Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Thursday's Afternoon Update

Florida's courts among nation's worst for businesses

Florida business leaders are declaring a renewed war against lawsuits, and they point to a new survey showing the state among the worst in the nation for litigation. The Harris Poll survey for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Florida is the fifth worst for having courtrooms unfriendly to businesses. The poll of more than 1,300 business owners and their attorneys found that the state ranks lowest for what they perceived to be partial trial judges, unfair juries and treatment of class-action lawsuits. More from WUSF.

New Florida hemp trade group named its first president. He might sound familiar.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera, former Lieutenant Governor under former Gov. Rick Scott, will be taking on a new, greener role. The Hemp Industries Association of Florida, a trade association to promote the crop, announced Wednesday that Lopez-Cantera will head the group as its first president. The association opened shop in Florida this past February. More from the Miami Herald.

Orlando airport board, facing criticism, reverses course on no-bid lawyer contracts

The seven members of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority scrapped a controversial proposal approved last month to name a pair of law firms to serve as co-general counsel for the next six months. Instead, they agreed to solicit proposals from any law firms interested in the temporary job, with plans to pick the new lawyers in November. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Owner of Bradenton’s IMG Academy files for IPO

The parent company of Bradenton’s IMG Academy has filed for an initial public offering that could raise more than $700 million. Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. submitted a securities filing this week to offer 19.4 million shares of common stock at $30 to $32 per share. Underwriters would have the option to buy up to 2.9 million additional shares. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Florida’s SunPass debacle could cost more than $50 million

Florida’s botched SunPass rollout last year could cost the state more than $50 million in unpaid tolls, the new head of the state’s Turnpike Enterprise told lawmakers Wednesday. Executive Director Nicola Liquori said the department expects to collect only 90 percent of its toll revenue for the fiscal year following the disastrous rollout of the new SunPass system in June last year. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Business Profile
Table Talk SRQ

 Board games are no longer just for home entertainment in Sarasota-Manatee. On Wednesday at noon, local owners Desiree Ramey and Rachael Sawyer opened Table Talk SRQ, their brand new board game cafe tucked away in a strip mall on Cortez Road in Bradenton. “These board game cafes are popping up across the country,” said Ramey, a Sarasota High grad who lives in Bradenton. “I was on vacation and realized that we didn’t have any here.”

» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

 

Around the State
Required solar panels in South Miami

floridaIn 2017, South Miami became the first municipality in Florida and the first in the U.S. outside California to require solar panels on new houses. The ordinance applies to the dozen or so new single-family houses built in the city each year, as well as a few townhomes. It also applies to major home renovations.

» Read more from Florida Trend.