Here Are the Highlights of 2018 Florida Litigation
Two of the biggest litigation stories of the year ended with verdicts against law firms.
December 28, 2018 at 09:40 AM
2 minute read
Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer. Photo: Candace West
Florida has more than 100,000 lawyers, and litigation is a big reason.
In 2018, many cases attracted attention, and sometimes the judges presiding over them were in the spotlight. Some law firms were on the losing side as defendants. A big verdict landed in a civil rape case aboard a yacht, and Bank of America reached a settlement over its foreclosures.
Here are some of Florida's top litigation stories of the year:
- Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer attracts plenty of attention presiding over the criminal case against Parkland shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz. Of course, some people maintain it was more a function of appearance than jurisprudence.
- Morgan & Morgan confronts a $5 million legal practice award for its handling of a medical malpractice case.
- A blockbuster verdict comes in the case of a drunken crew member accused of raping a steward on a yacht docked for maintenance in Fort Lauderdale.
- Do you have a problem with a law firm ghostwriting pleadings for pro se litigants? Some do.
- A Miami lawyer was accused of bilking his former partner and his widow.
- Recusal requests during the judicial campaign season are touchy and far from automatic.
- A battle over energy drinks is all about the marketing and the ingredients.
- Bank of America agrees to pay a big settlement over its foreclosure practices.
- Massage Envy patrons claim they were victims of sexual assault and blame the company's vetting.
- When a client lends money to a law firm, litigation can follow.
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