Florida Business Litigation Lawyer Blog

When a former employer seeks an injunction to enforce a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement, it must prove that it will suffer irreparable harm without entry of an injunction. A party seeking to enforce a non-solicitation provision by injunction does not need to prove that defendant’s specific activities will cause irreparable injury, rather the statute provides…

The federal statute 26 U.S.C. § 7434 permits a person to claim that another has filed a false tax return on his or her behalf, potentially subjecting an employer to a statutory penalty of $5,000 and attorneys’ fees. Sometimes, disgruntled former employees and independent contractors (collectively referred to as “workers”) will use this statute to…

Spoliation of evidence is a circumstance that may arise in business litigation when one party fails to preserve or intentionally destroys evidence after becoming aware of an imminent lawsuit. Spoliation is defined as “[t]he intentional destruction, mutilation, alteration, or concealment of evidence [.]” SPOLIATION, Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019). Spoliation issues in business litigation…

Parties involved in a business litigation dispute may sometimes seek extraordinary remedies when they believe the circumstances warrant it. A party will sometimes seek to enjoin or compel another’s conduct to prevent them from causing irreparable harm through their action or inaction. In business litigation, one party often tries to get the court to order…

Confidential business information may be considered a legitimate business interest justifying enforcement of the non-compete clause. Not all information used by a business will be considered valuable confidential business information by a court, particularly if the information can be obtained through the public domain. However, certain compilations of information, even if public, can be considered…

The recent United States Supreme Court case, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, 17-1618, 2020 WL 3146686 (U.S. June 15, 2020), held that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees are protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). While the holding may be considered groundbreaking by some LGBT advocates, the…

Florida companies often transact business outside the State of Florida and abroad. When those transactions go wrong, it can be important for both strategic and convenience reasons for the litigation to occur in Florida. Peter Mavrick is a Fort Lauderdale business litigation lawyer. The Mavrick Law Firm represents clients in breach of contract litigation, non-compete…

The judicial remedies for victims of trademark infringement vary depending upon the intentions of the infringer. A Florida business which has been victimized by a malicious counterfeiter can seek lost profits, treble damages, attorneys’ fees, and other remedies. By contrast, a company which accidentally violated trademark law has significantly less exposure. A recent United States…

A previous article discussed how it is unlawful under the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act (FUTSA) to take a trade secret using “improper means.” As technology has developed, new methods of commercial reconnaissance can make it difficult to determine whether method was lawful acquisition or unlawful espionage. Peter Mavrick is a Fort Lauderdale business litigation…

In Whitby v. Infinity Radio Inc., 951 So.2d 890 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007), Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal decided an appeal from a former employee who had lost on summary judgment in Palm Beach Circuit Court. The trial court had decided in favor of the employer, and against the employee, that the non-compete covenant…