plaintiffs that fails to create...Read More

Judges fill an integral role on our Executive Council. Meet one of them, Judge Grossman. Judge Scott M. Grossman is a judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division. Before his appointment to the bench in 2019, Judge Grossman was a shareholder with a large international law...Read More

 I started my professional life as a Tax lawyer in the Court of Appeals Branch of the Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS in the Washington DC national office, where we reviewed all cases appealed from the Federal District Courts, Court of Claims, and Tax Court, through to the Supreme Court, and set the...Read More

When you think of pro bono, litigation often comes to mind. But there’s a growing need for transactional pro bono assistance such as helping nonprofits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs with contracts, governance, entity formation, compliance, and other business law issues. This work allows you to give back using the skills you already use every day without stepping...Read More