The 1,312-foot Ever Given container ship wedged across the Suez Canal for six days in late March upended global trade and created a bottleneck of nearly 400 vessels unable to meet their contractual delivery obligations. Today, even as ships pass freely through the critical waterway that carries 12 percent of the world’s trade volume, businesses […]
Posted on December 22, 2020
by
Daniel Hughes
It has been nine months since millions of businesses were forced to shut down due to COVID-19 only to learn that their insurers would not payout claims for business interruption losses. While the courts have dismissed a significant number of legal actions filed by policyholders against insurers for breach of contract, it appears the tides […]
Posted on November 23, 2020
by
Richard Fechter
As millions of business owners and independent contractors seek forgiveness of much-needed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans they received in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are surprised to find themselves the subject of fraud investigations by the federal government. Last week, the Justice Department announced it already has publicly charged more than 80 […]
Posted on October 29, 2020
Miami, Fl. — On October 29, 2020, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. (Legal Services) recognized the volunteer services of over 340 attorneys and professional partners at its 2020 Pro Bono Celebration. The virtual event honored the pro bono volunteers who made extraordinary contributions throughout the year and during COVID-19. Pro bono volunteers took on […]
Although the U.S. government postponed its plan last week to vote on a bill that could legalize marijuana use at the federal level, the rapidly growing cannabis business remains alive and well at the state level. There are currently 33 states that have legalized marijuana for medical use, 11 of which have also legalized use […]
According to the Association of Fraud Examiners (ACFE) “2020 Report to the Nations,” a growing number of businesses that fell victim to occupational fraud between 2018 and 2019 disciplined perpetrators privately rather than referring them to public law enforcement for criminal prosecution. Yet, while there has been a steady increase in civil suits and private […]
COVID-19 social distancing has upended the logistical functions of nearly all aspects of American governance, including court systems. With courthouses completely or partially shuttered, the courts are rapidly expanding their reliance on remote teleconferencing capabilities and stepping-up their use of technology to keep dockets moving. Members of our firm recently attended a three-day hearing in […]
Posted on April 29, 2020
by
Sandi Perez
Couples who were in the midst of a divorce or who were preparing to start the process are finding the COVID-19 pandemic has turned their planning upside-down and added more stress to an already difficult situation. While many individuals are continuing to follow through on their divorce plans, their financial pictures may have changed substantially […]
Posted on April 15, 2020
by
Daniel Hughes
Relief may be coming to the millions of business owners who now realize that the insurance policies they have been paying into for many years will not reimburse them for any of the catastrophic business-interruption losses they sustained due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Already, several states have introduced bills requiring insurers to retroactively cover and […]
A recent decision by the U.S District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin to exclude testimony from expert witnesses in a class-action suit represents an important point that legal counsel may forget when engaging damages experts and forensic accountants: do not rely blindly on the qualifications, work product or assumptions of knowledge specialists with whom they […]
