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Jurisdiction

Fla.

19 stories

FLA. 4TH DCACourt order

Florida's Fourth District refers lawyer to the Florida Bar over suspected AI-generated filings

Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal has referred lawyer Jaclyn R. Soroka to the Florida Bar after rejecting her 82-page response to an order to show cause over frivolous filings in a family-law case. In an October 21, 2026 order, the court said the response "does not deny using AI but evades the issue." Soroka has said she did not use AI and that a citation review found two human errors.

Order (Law360) → · ABA Journal, Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal
11TH CIR.Court order

Eleventh Circuit: Escambia school board members can be deposed over library book removal votes

A divided Eleventh Circuit panel on October 19, 2026, held that Escambia County, Florida, school board members cannot use legislative privilege to avoid depositions about why they voted to remove specific library books. Judge Andrew Brasher, joined by Judge Jill Pryor, ruled the votes applied existing policy and were administrative acts. Chief Judge William Pryor dissented. PEN America, Penguin Random House, authors and parents allege First Amendment violations.

Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit) → · Courthouse News Service
FLA.Litigation

Sports investor John Textor sues DLA Piper for malpractice over European soccer club deals

Former DLA Piper client John Textor filed a legal malpractice suit against the firm in Florida state court over a series of European soccer club deals, seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Law.com reported October 14, 2026. Textor alleges the firm presented itself as his personal counsel while negotiating terms that exposed him to losses he values in the tens of millions.

Filing (Law.com) → · ABA Journal
U.S. FEDCourt order

Eleventh Circuit lets Florida enforce social media limits for children under 14

A three-judge Eleventh Circuit panel on October 14, 2026 reversed and vacated a preliminary injunction against Florida's HB 3, holding the law likely constitutional as applied to members of the Computer & Communications Industry Association. The panel said HB 3 is likely content-neutral and survives intermediate scrutiny. HB 3 bars children under 14 from opening accounts on platforms with certain addictive features and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.

Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit) → · Florida Phoenix, NetChoice
M.D. FLA.Litigation

FTC sues Greenway Automotive over hidden dealer fees and fake prize mailers, files stipulated order requiring total-price disclosure

The Federal Trade Commission sued Greenway Automotive, its management company and five Florida Kia and Hyundai dealerships in the Middle District of Florida on October 8, alleging deceptive pricing and fake prize mailers, and filed a stipulated order settling the case. The FTC alleged more than 92% of consumers at the Kia dealerships paid on average over $3,350 above advertised prices. The proposed order requires total-price disclosure and includes no monetary payment.

Filing (Federal Trade Commission) → · Hudson Cook, The Dealership Guy
FLA. 1ST DCACourt order

Florida appeals court expunges Hope Florida grand jury report, finding Centene settlement lawful and its release improper

Florida's First District Court of Appeal on October 7 ordered expunged a Leon County grand jury report that found $10 million from a Medicaid settlement with Centene was misappropriated. The 19-page ruling held the settlement lawful because no civil action had been filed, found the money paid to the Hope Florida Foundation was not diverted, and faulted State Attorney Jack Campbell for distributing the report before those named could seek to suppress it.

Order (WGCU (News Service of Florida)) → · NBC 6 South Florida
FLA.People moves

Carlton Fields elects Richard Choi to succeed longtime CEO Gary Sasso in 2028

Carlton Fields has elected Richard Choi, managing shareholder of its Washington, D.C., office and a veteran financial services lawyer, as its next chief executive officer, the National Law Journal and Law360 reported on October 5, 2026. Choi will succeed Gary Sasso, who has led the firm as president and CEO for two decades, on January 1, 2028.

Announcement (The National Law Journal) → · Law360 Pulse
S.D. FLA.Litigation

SEC settles action against Travel + Leisure over timeshare loan portfolio disclosure omissions

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled civil action in the Southern District of Florida against timeshare operator Travel + Leisure Co. over undisclosed loan rescission projects. The SEC alleges that between 2019 and 2021 the company removed more than 2,900 delinquent and defaulted timeshare loans totaling about $77 million to meet its loan loss provision guidance. Without admitting the allegations, Travel + Leisure agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty, subject to court approval.

