Chickens Lose Special Status in Fla. Town

City commissioners approved an ordinance last week to strip the fowls of protection under the city's status as a bird sanctuary, allowing the wandering birds to be captured and exiled from the city.....

......The city's 1922 bird sanctuary ordinance makes it illegal to kill, capture or even "annoy" any feathered friends.

Age Discrimination -- Florida
 

I read an article in today's paper about age discrimination cases.

Who specializes in this in Tampa Bay and Miami?

Does it look like this will be a growth area?

Florida Cases
 

This is a $3 MM arbitration award against Orkin.

For full story, check http://www.bizjournals.com/industrie...2.html?f=et153

Homeowner bests Orkin

ST. JOHNS COUNTY -- A St. Johns County homeowner recently won a $3 million judgment in an arbitration against Atlanta-based Orkin Exterminating Co. and its parent company, publicly-traded Rollins Inc.

The eight-day arbitration came nearly eight years after the plaintiff signed a contract with Orkin to rid his home of swarming termites. The three arbitrators hearing the case concluded that there was "clear and compelling evidence" that Orkin and Rollins failed to perform necessary repairs, failed to obtain permits for repairs, failed to treat the termite problem properly and failed to disclose to the homeowner the extent of the damage caused by the termite infestation.

Legal arbitrations aren't subject to Florida's Sunshine Law, so documents aren't public record. Alan Wachs, an attorney with Holland & Knight in Jacksonville who helped represent the plaintiff, made the arbitrators' findings available on condition the plaintiff's name not be disclosed.

Orkin contracts, including the 1995 contract that prompted this case, include clauses in which customers agree to take any legal complaints to arbitration rather than the court system. Wachs said arbitration cases can be expensive to pursue since complainants must pay not only a lawyer, but also a portion of the arbitrators' fees. That can discourage people from pursuing complaints against companies. In this case, the arbitrators ordered Orkin and Rollins to pay the plaintiff's attorney fees.

"Most consumers out there can't afford to litigate like Orkin," Wachs said. "My client was one of those few people who could stick it out 'til the end." West Palm Beach lawfirm Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart and Shipley served as lead counsel in the case.

According to the arbitrators' findings, the plaintiff originally contracted with Orkin in 1995 to rid his home of termites and repair damage. But swarms of termites kept returning each year through 2000, when the plaintiff hired a local contractor to oversee Orkin's work.

According to the arbitrators' findings, Orkin and Rollins represented to the plaintiff that his home was free of termite infestation when they knew or should have known that the home was not appropriately treated for termite infestation.

The findings also state that Orkin and Rollins maintained a compensation system for employees that gave them an incentive to breach the repair obligations contained in the guarantee given to the plaintiff. Repairs were superficial and were done without a permit, which was required and which would have led to inspections that would have revealed the superficial nature of the repairs.

"A building inspector would never allow [Orkin] to get away with simply patching the exit holes for the termites and plastering over it," said Chris Searcy, one of the lead attorneys representing the plaintiff.

The arbitrators also found that Orkin had not screened its subcontractors and permitted subcontractors who were on probation for felonies, to work in the plaintiff's home.

Such allegations aren't new to Orkin and Rollins. Last year, Westminster Associates of Charleston, S.C., won a $1.8 million judgment against Orkin for termite damage repairs to Planter's Walk, a 216-unit apartment complex Westminster owns on Jacksonville's Westside.

Zimmerman, Shuffield, Kiser & Sutcliffe Split
 

15 of 49 lawyers are leaving to form ShuffieldLowman in Orlando.

"Charles Shuffield of Zimmerman, Shuffield, Kiser & Sutcliffe, fellow tax attorney Bill Lowman and real estate law veteran Lynne Wilson will create ShuffieldLowman.

The 59-year-old Shuffield wants to focus more on commercial law -- and says it is now or never, given his age. "It's the hardest decision I've ever made in my life to do this," says Shuffield, "but I felt ... I needed to do it now."

His leave-taking is an amicable one, he says, "strictly a business decision." "

More info at: http://www.bizjournals.com/industrie...3.html?f=et153

Anyone have any real information about this?

Greenberg Traurig to Tampa
 

Greenberg Traurig is moving into Tampa:

"We definitely want to be in that market, and we will be in that market," said Cesar Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig.

The firm is seeking local lawyers whom it considers a good fit, both culturally and financially, he said.

Alvarez would not disclose or confirm which prospective Bay area firms it has contacted regarding a merger. Legal sector observers say Greenberg Traurig's usual staffing methods entail "cherry picking," or hiring away top lawyers from local firms.

"Normally we do not do mergers, but we have done some small ones," Alvarez said.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/indu...ay_story1.html
(free registration required)

New Mod for Florida
 

I would like to thank LitiGator for stepping up to take the challenge of bringing some traffic to the Florida board.

She's been trying on her own for a while, and I figured we might as well make it official.

LitiGator comes to us from Florida with some very high references from some of my colleagues here on the board.

Welcome LitiGator and again, thank you.

New Mod for Florida
 

Thanks very much, leagleaze.

I hope I can help getting some discussion started here about firms, salaries, and sports. I am sure someone lurking has an opinion about the Marlins, the Noles and the Canes.

If you have an opinion about the Gators, I'd prefer you keep that to yourself.

Just kidding!

New Mod for Florida
 

Rule with an iron fist. Power is the only language the filthy mammals understand.

New Mod for Florida
 

Since I have lurked on Politics, I know you are right (and very funny!).

But shouldn't we avoid letting them know they are filthy mammals?

Greenberg Traurig to Tampa
 

Interesting. According to the article, Greenberg is talking with Tew Barnes & Atkinson, a small firm in Clearwater that does a lot of work for US Home and other RE developers.

What's interesting is that Joel Tew set up his own shop a few years ago because (according to rumors) he doesn't play well with others. I am a bit surprised that a fellow who felt constrained at a Johnson Blakely would want to merge his little kingdom with an empire out of Miami.

New Mod for Florida
 

I've always liked Florida. I try to get there every summer for the heat. And Disney has a lovely little hellhole down there.

My only problem is the legal work. I've had the impression the economy is run by tourists and cocaine-addled Latins. The tourists would really bug me. And the work seems like mostly dealing with overpriced real estate, bizzaro international money laundering deals, and people you hope will die. Is there other stuff worth doing there for a spry and ambitious corporate lawyer who is willing to sell his soul?

New Mod for Florida
 

Sounds like somone's evil twin has been watching too many old reruns of Miami Vice.

Florida is home to many national and international corporations, so you can find plenty of work in Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, West Palm, Tampa, etc. Just pick your preferred area and start searching!

Remember that no matter how long you've practiced elsewhere, you'll have to sit for the Florida Bar. It's Florida's special way of welcoming out-of-state attorneys.

New Mod for Florida
 

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.

Investor Suits
 

The Miami firm of Tew Cardenas Rebak Kellog Lehman DeMaria Tague Raymond & Levine is suing Northern Trust on behalf of 10 plaintiffs:

"What Northern Trust did, Raymond said, was provide the same stocks to many customers regardless of the customer profile or risk tolerance. It also faced a conflict of interest, he said, in that it paid its employees more for selling stocks listed as preferred investments.

Northern Trust declined to comment specifically on Taylor's case, citing company policy. However, an attorney for the company said the case "is without merit and ... we intend to vigorously defend our position."

http://www.charleston.net/stories/10...s_07advi.shtml

Wanna be a gators fan
 

I'm seriously thinking about a move to Florida. My area is insurance defense. Do you think there is any market down there for that right now?

Thanks!


Oh, and how is the Florida bar? I hear it's pretty nasty.