The purpose of this summary provided by the Communications Department of The Florida Bar is to present media coverage that may be of interest to members. Opinions expressed in the articles are attributable solely to the authors. The Florida Bar does not adopt or endorse any opinions expressed below. For information on previous articles, please contact the publishing newspaper directly.
November 05, 2025
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The Florida Bar
LEESFIELD PARTNERS PROVIDES FREE EVENING TRAINING FOR NEWER LAWYERS NOVEMBER 12 IN MIAMI
The Florida Bar | Article | November 05, 2025
“Passing the torch on the art of trial,” is how Ira Leesfield describes “Classroom to Courtroom,” a free, in-person, professional development series presented by experienced judges, public servants, trial lawyers, and litigators, and hosted by Leesfield Partners in Miami. Attorneys with five years of experience, or less, are invited to register for one of 15 seats for “Preparation for Trial: Strategies, Resources and Innovations,” on Wednesday, November 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Leesfield Partners on South Dixie Highway in Miami. The session will be presented by Magistrate Judge Detra Shaw-Wilder of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Richard P. Cole of Cole Scott & Kissane, and Jaret Davis of Greenberg Traurig, and moderated by Ira Leesfield, founder of Leesfield Partners.
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Legal Profession
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: FLORIDA LEGAL AWARDS 2026
Daily Business Review | Article | November 04, 2025
Daily Business Review and Law.com are now accepting nominations for the Florida Legal Awards. These awards recognize exceptional professionals across various legal domains in Florida. The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 29, 2026 in Miami, with honorees receiving dedicated recognition in a published special section on Law.com. The publication plans to announce finalists in each category on Law.com in March, and the winners will be revealed at the awards dinner. Nominations must be submitted through the Florida Legal Awards nominations portal site. Email nominations will not be accepted. The deadline submissions is Jan. 20, 2026. The awards are open to all law firms, in-house legal departments and legal organizations in Florida.
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Civil Justice
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT NIXES CHINESE LAND-BUYING LAW CHALLENGE
Florida Phoenix | Article | November 04, 2025
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a legal challenge on Tuesday [Nov. 4] to a Florida law aimed at blocking Chinese citizens from purchasing land in Florida. The appellate court ruled that the Chinese citizens who sued lacked standing to bring the initial lawsuit. Two judges of a three-judge panel, Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, ruled that the plaintiffs, Yifan Shen, Yongxin Liu, Zhiming Xu, and Xinxi Wang, did not have the legal right to challenge the law that restricts foreign purchase of land in Florida. The law, SB 624 passed in 2023, made it illegal for people domiciled in China and not citizens of the U.S. from purchasing real estate in Florida. And, if they already own property, to report that ownership. The legislation was pushed amid fears that people and businesses linked to the Chinese Communist Party would acquire either agricultural land or land near important installations.
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Criminal Justice
GRINDR LAWSUIT TO HEAD TO ARBITRATION IN TORTURE DEATH OF GULFPORT TEEN
Tampa Bay Times | Article | November 04, 2025
U.S. District Judge Tom Barber agreed with Grindr LLC that a lawsuit over the high-profile murder of Miranda Corsette, who met Steven Gress on the dating app should go to arbitration. In a 12-page ruling, Judge Barber said Corsette, in creating a Grindr account, had agreed to terms and conditions that included arbitration of legal disputes. Corsette was killed in February after meeting Gress, on the app. Gress invited the teen to his home in St. Petersburg and introduced her to his domestic partner, Michelle Brandes. “Allegedly, the three got into a dispute, and as a result, Gress and Brandes severely beat Corsette,” the judge wrote. The teen’s estate filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Grindr, seeking to hold it responsible in the slaying. But Grindr argued the dispute should go to arbitration, rather than to a trial in court as Corsette agreed to the terms of service each of the three times she created a Grindr account.
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Criminal Justice
MIAMI DOCTOR SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR KEY ROLE IN OXYCODONE PAINKILLER RACKET
Miami Herald | Article | November 03, 2025
Dr. Daniel Alberto Carpman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in prescribing millions of Oxycodone pills to thousands of patients who resold the painkillers to drug dealers in the Miami area. His defense attorney, Oscar Rodriguez, told District Judge Melissa Damian on Monday [Nov. 3], that Carpman would be facing a “life sentence” or the “death penalty” if the judge gave him the maximum 20-year sentence for his critical role in a street racket that distributed the dangerous opioids. Instead, Rodriguez asked for six years in prison. Judge Damian showed some mercy, imposing a 15-year prison sentence, citing the Argentine-born doctor’s advancing age and declining health. However, Judge Damian noted the deadly toll of the opioid epidemic, and said she was struck by the “staggering” number of Oxycodone pills that Carpman prescribed from his Miami clinic in a five-year conspiracy with a ring of Hialeah-based dealers.
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Criminal Justice
HAINES CITY MAN’S MURDER CHARGE DROPPED AFTER RULING ON ‘STAND YOUR GROUND’ DEFENSE
Lakeland Ledger | Article | November 03, 2025
Circuit Court Judge J. Kevin Abdoney ruled on Oct. 21, that Joshua Badillo, who faced murder and attempted murder charges is immune from prosecution under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Since a May 2022 indictment, Badillo of Haines City faced charges of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. The charges stemmed from a shooting on April 29, 2022, outside the Shady Cove Bar and Grill that killed a man and injured Badillo and at least one other man. Badillo argued he was confronted in the parking lot of the bar by a gun-wielding, 300-pound biker and feared for his life before shooting him and another man in self-defense. Badillo was also injured by the exchange of gunfire. Judge Abdoney wrote that the incident could have been avoided if Badillo made better choices, but the court was required to follow the state statute.