Filing (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida) → · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Bloomberg Law, TradingView
FLA.Regulation

Florida Cabinet approves designating CAIR, antifa and Muslim Brotherhood as domestic terrorist organizations

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Sept. 29, 2026, approved the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, including CAIR-Florida, antifa and the Muslim Brotherhood as domestic terrorist organizations under HB 1471, Chapter 2026-28. CAIR's lawyers, including the ACLU, said they would seek an emergency order to stop the designations, which they said take effect Nov. 5.

Text (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) → · The Florida Senate, American Civil Liberties Union of Florida

Rulings this week

All court orders

FLA. 10TH CIR. CT.Litigation

Florida attorney general moves for temporary injunction barring OpenAI model development and ChatGPT access for minors

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a motion for a temporary injunction against OpenAI and Chief Executive Sam Altman in Highlands County Circuit Court on 28 September 2026. The state asked the court to prohibit OpenAI from training or releasing new models without independent third-party approval, bar minors from ChatGPT, halt unconsented child data collection, prohibit human-like emotional framing, and enjoin conversation prolongation design practices.

Motion (Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida) → · Reuters, CBS12 News, WPTV News +1
FLA.Litigation

Florida sues Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and three PBMs, alleging an insulin pricing scheme

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued insulin makers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx, and rebate aggregators Zinc, Ascent and Emisar in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, his office announced September 22. The complaint alleges the manufacturers inflated list prices for insulin and related diabetes drugs while paying the PBMs rebates and fees for preferred formulary placement.

Filing (Florida Office of the Attorney General) → · WUSF, Bloomberg Law, Fierce Healthcare +1
FLA. 20TH CIR. CT.Litigation

Florida Attorney General sues Evolve Construction over alleged post-hurricane roofing fraud

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Evolve Construction LLC, Evolve Construction & Restoration Inc. and six of their principals on September 25, 2026 in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court in Lee County. The complaint alleges the defendants ran an unlicensed roofing operation that solicited homeowners after Hurricane Ian, took insurance proceeds, abandoned repairs and recorded unlawful liens. The Attorney General’s office said at least 80 consumers reported paying more than $1 million for work they did not receive.

Filing (Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida) → · Office of the Attorney General of Florida, Florida Phoenix, FOX 13 Tampa Bay
FLA.People moves

Dinsmore adds Tampa construction litigators Lenart and Smith from Freeman Mathis

Dinsmore & Shohl added a three-lawyer construction litigation team in Tampa from Freeman Mathis & Gary on September 23, 2026, Law.com’s Daily Business Review and Law360 Pulse reported. Peter Lenart and Audrey Smith joined as partners and Robert White as an associate in the commercial litigation practice as Florida construction dispute demand rises.

Announcement (Law.com Daily Business Review) → · Law360 Pulse
FLA.People moves

Sidley Austin hires Squire Patton Boggs energy partner James Schneider in Miami

James Schneider joined Sidley Austin as a Miami partner in its energy, transportation and infrastructure practice from Squire Patton Boggs, Law.com’s Daily Business Review and Law360 Pulse reported on September 22, 2026. The hire follows Sidley’s August Miami energy launch and brings the Miami office past 70 lawyers and professionals.

Announcement (Law.com Daily Business Review) → · Law360 Pulse
FLA.Product launches

Morgan & Morgan pledges $1bn over 10 years for tech and AI; unveils MX2 platform

On September 14, 2026 U.S. plaintiffs firm Morgan & Morgan said it will spend at least $1 billion on legal technology and AI over the next decade and formally unveiled MX2, its proprietary AI platform. Artificial Lawyer and Legal IT Insider reported the pledge and product modules; a Reuters dispatch the same day said the firm plans to offer MX2 to other law firms on an invitation-only basis by the end of 2027.

Announcement (Artificial Lawyer) → · Legal IT Insider, Reuters (via Boursorama)