Judges fill an integral role on our Executive Council. Meet one of them, Judge Specie. I became licensed to practice in Florida in 1978 and New York in 1979; I attended my first BLS meeting in Orlando in 1980. While in private practice I represented all types of parties in commercial litigation and a wide...Read More

Happy Monday BLS! Our members are hard at work planning continuing education programs for you throughout the fall. In October we have a number of virtual program offerings: 2025 Legislative Update, Practical Evidence, Drafting and Enforcement of Employment Agreements, and Health and Wellness. Registration is also open for the ever-popular live program View from the Bench in Tampa and Miami, which will likely sell...Read More

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

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

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

Greetings Business Law Section! I am looking forward to joining the 325+ of you who have registered for the Labor Day Retreat in Marco Island. Whether you are joining us later this month in person or not, there are many ways to get involved with our Section and take advantage of all that membership in our...Read More