The Florida Insurance Law Blog
By Jeffrey T. Donner, Esq.
Call 407-639-4223 to schedule a consultation with Attorney Jeff Donner today.
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Purpose of This Memo This memorandum explains (1) what is meant by malignant narcissism, (2) what defines a founder-centric organization, and (3) why the combination of a founder-centric firm and a leader with malignant narcissistic traits is uniquely destructive. The discussion is intended to be explanatory and general, not directed at any specific firm or…
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Florida family courts operate in difficult terrain. Judges are asked to manage high-conflict relationships, protect children, and reduce the emotional and physical fallout of failed marriages. Those pressures often intensify when a new spouse or partner enters the picture and becomes part of the conflict. Miller v. Velleff, decided by Florida’s Fourth District Court of…
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Most lawyers encounter Gateway Cable TV, Inc. v. Vikoa Construction Corp. early in their careers—usually as a case about contract formation without a signature. That is the holding, and it matters. But stopping there misses the more important lesson the case teaches about how Florida courts think about trials, evidence, and the proper role of…
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In Dove v. Freer, the Fourth District Court of Appeal delivered a methodical but important reminder of something every experienced family lawyer already knows—but trial courts occasionally forget: precision matters. Not just in outcomes, but in arithmetic, statutory cut-off dates, and basic asset classification. The case involved no children, no exotic assets, and no novel…
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In Dart v. Dart, the Fourth District Court of Appeal quietly but firmly reaffirmed two principles that matter deeply in high-asset family law cases: The case arose out of a financially sophisticated divorce, complete with a prenuptial agreement, choice-of-law issues, and substantial wealth on the husband’s side. But the appellate court’s analysis is less about…
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Many prospective clients ask whether a case can be handled on a “pure contingency” basis. That question is understandable. In Florida, personal-injury advertising has conditioned the public to believe that lawyers routinely work for free unless they win. What is far less understood is that this model is highly specific to personal-injury cases and does…
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The Fourth District’s January 7, 2026 decision in Merchbar, Inc. v. Alliance Entertainment, LLC is not flashy, but it is important. It is a clean, disciplined reminder of something Florida appellate courts have been saying for decades: personal jurisdiction is not established by rhetoric, assumptions, or paper shuffling. It is established by sworn proof—or it…
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Wepard Corporation, Ltd. v. Diaz, Reus & Targ, LLP, 3D25-0252 (Fla. 3d DCA Jan. 21, 2026), is one of those procedural decisions that looks narrow on first read but carries outsized practical consequences—particularly for cross-border disputes involving closely held companies, international principals, and professional-services litigation. At bottom, the Third District confirms that Florida trial courts…
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Attorney’s Fees, Waiver, and Hard Lessons in Condominium Litigation: What Whitehall v. Raviv Teaches
In January 2026, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal issued an opinion that every condominium association board, unit owner, and litigation lawyer should understand: Whitehall at Bal Harbour Condominium Association, Inc. v. Raviv, Case No. 3D24-2031. On its face, the case is “just” an attorney’s fee appeal. In reality, it is a sharp reminder of…
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In early 2026, Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal decided JAD v. Abinuman, a case that highlights two hard truths about injunction proceedings: First, trial courts sometimes issue injunctions that plainly violate due process.Second, even when that happens, appellate courts are powerless to fix the error if the appeal is not timely or properly presented.…
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