Competition is the rivalry among sellers trying to achieve the objectives of increasing profits, market share, and sales volume by varying the elements of the marketing: price point, product identity, distribution levels, and promotion. Merriam-Webster defines competition in business as “the effort of two or more parties acting independently to […]
One very important question that is asked by many litigants is, “Can I recover my attorneys’ fees for this case”. The American Rule on attorneys’ fees is generally that each litigant or party is responsible for payment of his/her/its own attorney’s fees. The entitlement to recovery of attorneys’ fees generally […]
As a case develops, parties exchange information through a process known as discovery. Discovery is a truth seeking device- each party is able to discover facts that the other party has. Parties and their attorneys are expected to comply with requests for discovery.
Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal recently found in Garvin v. Tidwell that the appellee, Tidwell, violated her discovery obligations by failing to disclose an advertisement that featured her horse. No. 4D11-2712, 2012 WL 523224 at *3 (Fla. 4th DCA Oct. 24, 2012). The court allowed the appellant, Garvin, to rescind the settlement agreement because Garvin was not aware of all of the material facts because of Tidwell’s failure to disclose information during discovery. Id. at *5. Let this case serve as a lesson to any lawyer or party considering executing a settlement agreement if you have been less than truthful or forthcoming in the discovery process.
Just as we can’t see the air we breathe or radio waves transmitting data around the world, neither can we see thoughts and ideas. However, this does not mean they don’t exist. Similarly, for those Professionals whose work product may not be a tangible, fungible item, their work product nonetheless […]
I recently came across a piece of information that I had never heard before in my last four years of litigating creditor’s rights cases. I have been advised that attorneys’ fees can never be granted on a Motion for Final Judgment after Default. Who knew? I have had hundreds of default judgments entered, nearly all of which included attorneys’ fees, without once being told that this practice was incorrect. So is it really incorrect?
Termination for Convenience clauses were first introduced during the American Civil War and were used in government contracts. Such provisions in contracts with the Federal government allowed the government to terminate contracts related to military procurements that were no longer necessary as a result of changing technology or the cessation […]
Aside from foreclosing on a piece of real property, a Lender may utilize numerous other methods to recoup monies left unpaid on a mortgage note and to take control of a piece of property that may be losing value based on improper management. In this first installment piece, we will […]
For well over a century, Florida’s Constitution has made the homestead exempt from the claims of creditors. Public Health Trust v. Lopez, 531 So. 2d 946, 948 (Fla. 1988). Florida’s constitutional provisions provides one of the most debtor-friendly homestead exemptions in the country, and debtors are permitted to divert substantial assets to the purchase of new and extravagant homes that can be shielded from creditors. Florida’s Unlimited Homestead Exemption Does Have Some Limits: Part I, 77 Fla. Bar J. 60 (2003). There are, however, exceptions to the rule. This blog post will focus on one exception: the creditor’s ability to collect on homestead property located in a municipality that exceeds one-half acre.
What do you think when you hear the word “e-discovery”? If you are thinking about CD copies of printed PDF documents and web site screen shots, you have a lot to learn. There is so much more a simple document can tell you when you obtain it in its native format […]
In preparation for trial, expert witnesses are often retained and briefed based upon reports and documents provided to them from counsel. Two types of work product may be used to prepare documents and internal memorandum which are subsequently given to an expert witness: 1) fact work product, and 2) opinion work product. If memorandum prepared by a law firm in anticipation of litigation contains the attorney’s opinions relating to potential theories of liabilities, references to the expert’s opinions, and factual summaries of his client’s records, the attorney’s personal notes and records about the proposed arguments constitute protected work product. Whealton v. Marshall, et al., 631 So. 2d 323, 325 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994) (holding the law firm’s internal memorandum used in preparation for litigation were not discoverable work product).